Chapter II: Part 2

Boil 4 ozs. macaroni and drain. Butter a pie-dish and put in half the macaroni. Scald 4 or 5 tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes, when the skin will come off easily. Boil 2 eggs hard and slice. Have 2 ozs. cheese grated, and sprinkle half of it over the macaroni, then put half of the eggs and half the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and a little grated onion (I keep an old grater for the purpose). Take 8 or 10 medium-sized flap mushrooms, if to be had, clean and trim, removing the stalks. Add a layer of them, and repeat as before, but put the mushrooms before the tomatoes. Cover the top thickly with bread-crumbs. Make a stock with the trimmings of mushrooms and tomatoes. Put dessertspoonful butter in saucepan, stir in _half_ teaspoon flour, same of made mustard, and perhaps a little ketchup. Add the stock--there should be about a teacupful--stir till it boils, and pour equally over the pie. Dot over with bits of butter, and bake one hour in fairly brisk oven.

In case this pie may be voted rather elaborate by some, I may say that it is excellent with several of the items left out. The eggs, mushrooms, cheese--any one of these, or all three may be dispensed with, and what may be lost in richness and flavour will be compensated in delicacy and digestibility. Any of this pie that is left over may be made into cutlets, so that one can have a second dish with little extra trouble.

NOTE.--When fresh tomatoes are not to be had tinned ones will do.

Tomato and Rice Pie.

Wash well a teacupful good rice--Patna is best for this dish as it does not become so pulpy as the Carolina--and put on with cold water to cover and a little salt. Allow to cook slowly till it has absorbed all the water. Add a little more if too dry, but do not stir. Peel 1 lb. tomatoes, cut in 1/2 inch slices and put a layer in buttered pie-dish. Put in the rice--or as much of it as wanted--sprinkle with curry and seasoning to taste. Put rest of tomatoes on top, more seasoning, and layer of bread-crumbs. Put plenty of butter on top and bake 3/4 hour.

_Note_.--Tinned tomatoes may be used when fresh ones are not at hand. Any of the dishes with tomatoes, rice, &c., may have grated cheese or hard-boiled eggs added at discretion, and in this way the several dishes may be varied and adapted to suit different tastes and requirements.

Casserole of Rice.

Wash well 6 ozs. whole rice and drain. Melt in saucepan 2 ozs. butter or 1-1/2 ozs. Nut Butter. Put in rice with as much white stock or water as will cover it, a little salt, pinch mace if liked, and allow to simmer very slowly or steam in double boiler till quite soft. Stir well, and if too stiff add a little more water, but it must not be 'sloppy.' Beat well till quite smooth and set aside to cool. Butter plain mould and line with rice nearly an inch thick. Fill in with any savoury materials, such as tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, celery, fried slices of carrot, lentils, &c. An hour before dinner cover with buttered paper and steam. Turn out on hot dish, cut a round off the top, and either serve as it is with garnish and sauce, or brush over with beaten egg, sprinkle with fine crumbs, and brown in brisk oven.

Vegetable Goose.

Put 2 teacupfuls crumbs in basin and pour boiling water or milk over. Let soak for a little, then press out as much moisture as possible. Add dessertspoonful grated onion, teaspoonful chopped parsley, pinch herbs or mace, salt, white pepper, 1/2 teaspoonful "Extract," and some mushroom ketchup. Mix all well, and add a beaten egg to bind. If too stiff add a little milk, stock, or gravy. Put in flat well-buttered baking-tin, and bake for about an hour, basting occasionally with butter or vegetable fat. Serve with fried tomatoes or any suitable sauce.

Celery Souffle.

This is exceedingly good if nicely made and served. Clean 1/2 lb. white crisp celery and cut small. Simmer in enamel pan or steam with as little milk as possible till tender, then boil rapidly to reduce the liquid. Rub through a sieve and set aside to cool. Beat 1 oz. fresh butter to a cream and add yolks of 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well in, also barely 1 oz. grated cheese and seasoning to taste. Mix well. Beat whites of 3 eggs quite stiff and mix in very lightly. Butter souffle tin and tie band of buttered paper round, to come 2 inches above the rim. Fill in mixture--not more than three-fourths full, and steam very gently in barely an inch of water for 1 hour. Turn out on _very_ hot dish and serve immediately, or slip off paper band and pin hot napkin round. If allowed to stand any time it will be quite flat before serving. A rather daintier if more troublesome way is to fill small souffle cases three-fourths full with the above mixture. Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese and celery, salt on the top, and bake in hot oven 10 minutes. Arrange tastefully on hot napkin.

