Chapter XV: Part 15

NEW WAY OF DRESSING TERRAPINS.--In buying terrapins, select those only that are large, fat, and thick-bodied. Put them whole into water that is boiling hard at the time, and (adding a little salt) boil them till thoroughly done throughout. Then, taking off the shell, extract the meat, and remove carefully the sand-bag and gall; also _all the entrails_. They are disgusting, unfit to eat; and are no longer served up in cooking terrapin for the best tables. Cut the meat into pieces, and put it into a stew-pan with its eggs, and sufficient fresh butter to stew it well. Let it stew till quite hot throughout, keeping the pan carefully covered that none of the flavour may escape; but shake it over the fire while stewing. In another pan, make a sauce of beaten yolk of egg, highly flavoured with Madeira or sherry, and powdered nutmeg and mace, and enriched with a large lump of fresh butter. Stir this sauce well over the fire, and when it has _almost_ come to a boil, take it off. Send the terrapin to table hot in a covered dish, and the sauce _separately_ in a sauce-tureen, to be used by those who like it, and omitted by those who prefer the genuine flavour of the terrapin when simply stewed with butter.

This is now the usual mode of dressing terrapins in Maryland and Virginia, and will be found superior to any other.

No dish of terrapins can be good unless the terrapins themselves are of the best quality. It is mistaken economy to buy poor ones. Besides being insipid and tasteless, it takes more in number to fill a dish. The females are the best.

A TERRAPIN POT-PIE.--Take several fine large terrapins, the fattest and thickest you can get. Put them into a large pot of water that is boiling hard; and boil them half an hour or more. Then take them out of the shell, pulling off the outer skin and the toe-nails. Remove the sand-bag and the gall, taking care not to break it, or it will render the whole too bitter to be eaten. Take out also the entrails, and throw them away; as the custom of cooking them is now, very properly, exploded. Then cut up all the meat of the terrapins, taking care to save all the liquid that exudes in cutting up, and also the eggs. Season the whole with pepper, mace, and nutmeg, adding a little salt; and lay among it pieces of fresh butter slightly rolled in flour.

Have ready an ample quantity of paste, made in the proportion of a pound of butter to two large quarts (or pounds) of flour, or a pound and a half of butter to three quarts of flour, and rolled out thick. Butter the inside of an iron pot, and line the sides with paste, till it reaches within one-third of the top. Then put in the pieces of terrapin, with the eggs, butter, &c., and with all the liquid. Lay among the terrapin, square pieces of paste. Then pour in sufficient water to stew the whole properly. Next, cover all with a circular lid, or top-crust of paste, but do not fit it so closely that the gravy cannot bubble up over the edges while cooking. Cut a slit in the top-crust. Place the pot-pie over a good fire, and boil it till the whole is thoroughly done, which will be from three-quarters to an hour, (after it comes to a boil;) taking care not to let it get too dry, but keeping a kettle of _hot_ water to replenish it if necessary. When done, take it up in a deep dish, and serve it hot. Then let every one add what seasoning they choose.

It may be much improved by mixing among the pieces of terrapin (before putting them into the pie) some yolks of hard-boiled eggs, grated or minced. They will enrich the gravy.

A BEEF-STEAK POT-PIE.--Take a sufficiency of tender beef-steaks from the sirloin, removing all the fat and bone. Season them slightly with pepper and salt; adding also some nutmeg. Put them into a pot with plenty of water, and par-boil them. Meanwhile, make a large portion of paste, (a pot-pie with but little paste is no better than a mere stew,) and roll it out thick. If you use suet for shortening, allow to every two quarts or two pounds of flour a large half-pound of suet, divested of the skin and strings, and minced as finely as possible with a chopping-knife. Sprinkle in a very little salt. Mix the suet with the flour in a large pan, rubbing it fine with your hands, and adding gradually sufficient cold water to make a stiff dough. Then transfer the lump of dough to the paste-board; knead it well with your hands; and beat it hard on all sides with the rolling-pin. Next roll it out into sheets. Line the sides of a pot with a portion of the dough. Then put in the beef; adding for gravy the liquid in which it was boiled, and a little hot water. Also, some potatoes sliced or quartered. Intersperse the meat with square slices of paste. Finish by covering it with a lid of paste, having a slit in the top: but do not fit the lid too closely. Then placing the pot over the fire, let it boil from three-quarters to an hour, (after it comes to a boil,) replenishing it, if necessary, with more hot water. This will be found an excellent family dish.

CHICKEN POT-PIE.--Cut up, and par-boil a pair of large fowls, seasoning them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg. You may add some small slices of cold ham; in which case add _no salt_, as the ham will make it salt enough. Or you may put in some pieces of the lean of fresh pork. You may prepare a suet-paste; but for a chicken pot-pie it is best to make the paste of butter, which should be fresh, and of the best quality. Allow to each quart of flour, a small half-pound of butter. There should be enough for a great deal of paste. Line the sides of the pot, two-thirds up, with paste. Put in the chickens, with the liquor in which they were parboiled. You may add some sliced potatoes. Intersperse the pieces of chicken with layers of paste in square slices. Then cover the whole with a lid of paste, not fitting very closely. Make a slit in the top, and boil the pie about three-quarters of an hour or more.

This pie will be greatly improved by adding some clams to the chickens while par-boiling, omitting salt in the seasoning, as the clams will salt it quite enough.

BROILED MUSHROOMS.--Take the largest and finest fresh mushrooms. Peel them, and cut off the stems as closely as possible. Lay the mushrooms on their backs, upon a large flat dish; and into the hollow or cup of each put a piece of fresh butter, and season it with a little black pepper. Set a clean gridiron over a bed of clear hot coals, and when it is well heated, put on the mushrooms, and broil them thoroughly. The gridiron should be one with grooved bars, so as to retain the gravy. When the first gridiron-full of mushrooms is well broiled, put them with their liquor into a hot dish, and keep them closely covered while the rest are broiling. This is an excellent way of cooking mushrooms.

AN EASY WAY TO PICKLE MUSHROOMS.--Take two quarts of small freshly-gathered mushrooms. With a sharp-pointed knife peel off, carefully, their thin outside skin; and cut off the stalks closely. Prepare eight little bags of very thin clear muslin, and tie up in each bag six blades of mace; six slices of root-ginger; and a small nutmeg (or half a large one) broken small, but not powdered. Have ready four glass jars, such as are considered to hold a quart. Lay a bag of spice in the bottom of each; then put in a pint of the mushrooms, laying a second bag of spice on the top. Have ready a sufficiency of the best cider-vinegar, very slightly seasoned with salt; allowing to each quart of vinegar but a salt-spoon of salt. Fill up the jars with the vinegar, finishing at the top with two table-spoonfuls of sweet oil. Immediately close up the jars, corking them tightly; and pasting thick paper, or tying a piece of leather or bladder closely down over the corks.

These mushrooms will be found very fine; and as they require no cooking, are speedily and easily prepared. When a jar is once opened, it will be well to use them fast. They may be put up in small jars, or in glass tumblers, such as hold but a pint altogether; seeing that the proportions of spice in each jar or tumbler are duly divided, as above. Keep them in a very dry place.

If you wish the mushrooms to be of a dark colour when pickled, add half a dozen cloves to each bag of spice; but the clove-taste will most likely overpower that of the mushrooms. On no account omit the oil.

If you cannot obtain button-mushrooms, cut large ones into four quarters, first peeling them and removing the stems.

BREAKFAST ROLLS.--These rolls must be mixed the night before, near bed-time. Sift three quarts of flour into a deep pan, and cut up into it a half-pint cup-full (or a quarter of a pound) of fresh butter. Rub the butter with your hands into the flour till thoroughly incorporated, and add a very small tea-spoonful of salt. Make a hole in the middle of the flour, and pour in four large table-spoonfuls of excellent yeast. Have ready sufficient warm milk; a pint will generally be enough, (heated but not boiling,) to make it into a light dough. Add the milk gradually; and then knead the dough. Put it into a pan, cover it with a clean thick cloth, and set it in a warm place. Early in the morning, add to the dough a small tea-spoonful of pearl-ash or sal-eratus, or a large tea-spoonful of soda, dissolved in a little warm water. Mix it well in, and knead the dough over again. Then divide it into equal portions, and make each portion into an _oval-shaped_ roll. Draw a deep mark along the top-surface of each with a knife. Put them into a hot oven, and bake them brown.

If intended for tea, mix them in the forenoon; and previous to baking, make out the dough into _round cakes_, pricking them with a fork.

BUCKWHEAT BATTER PUDDING.--Mix early in the day, a quart of buckwheat meal with a large tea-cup full of Indian meal or of wheat flour; and add a tea-spoonful of salt. Have ready some water, warm but not boiling; and stir it gradually into the pan of meal till it makes a thick batter. Then add two large table-spoonfuls of fresh strong yeast from the brewer’s. Of home-made yeast you will require three or four spoonfuls. Stir the whole very hard; cover the pan and set it near the fire to rise. When quite light, and covered with bubbles, melt a small tea-spoonful of soda or pearl-ash in a little warm water, and stir it into the batter. This, added to the yeast, will make the mixture light enough for a pudding without eggs. Have ready on the fire, a pot of boiling water. Dip in the pudding-cloth, then shake it out, spread it into a bread pan, and dredge it with flour. Pour the batter into the cloth as soon as you have added the soda, and tie it tightly, leaving a vacancy of about one-third, to allow for the swelling of the pudding. Put it into the pot while the water is boiling hard, and boil the pudding fast during an hour or more; buckwheat meal requiring much less time than indian or wheat. While boiling, turn the pudding several times in the water. When done, turn it out on a dish, and send it to table hot. Eat it with butter and sugar, or molasses.

This is a good plain pudding; but the batter must be _perfectly_ light before it is tied up in the cloth; and if the water boils away, replenish the pudding-pot with _boiling_ water from a kettle. To put _cold_ water into a boiling pot will most certainly spoil whatever pudding is cooking in it, rendering it heavy, flat, and unfit to eat.

If you intend having buckwheat cakes at breakfast, and this pudding at dinner, mix at once sufficient batter for both purposes, adding the soda at the last, just before you put the pudding into the cloth.

Yeast-powders will be still better than soda; real yeast having previously been used when first mixing the batter. To use yeast-powders, dissolve the contents of the blue paper (super-carbonate of soda) in a little warm water, and stir it into the batter. Then, directly after, melt in another cup the powder from the white paper, (tartaric acid,) and stir that in also.

BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE.--Boil a quart of rich milk, and when it has come to a hard boil, stir in, gradually, as much buckwheat meal as will make it of the consistence of very thick mush, adding a tea-spoon of salt, (not more,) and a table-spoonful of fresh butter. Five minutes after it is thick enough, remove it from the fire. If the milk is previously boiling hard, and continues to boil while the meal is going in, but little more cooking will be necessary.

Send it to table hot, and eat it with butter and sugar, or with molasses and butter.

This is sometimes called a Five Minute Pudding, from its being made so soon. It is very good for children, as a plain dessert; or for supper.

Before it goes to table, you may season it with powdered ginger, or nutmeg.

APPLE TAPIOCA.--Take a quart bowl, and half fill it with tapioca: then fill it very nearly to the top with cold water, allowing a little space for the tapioca to swell in soaking. Cover it, and let it stand all night. In the morning, pare and core six or eight fine pippin or bell-flower apples. Put them into a preserving kettle; filling up the holes from whence the cores were extracted with powdered sugar, and the grated yellow rind of one large lemon, or two small ones; and also the juice. Stew among the apples additional sugar, so as to make them agreeably sweet. Add about half enough of water to cover them. This will be sufficient to keep them from burning. Stew them gently till about half done; turning them carefully several times. Then put in the tapioca, and let it simmer with them till perfectly clear, and the apples are tender and well done throughout; but not long enough for them to break and fall to pieces. The tapioca will form a fine clear jelly all round the apples.

This is a nice dessert for children. And also, cooling and nourishing for invalids.

Quinces may be done in the same manner. They require more cooking than apples. For quinces, it is best to use, as flavouring, the grated yellow rind, and the juice of very ripe oranges.

TERRA FIRMA.--Take a piece of rennet about four inches square, and wash it in two or three cold waters to get off all the salt. Then wipe it dry, put it into a cup, and pour on sufficient lukewarm water to cover it well. Let it stand four or five hours, or all night. Then stir the rennet-water into three pints of rich unskimmed milk, flavoured with rose or peach-water. Cover the pan of milk, and set it on the hearth near the fire, till it forms a very firm curd. Then take it out, (draining off the whey,) put it into a clean sieve, (under which set a pan to receive the droppings,) and with the back of a broad flat wooden ladle, press all the remaining whey out of the curd. Next put the mass of curd into a deep bowl to mould it; and set it on ice till tea-time. Then transfer it to a deep glass bowl or dish, and pour all round it some cream sweetened well with sugar, and flavoured with rose or peach like the curd. On the curd lay circles of small sweetmeats, such as preserved strawberries, raspberries, or gooseberries. You may add to the cream that is to surround it, white wine and nutmeg.

TO USE COLD PUDDING.--If you have a large piece of boiled pudding left after dinner, (such as plum pudding, indian pudding, or batter pudding,) and you wish to cook it next day, tie it up in a cloth, and put it into a pot of boiling water, and keep it boiling hard for half an hour or more. It will be found as good as on the first day, and perhaps rather better; and it will be far more palatable, as well as more wholesome than if sliced, and fried, or broiled. Eat it with the same sauce as on the preceding day.

TO KEEP EGGS.--Break some glue into pieces, and boil it in sufficient water to make a thin solution. While warm, dip a brush into it, and go carefully over every egg. They must all be quite fresh. When the eggs are thoroughly glazed with the glue, spread them out to dry. When quite dry, pack them in kegs or boxes, with dry wood-ashes or saw-dust, (of which there must be a plentiful portion,) putting a thick layer of the ashes or saw-dust at the bottom and top of the keg. This is an excellent way of keeping eggs for sea-voyages, and is well worth the trouble. Before using them, soak them in warm water to get off the coating of glue.

Eggs of parrots and other tropical birds preserved in this manner, and the glue-coating soaked off in _cold_ water, it is said have afterwards been hatched in the usual way; and the young birds have lived.

FINE FRENCH MUSTARD.--Take a sufficient quantity of green tarragon leaves, (picked from the stalks) and put them into a wide-mouthed glass jar till it is half full; pressing them down hard. Then fill up the jar with the best cider-vinegar, and cork it closely. Let it infuse a week or two. Then pour off the vinegar into a pitcher, remove all the tarragon from the jar, and put in an equal quantity of fresh leaves of the plant, and pour back the same vinegar from the pitcher. Cork it again, and let the last tarragon remain in the jar. In another fortnight the vinegar will be sufficiently flavoured with tarragon to use it for French mustard, or for other purposes. Then peel a clove of garlic, (not more than _one_,) and mince it as fine as possible. Mix it into four ounces (a quarter of a pound) of the best mustard-powder, in a deep white pan. Take a jill, or two large wine-glasses of the tarragon vinegar, (strained from the leaves,) pour it into a mug, and mix with it thoroughly an equal quantity of salad oil. Then with the mixture of vinegar and oil, moisten the mustard-powder, gradually, (using a wooden spoon,) till you get it a very little thicker than the usual consistence of made mustard. Put it into small clean, white jars, and cork them closely.

If you find that the above quantity of oil and vinegar will make the mustard too thin, you need not use the whole of the liquid. If the mustard seems too thick, dilute it gradually with a little more of the oil and vinegar.

This mustard is very superior to the common preparation, and is universally liked; particularly with beef and mutton. It must be kept closely corked. It is usual to bring it to table in the little white jar, with a small spoon beside it.