NOTE.--Very dainty souffle cases are now to be had in white fluted fire-proof china. These can come straight to table without any trouble of swathing with napkins, paper collars, and the like.

Celery Cream

is another delicacy well suited to a special occasion. Prepare and cook celery as for souffle, drain and rub through sieve. Have enamelled or earthenware saucepan on the table, rub the bottom with a little butter, and break in 2 large eggs or 3 small ones. Season with white pepper, celery salt, lemon juice, mace, &c., and beat slightly. Take 1/2 gill cream and same of milk, drained from the celery, and add to eggs, &c. Place over a slow fire, or better still, a gas stove turned low, and stir till the mixture thickens, but it must not boil, then add the celery and mix. Have one large timbale mould or 8 to 10 small ones well buttered, fill in with the cream, cover with buttered paper, and steam very gently till set--30 minutes if large mould--10 minutes if small ones. If a large one turn out and fill in centre with tomatoes, mushrooms, &c. If small ones arrange round ashet with baked tomatoes, spinach, green peas, &c., in the centre of the dish.

* * * * * *

A PERFECT NUT FAT!

PURE :: WHITE :: TASTELESS

PREPARED FROM FINEST NUTS ONLY

NUTTENE

Unsurpassed for all kinds of Pastry and Confectionery.

NUTTENE was exclusively used at the Vegetarian Schools, Melrose and Penmaenmawr, and Vegetarian Restaurants, Dublin and Edinburgh Exhibitions.

Send for complete New Price List, with Recipes, to the Manufacturers:

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A FEW OF "PITMAN" 1001 DELICIOUS

HEALTH FOODS

In place of Meat, and Free from its Dangers.

BRAZOSE MEAT.--Made from Brazils. Quite different to all other Nut Meats. Makes splendid Sandwiches, Sausage Rolls, Savoury Roasts, and Irish Stews. Per tin--1/2-lb., 10d.; 1-lb., 1/6; 1-1/2-lb., 2/1; sample, 4d.

VIGAR BRAWN.--The Superb Cold Dish. Tomato or Clear. Per mould, 1/-

TOKIO BAKED BEANS, with Tomato and Nut Sauce. Hot or cold, makes a splendid Dinner Dish. Per Jar, 1/-; sample jar, 4d.

BAKED BEANS, with Tomato Sauce. Per tin, 9d.; sample tin, 2d.

CURRIED BEANS, with Savoury Sauce. Per tin, 9d.; sample tin, 2d.

VEGETABLE SOUPS.--In 12 varieties. Per tin, 2-1/2d. Each tin makes a pint. Per doz., 2/6

NUTMARTO POTTED PASTE.--Far superior to Meat and Fish Pastes. Per tin, 3-1/2d.; per glass jar; 5-1/2d.

VIGAR GRAVY ESSENCE.--Delicious flavour. Add but a few drops to water. Per bottle, 6d., 1/-, and 1/6; sample, 2d.

One Penny Packet Health Wafers With Two Ripe Bananas, INSURE a Perfect Meal.

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* * * * *

Asparagus Cream

is prepared in the same way, putting tender cooked asparagus in place of the celery.

Celery or Asparagus Quenelle

is made much in the same way. To every teacupful celery or asparagus pulp allow 2 cupfuls fine white bread crumbs. Beat up two or three eggs, add, and mix well. Steam in large or small moulds, or divide into spoonfuls, shape round, and poach in boiling water, stock, or milk. Serve with cooked tomatoes or sauce, or they may be put in tureen with clear or white soup.

Many toothsome variants of the foregoing recipes will suggest themselves as one goes along, so that it is needless to detail each at length. Thus, fritters, moulds, quenelles, &c., may be varied at pleasure by substituting cauliflower, the white of spring onions or leeks, &c., for the celery or other ingredients mentioned. By the way, we do not appreciate the food value of leeks as much as we ought. A dozen or so of the thickest

Leeks Stewed or Steamed

in milk or stock, and served with the liquor made into a white sauce, is a dish as delicious as it is wholesome and blood-purifying.