The herb tarragon may be had green and fresh in July and August. It is much used in French cookery, as a seasoning for stews, soups, &c.

Tarragon vinegar is very good with boiled cabbage or greens. The tarragon leaves of the second infusion should be kept remaining in the jar, pouring off the vinegar from them as it is wanted. A small quantity may be kept in a cruet; retaining the leaves at the bottom.

A WASHINGTON PUDDING.--Pick, and wash clean half a pound of Zante currants; drain them, and wipe them in a towel, and then spread them out on a flat dish, and place them before the fire to dry thoroughly. Prepare about a quarter of a pound or half a pint of finely-grated bread-crumbs. Have ready a heaping tea-spoonful of powdered mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg mixed. When the currants are dry, dredge them thickly on all sides with flour, to prevent their sinking or clodding in the pudding while baking. Cut up in a deep pan half a pound of the best fresh butter, and add to it half a pound of fine white sugar, powdered. Stir the butter and sugar together, with a wooden spaddle, till they are very light and creamy. Then add a table-spoonful of wine, and a table-spoonful of brandy. Beat in a shallow pan eight eggs till perfectly light, and as thick as a good boiled custard. Afterwards, mix with them, gradually, a pint of rich milk and the grated bread-crumbs, stirred in alternately. Next, stir this mixture, by degrees, into the pan of beaten butter and sugar; and add the currants, a few at a time. Finish with a table-spoonful of strong rose-water, or a wine-glass full, if it is not very strong. Stir the whole very hard. Butter a large deep white dish; or two of soup-plate size. Put in the batter. Set it directly into a brisk oven, and bake it well. When cold, dredge the surface with powdered sugar. Serve it up in the dish in which it was baked. You may ornament the top with bits of citron cut into leaves and forming a wreath; or with circles of preserved strawberries.

This will be found a very fine pudding. It must be baked in time to become quite cold before dinner.

For currants, you may substitute raisins of the best quality; seeded, cut in half, and well dredged with flour.

Instead of rose-water you may stir in the yellow rind (finely grated) of one large lemon, or two small ones, and their juice also.

NEW WAY OF WASHING SILK.--For ribbons, cravats, and other small articles of silk, put a sufficiency of the best fresh camphine oil into a large basin, and press and squeeze the things well through it, without either soap or water. Then squeeze them, till as dry as you can get them: open them out; and having washed the basin, put into it some fresh camphine, and wash the articles through that in the same manner as before. Have hot irons ready, and as the things come out of the second camphine, (after well squeezing and shaking them, but not rinsing,) spread them open on the ironing-sheet, and iron them smoothly and evenly on the wrong side. Do each article, as soon as it has had the second washing, as they should remain wet as short a time as possible.

There is no way of washing silk things that will make them look so well as this. It injures no colour, but rather brightens all, and gives the silk just the right degree of stiffness, besides making it very clean and fresh. When done, hang them in the open air for a while. A silk dress may be washed in this manner, putting the camphine into a large queensware-foot-bath. It should not go into a vessel of either wood or metal. The dress must first be taken entirely apart; but it will look so well when washed and ironed, that you will not regret the trouble.

Camphine generally sells at about fifty cents a gallon, sometimes lower.

TO SAVE STAIR-CARPETS.--Stair-carpets always wear out first (and sometimes very soon) at those parts that go against the edges or ledges of the stairs. They will last much longer at the edges, (indeed, as long as any other part of the carpet,) if the following precaution is taken. Get some old carpeting, (first made very clean,) and cut it into strips just the width of the stair-carpet. Each strip must be wide enough to put on double. Nail these strips, carefully and smoothly, on the round edge of each stair, so as to cover it entirely, above and below. Afterwards, put down the stair-carpet. When it is taken up to have the stairs washed, these strips will be found no inconvenience to the cleaning; taking care, however, if any of the nails or tacks get loosened, to drive them in again tightly; and if bent, to replace them by new ones. The slips must have time to get quite dry before the carpet is put down again.

Another way to save a stair-carpet, is to buy enough to make it a yard or more too long. Whenever the carpet is put down again, after it has been taken up for the purpose of cleaning the stairs, shift its position every time, so that the same places of the carpet may not always go against the ledges of the stairs. The extra length must be folded under, sometimes at the top of the staircase, and sometimes at the bottom.

Both these methods of saving a stair-carpet we know to be good. The first is the least expensive; but it is more trouble to nail on all the double slips of old carpeting, than to buy the additional yard of new.

In hotels where there is always plenty of old carpeting, and where there are men who can easily nail on the slips, this is a much better way than to cover the stairs first with oil-cloth, and then with zinc to save the oil-cloth; corners of the zinc frequently getting loose and catching and tearing the ladies’ dresses.

Oil spilt on a stair-carpet can generally be taken away by immediately wiping off as much as can thus be removed, and then directly washing the place with cold water; renewing the water with fresh, till the grease disappears. If it will not come out, cover the place thoroughly with scraped fuller’s earth. Let it rest an hour or two: then brush that off, and put on a fresh layer of fuller’s earth; repeating it till the oil is entirely expelled. Scraped Wilmington clay is still better than fuller’s earth.

SPERMACETI, TO EXTRACT FROM CARPETS OR CLOTHES.--There is no better way of removing spermaceti, than, (after scraping off with a knife as much as you can get from the surface of the spot,) to cover it with a piece of clean blotting paper, or any paper that is soft and thin, and press it with a warm iron. By repeating this, (taking each time a clean part of the paper,) any spermaceti spot may be removed from carpets, coats, ladies’ dresses, or other similar articles.

When spermaceti has been dropped on a table, lay a blotting paper on the spot, and then hold over it, _carefully_, at a small distance above, a hot coal in the tongs. Pressing it with a warm iron would mark the mahogany.

CHEAP OIL FOR KITCHEN LAMPS.--Let all scraps of fat (including even whatever bits are left on the dinner-plates) and all drippings be carefully saved, and put into an earthen crock, covered, and set in a cold place. When the crock is full, transfer the fat to an iron pot, filling it half-way up with fat; and pour in sufficient cold water to reach the top. Set it over the fire, and boil and skim it till all the impurities are removed. Next pour the melted fat into a large broad pan of cold water, and set it away to cool. It will harden into a cake. Then take out the cake, and put it away in a cool place. When wanted for use, cut off a sufficient quantity, melt it by the fire till it becomes liquid, and then fill the lamp with it, as with lard. It will give a clear bright light, quite equal to that of lard, and better than whale oil; and it costs nothing but the trouble of preparing the fat. We highly recommend this piece of economy.

RELIEF FOR CORNS.--Experience proves that there is scarcely a possibility of removing corns on the feet, so that they will never return. The following remedy _we know_ to be an excellent palliative; it will for a time diminish their size, and take away their soreness, and is easily renewed when they again become troublesome. It is peculiarly excellent for corns between the toes, which, of all others, are the most painful when they inflame.

Get at a druggist’s a sixpenny box of Simple Cerate, (which is made of white wax, spermaceti, and lard, melted together, and stewed to a salve,) and with your finger, apply a small portion of this to each corn, letting it stay on for two or three hours; and then repeat the application. Do this several times during the day. For corns between the toes, add to the cerate a little soft, open white wool, such as you may pick off the surface of a blanket. Stick this in between the toes--the salve that adheres to it will keep it in its place. Repeat this through the day with fresh cerate and wool; putting on your stockings carefully. At night, before going to bed, wash off the cerate. In the morning renew it, as before. It gives not the least pain, but is soothing and pleasant. Proceed in this manner for a few days or a week, and you will find great relief. Try it, and be convinced.

Stockings with toes too narrow or pointed, are just as apt to produce corns, and to increase their pain and inflammation, as the wearing of narrow-toed shoes.

BROILED CANVAS BACK DUCKS.--To have these ducks with their flavour and juices in perfection, they should be cooked immediately after killing. If shot early in the morning, let them be broiled for breakfast; if killed in the forenoon, they should be dressed for that day’s dinner. When they can be obtained quite fresh, broiling is now considered the best way of cooking them.

As soon as the ducks have been plucked, and drawn, and washed, split them down the back, and lay them, spread open, on a very clean gridiron, set over a bed of clear bright coals. The gridiron should have grooved bars to retain as much as possible of the gravy. Broil them well and thoroughly, so that the flesh may not have the least redness when sent to table. They will generally be done in twenty minutes or more. Serve them up as hot as possible. They will be found full of gravy, and require no sauce when cooked in this manner; but you may season them as you please when on your plate.

AUTUMN LEAVES.--The autumnal colours of our American forest trees are justly admired for the brightness, richness, and variety of their tints. Some of our fair countrywomen have worn them in Europe, formed into wreaths for the hair, or trimmings for ball-dresses, and the effect was considered beautiful. They may be preserved for this purpose by the following process. Gather as many varieties of autumn foliage as you can obtain; seeing that every leaf is perfect, and that there is a stem to each. The best time is in the month of October. Include among them those of the crimson maple, the purple beech, the willow oak with its underside of silvery white, the yellow hickory, the aspen, and any others that are richly tinted by the frost. Also, by way of contrast, some green pine sprigs. Lay them separately between the leaves of a large _writing-paper_ book, (an old ledger will do very well,) and do not put tree-leaves between all the book-leaves successively, but alternately; otherwise they will not be smooth and flat when pressed. That is, put tree-leaves between the second and third pages of the book, and then no more till between the sixth and seventh pages. Lay the next tree-leaves between the tenth and eleventh pages, and so on, till they are all in. Place several other heavy books upon the ledger so as to press well the leaves beneath.

Stretch a twine across the room, or from the backs of two chairs, and tie a small twine string to each stem. Have ready some very fine clear varnish, (such as is used for maps, &c.) and with a large camels’ hair brush, go carefully over both sides of the leaves, including the stem. Fasten them all, separately, to the stretched twine; seeing that none of them are near enough to each other to touch. Then lock the door of the room, that nothing may get in to disturb them, or raise the slightest dust while the varnish is drying. When perfectly dry, and not in the least sticky to the touch of the finger, have ready some sheets of smooth thick white paper. In each sheet cut small double slits to admit the stems, and in this way secure the leaves from slipping about and being injured. Write the name of each leaf above it. Let the other half of the sheet lie upon them. Put these sheets within a double cover of binders-board, (like a port-folio,) which you must then seal up in paper, like a large parcel, and the leaves in all their autumn beauty may be safely transported to any part of the world.