Needless to say, everything should be the best of its kind and absolutely fresh. To ensure this we should make a point of using as far as possible those which are in season at the time, as however well preserved they may be, vegetables, especially the finer sorts, lose in flavour and wholesomeness every hour between the garden and pot.

Substantial Savouries.

We come now to the more substantial savouries which form the staple part of the ordinary family dinner. These, along with soup and pudding, will furnish an excellent three-course meal, and where time--or appetite--is limited, as in the rush to and from school or business, two sources will be found ample.

German Lentil Stew.

Among the various pulse foods, of which there are fifty or sixty different kinds, though only some half-dozen are at all well-known, German lentils are one of the most valuable. In this country they are but little used, but they only need be known to be heartily appreciated. As far as my experience goes, every one who has once sampled them is loud in their praises. Even in those households where meat is used they might come as a change and variety, and help to solve the problem of that typical, much-to-be-pitied housekeeper who so pathetically wished there might be "a new animal" discovered!

Well, "to return to our"--ahem--lentils. These German or Prussian lentils are quite different from the ordinary yellow kind. They are green or olive coloured, much larger, and of a flat tabloid shape. They are exceedingly savoury, and--if that is any recommendation--so "meaty" in flavour that it is almost impossible to convince people that they are quite innocent in that respect. They are usually sold at about double the price of yellow lentils, and even then are very cheap; but this is a fancy price, charged because of their being a novelty, and I may say that I get the very finest quality, perfectly clean and free from grit, at the extremely low price of 2d. per lb.

To make a stew, which is the basis of a number of other dishes, take 1/2 lb. German lentils and scald for a minute or two in boiling water to make sure that they are thoroughly clean. Drain, and put in good-sized saucepan with plenty of fresh boiling water, and allow to simmer _very gently_ for an hour. In another stewpan melt 1 oz. butter, and into that shred very finely two or three onions. Cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes to bring out the flavour. They may brown or not as preferred, but there must not be the least suspicion of burning. Turn the lentils into this pan, add some chopped celery if at hand--it is very good without, but to my taste most dishes are improved by celery--and allow to simmer an hour longer. See that there is plenty of water--there should be a rich brown gravy. Add seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, Jamaica pepper, parsley, &c. A few tomatoes may be added, or carrots, turnips, &c. A few ozs. macaroni, par-boiled in salted boiling water and added an hour or less before, will make one of the many pleasing varieties of this dish. Serve like a mince, garnished with sippets of toast or fried bread, or toasted Triscuits.

Savoury Pot-Pie.

Line a pudding basin with suet paste [Footnote: See pastry.], and fill in with lentils cooked as above, and tomatoes, or any vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, cauliflower, beetroot, &c., to keep the mixture from being too heavy, for whatever may be thought to the contrary, there is a much larger proportion of solid nutriment to the bulk in pulse foods than in the "too, too solid flesh" which we esteem so highly. And, at the risk of wearying readers with reiteration, I must say again that herein lies the danger. Quite a number of people have told me that they would like such foods, but _they_ could not take enough to keep up their strength, and were reproachfully incredulous when, ignoring the gentle insinuation as to _other_ people's capacity, I told them the great difficulty was to take little enough! But we must finish the pot-pie. Put a thin round of paste on the top. Wet the edges and press together, tie down with greased paper, and steam 2 to 3 hours. Turn out and send to table with suitable hot garnish.

The same paste may be made into little balls or flat cakes and put to cook with lentil stew, but great care must be taken to see that there is plenty gravy, and that they cook very gently, for if they "catch" ever so slightly they are spoiled. All danger of this can be avoided by steaming in a basin or jar instead of cooking in open pan.

Savoury Brick.

Take about 2 teacupfuls cooked German lentils--not too moist. Put in a basin and add a cupful fine bread crumbs, and a cupful cold boiled rice or about half as much mashed potatoes. Add any extra seasoning--a little ketchup, Worcester sauce, Marmite or Carnos Extract, &c.--also a spoonful of melted butter. Mix well with a fork and bind with one or two beaten eggs, reserving a little for brushing. Shape into a brick or oval, and press together as firmly as possible. Brush over with beaten egg, put in buttered tin, and bake for half-an-hour. Or it may be put in saucepan with 1 oz. butter or Nut Butter that has been made very hot. Cover and braize for 10 minutes. Turn and cook for another 10 minutes. Add a little flour and seasoning to the butter, and then a cupful boiling water, stock, or diluted "Extract," and allow to simmer a little longer. Serve with garnish of beetroot or tomatoes.

This can also be made into a delicious

Cold Savoury.

Bake or braize as above. Remove to the ashet on which it is to be served. Allow to get quite cold, then glaze. [Footnote: See Glaze.]

Sausages

are made of the same ingredients as savoury brick. Pound well in a basin, so as to have all the materials nicely blended, or put in a saucepan over gentle heat, and mash well with a wooden spoon. See that the seasoning is right. Some chopped tomatoes and mushrooms are an improvement, also some grated onion, ketchup, and "Extract." These should be put in saucepan with a little butter until lightly cooked, then the lentils, &c., should be added, the whole well mixed and turned out to cool. When quite cold, flour the hands and form into small sausages. Brush over with beaten egg and fry, or put on greased baking tin and bake till a crisp brown. They may need a little basting, or to be turned over to brown equally.

The filling for

Sausage Rolls

is compounded exactly as above, but should be rather moister, and have more butter added to prevent their being too dry. Have quantity required of rough puff pastry. [Footnote: See Pastry.] Roll out and divide into 9 or 10 4-inch squares. Put a little sausage meat in centre, wet the edges and fold over. Press the edges lightly together with pastry cutter, if you have one, brush all over with beaten egg except the edges. Place on oven plate and put at once in hot oven. Bake 20 to 30 minutes. They may be served either hot or cold, but are best hot. They can easily be re-heated in oven at any time.

Fifeshire Bridies

may have the same filling put in plain short crust, or raised pie-crust, rolled very thin and cut in oval or diamond shapes. Fold over, and turn up the under edge all round. Brush over with egg and bake--if raised pie crust--in rather a slower oven.

Rissoles.

Roll out rough puff or short crust very thin, stamp out into rounds, put a little of the mince on one, wet edges and put another on top, press very firmly together, brush over with egg and fry in deep, smoking-hot fat.

German Pie.

Take an ordinary pie-dish, such as used for steak pie. Have one or two large Spanish onions half-cooked, remove the centres, and put in pie-dish. This will serve both to keep up the paste and to hold gravy. Fill up the dish with partially stewed German lentils, and either sliced tomatoes or pieces of carrot and turnip first fried in a little butter. There should also be plenty of chopped onions put in the bottom of the dish, which should be buttered. Fill nearly up with well-seasoned stock, "Extract," gravy, or water, cover with rough puff paste, and bake for an hour or longer, according to size. There should be a hole in top of pastry, covered with an ornament, which could be lifted off, and some more gravy put in with a funnel. Serve very hot. If to be used cold, a little soaked tapioca should be cooked with it, or some vegetable gelatine might be dissolved in the gravy.

By way of variety, a few force-meat balls may be put in; also mushrooms when in season.

Haricot Pie

is made much the same as above, substituting Butter Beans or Giant Haricots for the German lentils. They should be soaked all night and nearly cooked before using. Put in a layer of beans, sprinkle in a little tapioca, then put a layer of sliced tomatoes and repeat. Fried beetroot may be used instead of tomatoes, and crushed vermicelli or bread crumbs instead of tapioca.

Haricot Raised Pie,

which is very good to eat cold for pic-nic luncheon, &c., is made as follows:--Soak 1/2 lb. large beans all night, when the skins should come off easily, and put to stew or steam with butter, shred onions, and a very little stock or water till soft, but not broken down. Set aside to cool. Prepare a raised pie case [Footnote: See Pastry.], put in half the beans, a layer of sliced tomatoes, and a layer of hard-boiled eggs. Repeat. Put on lid, which should have hole in centre, and bake in a good, steady oven for an hour. Meanwhile, have some strips of vegetable gelatine soaking, pour off the water, and bring to boil in a cupful well-seasoned stock, "Extract," gravy, &c. Stir till gelatine is dissolved, and when the pie is removed from the oven, pour this in. When cold this should be a firm jelly, and the pie will cut in slices. If tomato or aspic jelly is prepared, some of that would save trouble. Melt and pour in.