They will be found very useful to landscape-painters.

MADEIRA CHARLOTTE RUSSE.--Take one ounce of gelatine, or of the very best Russia isinglass, and soak it, near half an hour, in as much cold water as will barely cover it. It must merely soften, and not dissolve. Then drain off the water, and put the gelatine or isinglass into a pint of rich cream; adding a vanilla bean split, cut to pieces, and tied closely in a very thin muslin bag. Set the cream over a slow fire in a porcelain preserving-kettle, and let it boil till the gelatine is entirely dissolved, and thoroughly mixed with the cream. Give it a hard stirring, down to the bottom, several times while boiling.

Have ready the yolks only, of eight eggs, beaten till very light and thick; and then beat, gradually, into the yolk of egg three quarters of a pound of the best powdered loaf-sugar. Then take the cream off the fire, and (having first removed the vanilla) stir into it, by degrees, the mixture of beaten yolk of egg and sugar. Set the kettle again over a slow fire, and let it simmer till very thick; but do not allow it to boil hard, or too long, lest it should curdle.

When the mixture is sufficiently thick, take it off, and set it away to cool. Have ready the whites of four of the eight eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Then stir two heaping table-spoonfuls of powdered loaf-sugar into half a tumbler-full of Madeira wine, and beat it slowly into the white of egg; adding a little more powdered sugar if the wine seems likely to curdle the egg.

When the yellow or yolk-of-egg mixture is quite cold, stir gradually into it the white mixture, till all is thoroughly amalgamated. Have ready a mould or moulds lined with very thin slices of almond sponge-cake. Fill them up with the mixture, and set them on ice till the charlotte is wanted. Then turn it out. You may cover the top with icing made in the usual way, and flavoured with extract of vanilla, or extract of bitter almond--or peach-water.

LEMON CHARLOTTE RUSSE.--Is made as in the preceding receipt; substituting for the vanilla and Madeira, the yellow rind and the juice of two large whole lemons, or three if not of the largest size. Rub off the yellow rind (or zest) upon lumps of loaf-sugar, scraping it off with a knife as you proceed, and saving it on a saucer. Then powder these lumps, and mix them with half the remainder of the three-quarters of a pound of sugar, and the scraped yellow rind. Add it (as above) to the beaten yolk of egg, and boil it slowly with the isinglass and cream. Then cut the lemons, and squeeze their juice into the remaining sugar. Having beaten the whites of half the eight eggs to a stiff froth, add to it the lemon-juice and sugar; and when the mixture of cream, egg, and isinglass is cold, mix gradually with it the beaten white of egg, &c. Lastly, line the mould with thin slices of lady-cake, or almond sponge-cake; put in the mixture, and set it on ice. Before it goes to table ice the top; flavouring the icing with lemon-juice.

ORANGE CHARLOTTE RUSSE.--Is made as above--substituting for the lemons three fine large oranges, and flavouring the icing with orange-juice. Line the moulds with almond sponge-cake. Orange cake will be still better for this purpose.

ROSE CHARLOTTE RUSSE.--Take an ounce of Russia isinglass or of gelatine, and soften it by soaking a while in cold water. Then boil it slowly in a pint of cream, sweetened with a quarter of a pound of fine loaf-sugar, (adding a handful of fresh rose-leaves tied in a thin muslin bag,) till it is thoroughly dissolved, and well mixed. Take it off the fire; set it to cool; and beat together till very light and thick, four whole eggs, and the yolks only of four others. Stir the beaten eggs gradually into the mixture of cream, sugar and isinglass, and set it again over the fire. Stir it well, and see that it only simmers; taking it off before it comes quite to a boil. Then, while it is warm, stir in sufficient extract of roses, to give it a high rose-flavour and a fragrant smell. Have ready two moulds lined with lady-cake, or almond sponge-cake. Fill them with the mixture, and set them on ice. Before they go to table, ice the tops of the charlotte, flavouring the icing with rose.

CHOCOLATE CHARLOTTE RUSSE.--Having soaked in cold water an ounce of Russia isinglass, or of gelatine, shave down three ounces of the best chocolate, which must have no spice or sugar in it, (Baker’s Prepared Cocoa is excellent for this and all other chocolate purposes,) and mix it gradually into a pint of cream, adding the soaked isinglass. Set the cream, chocolate, and isinglass over the fire, in a porcelain kettle; and boil it slowly till the isinglass is dissolved thoroughly, and the whole is well mixed. Then take it off the fire and let it cool. Have ready eight yolks of eggs and four whites, beaten all together till very light; and stir them gradually into the mixture, in turn with half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar. Simmer the whole over the fire, but do not let it quite boil. Then take it off, and with a chocolate-mill, (or with rods,) whip it to a strong froth. Line your moulds with sponge-cake, and set them on ice.

If you like a strong chocolate flavour, take four ounces of the cocoa.

ALMOND ICE-CREAM.--To every quart of cream, allow two ounces of shelled sweet almonds, and two ounces of shelled bitter almonds. Blanch the almonds in scalding water, and then throw them into cold water; afterwards, put them, one at a time, (bitter and sweet alternately,) into a marble mortar, and pound them to a fine, smooth paste, moistening them with a little cream as you proceed. When the almonds are all done, stir them gradually into the cream you intend to freeze. Set it over a fire, and continue to boil it five minutes after it has come to a boil. Then strain it into a freezer, and while it is warm stir in gradually sufficient powdered loaf-sugar to make it very sweet, allowing three-quarters of a pound to every quart of cream. Freeze it in the usual manner.