There are many other toothsome ways of serving haricot and butter beans. In every case they should first be well washed, soaked, and three-parts cooked with stock or water, butter, onions, and seasoning.

Savoury Haricot Pie.

This is made without paste. Put a layer of beans in buttered pie-dish, then pieces of carrot and turnip--previously par-boiled--to fill up the dish. Pour in a little gravy. Cover with a good white sauce, well seasoned with made mustard, chopped parsley, &c., and coat thickly with bread crumbs. Dot over with bits of butter, and bake 30 or 40 minutes.

Many variations will suggest themselves--cauliflower, parsnips, vegetable marrow, sliced tomatoes, beetroot, &c., instead of the other vegetables. Or the same ingredients as in the first haricot pie might be used, with the crumbs instead of pastry.

Haricot Ragout.

Half pound soaked beans boiled till tender in one pint water, with butter and sliced onions. Drain, but keep the liquor. Slice some carrots and turnips thin, fry lightly, and then simmer in the liquor for half-an-hour. Put a little butter in stewpan, slice and cook two onions in that, with the lid on, stir in a tablespoonful flour, and add the haricots, vegetables, and the liquor. Simmer gently till all are quite cooked, and serve. Some tomatoes or a little extract may be added, and it can be varied in many other ways.

Golden Marbles.

Take nearly a teacupful of haricots pulped through a sieve, and add to this 2 ozs. bread crumbs. Same of mashed potatoes; a shallot finely minced, or a spoonful of grated onion. Beat up an egg and add, reserving a little. Mix thoroughly, and form into marbles. Coat with the egg, toss in fine crumbs, and fry in smoking-hot fat till golden brown in colour.

Haricot Kromeskies

can be made with the same mixture as for marbles. Some chopped tomatoes, beetroot, or mushrooms may be added. If the mixture is too moist add a few more crumbs; if too dry add a little ketchup, milk, tomato juice, &c. Form into sausage-shaped pieces or small flat cakes. Dip into frying batter, and drop into smoking-hot fat. When a golden brown lift out, and drain on absorbent paper. Serve them, as also the golden marbles, on sippets of toast or fried bread with tomato or parsley sauce.

Haricot Croquettes or Cutlets

are of course made with any of these mixtures. Shape into cutlets, egg, crumb, and fry in the usual way.

There are an immense number more dishes which can be made with pulse foods, for which I have not space here. There are also a number of new varieties of pulses being put upon the market, which can be used with advantage to vary the bill of fare and enlarge its scope.

Giant Split Peas

are especially good, and might be used in any of the foregoing recipes in place of haricots. One advantage is that they do not require soaking. If scalded with boiling water, drained, and put to cook in fresh boiling water, they will be quite soft in little over an hour.

The best quality of butter beans also need no soaking. After scalding for a few minutes the skins come off quite easily. There is also a new variety called

Butter Peas, or "Midget" Butter Beans,

which I can heartily recommend. In appearance they resemble the small haricots, but are much finer and boil down very quickly. They make a very rich white soup, and may, of course, be used for any of the savouries for which recipes are given. Scald with boiling water (or they may merely be rubbed in a clean coarse cloth), plunge into more boiling water--the quantity proportioned to the purpose for which intended, soups, stews, &c.--and simmer till just tender, but not broken down.

Though they can be made up in a host of ways they are perhaps nicest as a simple stew. When just cooked--and great care must be taken not to _over_cook, for much of the substance, as well as the delicacy of flavour, is lost if we do--have a saucepan with some shred onions, sweated till tender, but not in the least coloured, in a little butter. Stir in a spoonful of flour, and when smooth a gill of milk, or the stock from the butter peas. Stir till it thickens and add the peas themselves, and any extra seasoning required. See that all is quite hot, and serve garnished with sippets of toast.

Brown Lentils

also furnish us with unlimited possibilities for new dishes. They are as yet rather difficult to procure, but need only to be known to become very popular. They somewhat resemble German lentils, but are much browner and smaller. Being so small, extra trouble must be taken to see that they are clean and free from grit. They can be used in place of German lentils for any of the soups or savouries for which recipes are given. They cook very quickly, and care must be taken with them also not to waste any of their goodness up the chimney.