ALMOND ICE-CREAM--_Another way._ To each quart of cream, allow three ounces of shelled bitter-almonds, and no sweet ones. Blanch them and break them up slightly. Put them into a porcelain sauce-pan, and pour on water, allowing half a pint of water to each ounce of almonds. Boil them long and slowly, till the water is highly-flavoured, and so reduced in quantity that it barely covers the almonds. Then strain it off; and when cool, stir the almond water into the cream, adding sugar by degrees; allowing three-quarters of a pound to every quart of cream. Put the mixture into a freezer, and proceed as usual.

CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM.--Chocolate used for this purpose must have neither sugar nor spice in it. Baker’s Prepared Cocoa is the best. For each quart of cream, scrape down three large ounces of cocoa or chocolate, put it into a sauce-pan with half a pint of hot water for each ounce, and mix it into a smooth paste with a spoon. Place it over hot coals, and when it has come to a boil, take it off the fire and set it to cool. When it has become lukewarm, stir the chocolate into the cream, and strain it. When strained, add gradually, for each quart of cream, three-quarters of a pound of powdered loaf-sugar; and give the whole a boil up. Then put it into a freezer.

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_Another way._--To every quart of cream, allow three ounces of Baker’s Prepared Cocoa, and half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar. Scrape the cocoa very fine, and stir it into the cream, alternately with the sugar, a little of each at a time. Having well mixed the whole, boil and stir it, continuing to do so five or six minutes after it has come to a boil. Then strain it into the freezer.

ORANGE ICE-CREAM.--To each quart of cream, allow two fine ripe oranges, and three-quarters of a pound of loaf-sugar. Rub the yellow rinds of the oranges upon a large lump of sugar, and scraping it off as you proceed, transfer it to a saucer. Then powder the lump of sugar, and put it, with the rest, all of which must be powdered. Squeeze the juice of the oranges among the sugar, mixing it well in. Then stir it gradually into the cream. Give it one boil up, and then transfer it to the freezer.

LEMON ICE-CREAM.--May be made as in the above receipt. It will require more sugar, as lemons are more acid than oranges.

Never use oil of lemon or essence of lemon for any flavouring. This article is now too generally made of tartaric acid, vitriol, or other drugs that render it unpalatable and unwholesome. Some of it tastes like peppermint. All lemon-flavouring should be obtained from the fruit only.

WINE JELLY.--Take three ounces of Cooper’s isinglass or gelatine, and soak it in cold water during five minutes. Then take it out and put it into a preserving kettle, and dissolve it in two quarts of boiling water. Stir into it a pound of loaf-sugar, on part of which has been rubbed off the thin yellow rind of four large lemons. Add two large sticks of cinnamon broken up, and the juice of the lemons mixed with a pint of white wine, (madeira, sherry, or malaga,) and add also the broken shells and beaten whites of four eggs. Having mixed all the ingredients well in the preserving kettle, put on the cover, set the kettle over the fire, and boil it steadily during twenty minutes. Then take it off, and let it stand five minutes or more, to settle. Pour the whole carefully into a thin flannel bag, and let it run into your jelly moulds. On no account squeeze the bag, as that will injure the clearness of the jelly.

This mode of preparing jelly with artificial isinglass saves the trouble of boiling calves’ feet the day before. It can be made in a short time.

VERY FINE APPLE JELLY.--Having cut out all blemishes, quarter half a bushel of the best pippin or bell-flower apples, without peeling or coring, and as you cut them, throw them into a pan of cold water to preserve the colour. When all the apples have been thus cut up, take them out of the water, but do not wipe or dry them. Then weigh the cut apples, and to each pound, allow a pound of the best loaf-sugar. Put them with the sugar into a large preserving-kettle and barely enough of water to prevent their burning, mixing among them the yellow rind of half a dozen lemons pared off very thin and cut into pieces. Also the juice of the lemons. When perfectly soft, and boiled to a mash, put the apples, &c., into a large linen jelly-bag, and run the liquid into moulds, if wanted for present use; and into jars if intended for keeping. Lay brandy paper on the top of each jar, and cover them closely.

PEAR MARMALADE.--Take large fine juicy pears. Pare, core, and cut them up into small pieces. Weigh the pieces; and to every two pounds allow a pound and a half of sugar, and the grated peel and juice of a large orange or lemon, adding a tea-spoonful of powdered ginger. Put the whole into a preserving-kettle and boil it over a moderate fire, till it becomes a very thick, smooth marmalade, stirring it up from the bottom frequently, and skimming the surface before each stirring. When quite done, put it warm into jars--and cover it.

For children, or for common family use, it may be made with large pound pears and brown sugar; but it always requires the acid of orange or lemon to make it palatable; pears, when cooked, having no acid of their own.

FIG-MARMALADE.--Take fine fresh figs that are perfectly ripe, such as can only be obtained in countries where they are cultivated in abundance. Weigh them, and to every two pounds of figs allow a pound and a half of sugar, and the yellow rind of a large orange or lemon, pared very thin. Cut up the figs, and put them into a preserving-kettle with the sugar, and orange or lemon-rind, adding the juice. Boil them till the whole is reduced to a thick, smooth mass, frequently stirring it up from the bottom. When done, put it warm into jars, and cover it closely.

TOMATA MARMALADE.--This is the best sort of tomata sweetmeat. Take ripe tomatas in the height of the season. In autumn they become watery, and insipid. Weigh them; and to every pound of tomatas allow a pound of sugar. Put the tomatas into a large pan, or a small tub, and scald them with boiling water, so as to make the skin peel off easily. When you have entirely removed the skins, put the tomatas (without any water) into a preserving-kettle, mash them, and add the sugar, with spoonfuls of ground ginger to your taste; also fresh lemon-peel finely grated, and sufficient lemon-juice to give it a fine flavour. Stir up the whole together, and set it over a moderate fire. Boil it gently for two or three hours, till the whole becomes a thick, smooth mass--skimming it well, and stirring it to the bottom after every skimming. When done, put it warm into jars; cover it tightly, (pasting paper over the lids,) and keep it in a dry place. This will be found a very fine sweetmeat. There should be enough of ginger and lemon to overpower the tomata flavour.

For children, this sweetmeat is better than any other; and it may be made for them very economically with good brown sugar, (always allowing a pound of sugar to a pound of tomatas,) and with no other flavouring than ginger. The natural taste of the tomatas must not be perceptible, it is their substance only that is wanted, and their wholesome properties.

RED FLUMMERY.--Boil a pound of ground rice in as much water as will cover it. When it is thoroughly boiled, and very thick and smooth, stir into the rice (while hot) a half pound of powdered white sugar, and about three jills, or six large wine-glasses of fresh currant or cherry juice, that has been pressed through a linen bag. Next replace it on the fire, and boil the whole together for about ten minutes, stirring it well. Then put it into moulds, and set it on ice. When cold, turn it out, and eat it with sweetened cream, or with boiled custard.

You may use the juice of fresh strawberries or raspberries, stirred in while the flummery is hot, but not boiled afterwards. The flavour of strawberries and raspberries is always impaired and weakened by cooking.

RICE BLANCMANGE.--Boil half a pint of whole rice in as little water as possible, till all the grains lose their form and become a soft mass. Next put it into a sieve, and drain and press out all the water. Then return it to the sauce-pan, and mix with it a large half pint of rich milk, and a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar. Boil it again till the whole is reduced to a pulp. Then remove it from the fire, and stir in, (while hot,) a wine-glass of rose-water. Dip your moulds into cold water, and then fill them with the rice; set them on ice, and when quite firm and cold, turn out the blancmange, and serve it up on dishes with a sauce-tureen of sweetened cream flavoured with nutmeg. Or you may eat it with a boiled custard, or with wine sauce.

You may mould it in large breakfast cups. Always dip your moulds for a moment in lukewarm water before you turn out their contents.

FARINA.--Farina is a very fine and delicate preparation made from the inner part of the grain of new wheat. It is exceedingly nutritious, and excellent, either for invalids or for persons in health. It is now much in use, and is to be had in packages of a pound or half a pound at the best grocers’ and druggists’, or in large quantities at No. 101 South Front Street, Philadelphia; and 201 Cherry Street, New York. It is highly recommended by physicians.

FARINA GRUEL.--Have some water boiling on the fire, and slowly sprinkle in sufficient farina to thicken it to the desired consistence. Continue the boiling twenty minutes afterwards. Sweeten it with loaf-sugar.

FARINA PANADA.--Soak the farina for several hours in milk. Then drain it, and put it into a vessel that has a close lid. Set this vessel in a kettle of water, raising it on a trivet or something similar. Place it over the fire, and make it boil all round the outside of the inner vessel. This will cook the farina very nicely. Keep it boiling till it becomes a thick, smooth mass. When done, sweeten it with white sugar; and, if permitted, you may flavour it with a little nutmeg and white wine. Some fresh lemon peel may be boiled with it, to be removed when the farina is taken up.

BAKED FARINA PUDDING.--Boil a quart of milk, gradually stirring into it, while boiling, a quarter of a pound of farina. Then take it up; and, while warm, mix into it a quarter of a pound of sugar; half a nutmeg grated; and a wine-glass of rose-water, or of white wine, or half a glass of brandy. Then beat four eggs very light, and stir them gradually into the farina mixture. Bake it in a buttered, deep dish, and grate sugar over it when done.

FARINA FLUMMERY or BLANCMANGE.--From a quart of rich milk take out a half pint. Put the half-pint into a small sauce-pan, and add to it a handful of bitter almonds broken up; or a bunch of fresh peach-leaves; or a vanilla bean split and cut into pieces, and tied up in a bit of thin muslin. Having boiled the milk till it is very highly-flavoured, strain it, and add it to the pint and a half. Then set it over the fire in a porcelain or delft-lined vessel, and boil it well. When it has come to a boil, begin to sprinkle in gradually a quarter of a pound (or four large heaping table-spoonfuls) of farina, stirring it well. Let it boil a quarter of an hour after all the farina is in. When done, remove it from the fire, and stir in (if you have used bitter almond or peach-leaf flavouring) a wine-glass of rose-water; add four large table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar. Put the flummery into a blancmange mould, set it on ice, and turn it out when wanted for dinner. Have ready to eat with it, a boiled custard, flavoured either with bitter almond or vanilla.

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