Toad-in-a-Hole.

Make the sausages the same as in previous recipe, only using brown lentils instead of German lentils. Put in a buttered pie-dish and pour over the following

Batter.

Beat up one or two eggs. Add 3 tablespoonfuls flour, and by degrees two gills milk, also seasoning of grated onion, chopped parsley, white pepper, "Extract," &c. While

Fresh Green Peas or Beans

are to be had, one need not be confined to the dried pulses. Cook the peas, broad beans, or French beans, as directed in "Vegetables." Serve with poached or buttered eggs, fried or baked tomatoes, &c.

One might go on _ad infinitum_ to suggest further combinations and variations of the different pulse foods, but these must be left to suggest themselves, for I must now pass on to another class of foods.

NUT FOODS.

We are only beginning very slowly to recognise the valuable properties of nuts and their possibilities in the cuisine. Indeed, there is a rather deep-rooted prejudice against them as food, people having been so long accustomed to regard them as an unconsidered trifle to accompany the wine after a big dinner, and as in this connection they usually call up visions of dyspepsia, many people regard the idea of their bulking at all largely in a meal with undisguised horror. I remember a lady saying to me that she was quite sure a meal composed to any extent of nuts would _kill_ her, for if she took even one walnut after dinner it gave her such pain. That rather reminds one of the story of a half-witted fellow who used to go about the country doing odd jobs, and asking in return a meal and a shake-down of straw or hay.

He always expressed astonishment at folks being able to sleep on feather beds, his aversion being founded on the fact that he had one night lain down on the hard ground with a single feather under him. "An' if I had sic a sarkfu' o' sair banes wi _ae_ feather," he argued, "what like maun it be wi' a hale bed?"

Well, I can assure readers that whatever may be the troubles of a solitary nut in an oasis of good things, it is very different when nuts are taken alone or in a suitable and simple combination. Most of our digestive troubles are due to an excess of proteid matter, which clogs up the system, and either lodges in the body in the shape of some morbid secretion, or tries to force its way out in an abnormal way, as by the skin. Now, nuts are very rich in proteid, or flesh-forming matter, and it stands to reason, that if we superimpose them on an already full, or overfull, meal, the result is surfeit, and however wholesome or digestible this excess matter may be in itself, it may, and usually does, work harm in more or less obvious ways.

But curiously enough, this does not always work out with mathematical directness. Most things in the physical, as in the metaphysical, world work out as Ruskin says "not mathematically, but chemically." Though this may seem a far-fetched simile in connection with our dinner, it is a true one. To get back to our nuts. If after a meal of several courses, rich in quality and variety, highly-spiced and flavoured, and perhaps interspersed with little piquant relishes, serving to whet the appetite for the next course, one takes only a very few nuts, or an apple, or a banana, the probability is that "these last" will give the most direct trouble. The gastric juices may be already exhausted, and the nuts, therefore, lie a hard undigested mass on the stomach; or the apple digesting very quickly, and being ready to leave the stomach some hours before its other contents, but having to bide their time, ferments and gives off objectionable gases. Thus, the innocent fruit gets the blame, and the fish, game, or meat go free. Another way in which fruits may prove indigestible, through no fault of their own, is because of the unsuitable combination in which they are eaten. Most nuts, with the exception of chestnuts, which are largely composed of starch, consist almost entirely of fat, which, unless it meets with an alkali to dissolve it, is digested with great difficulty. The uric acid in flesh tends to harden this fat, and so retards digestion.

The medical faculty now recognise the nutritive properties of nuts, as also their wholesomeness and freedom from all toxic elements, and at all sanatoria for the treatment of rheumatic and gouty affections a nut and fruit diet is the established regime. We need not, however, go to an expensive sanatorium to enjoy this food, but may cure, or better, prevent these diseases in our own homes.

They are, I believe, best in their natural state, along with fresh fruits, salads, and the like, but there are also many dainty dishes, in the composition of which they may be used with advantage.

Mock Chicken Cutlets

only require to be known to be appreciated. Grate 1/4 lb. shelled walnuts--this is best and easiest done by running through a nut-mill, but these are not expensive, as they may be had from 1s. 6d.--or Brazil nuts, and add to them two teacupfuls bread crumbs, mix in 1/2 oz. butter, spoonful onion juice, and a little mace, white pepper, salt or celery salt. Melt 1/2 oz. butter in saucepan. Mix in a teaspoonful flour, and add by degrees a gill of milk. When it thickens add the other ingredients. Mix well over the fire. Remove and stir in a beaten egg and teaspoonful lemon juice. Mix all thoroughly and turn out to cool. Form into cutlets, egg, crumb, and fry. Serve with bread sauce or tomato sauce.

Brazil Omelet.

Take 2 ozs. shelled Brazil nuts and rub off the brown skin. If they are put in slow oven for 10 minutes, both shell and skin will come off easily. Flake in a nut-mill or pound quite smooth. Add the yolk of hard boiled egg, a teaspoonful ground almonds, or almond meal, and make into a paste. Then add some grated onion, a tablespoonful baked or mashed potato, the same of bread crumbs, and seasoning to taste. Mix well, and add the yolks of two eggs beaten up, and after mixing thoroughly, stir in lightly the two whites beaten quite stiff, butter a shallow tin or soup-plate, and pour in the mixture. Cover and bake gently, till set--about an hour. When cool, cut into neat shapes, egg, crumb, and fry. The same mixture will also make a delicious

Brazil Souffle.

Add another white of egg stiffly beaten, and steam gently for 30 minutes.

Brazilian Quenelles.

Add another two tablespoonfuls bread crumbs, and leave out the potato; use three eggs, but beat yolks and whites together. Butter one large or a number of small moulds, fill with the mixture, and steam gently for 20 to 40 minutes, according to size; turn out, and serve, if large, with slices of tomatoes baked or fried, arranged round. If small ones, have tomatoes piled up in centre and quenelles placed round.

A number of other savouries, in which nuts form a part, can be made by substituting grated walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, almond meal, Barcelonas, &c., for peas, beans, lentils, &c., in the previous recipes. As they are highly nutritive and concentrated, they must be used sparingly, however, along with plenty of bread crumbs, rice, and the like. There is no need to detail these, but I will give one to show what I mean.

Walnut Pie.

Run 4 ozs. shelled walnuts through the nut-mill--this will give about a teacupful. Have some whole rice boiled as for curry, and put a layer of that in buttered pudding dish. Put half of the grated nuts evenly on the top, then a layer of tomatoes seasoned with grated onion, parsley, salt, pepper, pinch mace, ketchup, &c. Repeat. Cover thickly with bread crumbs, pour some melted butter over and bake till a nice brown. If rather dry, pour some tomato sauce, diluted extract, gravy, &c., over. Serve with tomato or other sauce.

The same ingredients may be put in a buttered mould and steamed, or the whole may be mixed together, a beaten egg added, then made into one large or a number of small rolls, place in baking tin, put some butter on the top and bake, basting and turning now and then.

Prepared Nut Meats.

Of late years since the food value of nuts has been recognised, the attention of specialists has been turned in their direction with very practical results. Quite a number of excellent "Nut Meats" are now upon the market, and each year adds to their variety, so that one's storeroom can be supplied in a way that was impossible only a few years ago. For a cold luncheon dish Mapleton's Fibrose, Almond Nut Meat, and

Savoury Nut Meat

Are very good. The latter is put up in air-tight glass dishes. Tomatoes or any vegetable may be served with it. Then Meatose, Nut-Meatose, Vejola, Nutvego, &c., are all excellent. The

"F.R." Meatose

Is specially fine. These "Meats" are all ready for use, and may be made up in any of the ordinary recipes for Stews, Pies, Sausage Rolls, &c. One dish which most people would like is

Curried Nut Meat.

Melt 1 oz. butter in stewpan, and into that put a tablespoonful finely shred or grated onion, a few slices of tart apple or a little rhubarb, and, if possible, some tomatoes--fresh ones peeled and sliced are best, but the tinned ones will do very well. Stir in a dessert-spoonful flour and curry powder to taste, and pour on boiling water, stock, or gravy as required. Slice the nut meat and lay it in. Cover, and cook gently for about half an hour. Serve with plain boiled rice.

I have not space to give further recipes, but would just add a word of caution--use very sparingly. They are highly concentrated and nutritious foods, and a large quantity is not only unnecessary, but harmful.

In addition to above, there are the products of the International Health Association, "the pioneer manufacturers of health foods," who have within the past year removed their works into the country (Stanborough Park, Watford, Herts). Then Messrs Winter, Birmingham, "Pitman," Birmingham, and Messrs Chapman, Liverpool, have a number of excellent nut meats, fuller reference and recipes for which will be found in the chapter on "Health Food Specialties" at end of book.

CHEESE SAVOURIES.

Many excellent cheese dishes, such as macaroni cheese, &c., are to be found in the category of every household, so it will be needless to detail those which are most generally known. Cheese is highly nutritious, and not indigestible for those in ordinary health, if taken in moderation and combined with other lighter and bulkier foods. Cheese with rice, bread crumbs, macaroni, tomatoes, &c., is exceedingly good. It should be used very sparingly, or not at all, in dishes which contain pulse, nuts, or eggs. It should always be grated so that it can be mixed thoroughly with the other ingredients.

Rice and Cheese.

Half teacupful rice, 2 ozs. grated cheese, one egg. Wash rice and put on with cold water to barely cover, and pinch salt. When that is absorbed, add milk enough to swell and cook the rice thoroughly without making it sloppy. Remove from the fire and stir in the cheese, seasoning of salt, pepper, or made mustard, pinch cayenne, and the egg beaten up. Turn into buttered baking dish and bake gently till set and of a pale brown--cheese dishes must never be done in too hasty an oven, as they acquire an unpleasant flavour if in the least burnt. Turn out on hot ashet, and serve garnished with slices of hard-boiled egg or fried tomatoes.

Cheese and Semolina.

Four ozs. cheese, breakfast cup milk, 1 oz. semolina, 2 eggs. Bring milk to boil and stir in semolina. Cook till it thickens; remove from fire and stir in the cheese, pinch cayenne, and yolks of eggs beaten up, beat up whites stiffly, and mix in lightly. Turn into buttered pudding-dish and bake gently till ready--about half-an-hour. This mixture, and the previous one, may also be steamed for about 40 minutes. Serve with fried tomatoes or tomato sauce.

I may say here that tomatoes go very well with cheese in almost any form. A nice variety of rice and cheese can be contrived as follows:--Put half of the cooked rice in pudding dish, put breakfastcupful tomatoes in saucepan with a little butter, the cheese and seasoning, and just stir over the fire till quite mixed. Put half over the rice, then the rest of the rice, and the other half of the tomato mixture. Coat thickly with crumbs, put some butter on top, and bake.

Cheese Souffle.

Two tablespoonfuls grated cheese, 2 eggs, 1-1/2 gills milk. Beat yolks of eggs and mix in cheese, milk, pepper, salt, pinch cayenne, and, lastly, the whites beaten quite stiff. Make souffle tin very hot, pour in mixture, and bake in quick oven till set--15 to 20 minutes. Serve very hot.

Scotch Woodcock.

This is a favourite savoury in many non-vegetarian households. There are numerous different recipes, which will doubtless be well known, but the following is quite new and original. Prepare some slices of buttered toast or fried bread, take about 1 lb. fresh tomatoes or a large cupful tinned ones drained from the liquor, put in saucepan with a little butter and grated onion, and stew gently till the tomatoes are pulped. If at all stringy, put through a sieve. Add 2 ozs. grated cheese, seasoning to taste, and stir over gentle heat till quite thick. Spread a layer of this mixture on each slice of toast and pile on the top of each other. Reserve a little of the mixture and to it add some tomato juice or milk, mushroom ketchup, or diluted extract. Make very hot and pour right over, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs--or these might have the whites chopped up and the yolks grated over the top. Serve very hot. A very tasteful effect is made by having the slices of toast, which may be round, oblong, &c., graduating pyramid-wise from a large one at the bottom to a small one at the top.

Cheese Straws (1).

Rub 2 ozs. butter into 4 ozs. flour. Add 2 ozs. grated cheese, a little mustard and cayenne, and make into a stiff paste, with the yolks of 2 eggs or one whole egg beaten up. Roll out thin, cut into straws, lift on to baking sheet carefully with a knife, placing them a little apart, and bake a pale brown--about 10 minutes in moderate oven. Another way is to break off small bits of the paste and roll into thin pipes on a floured board. Savoury

Cheese Biscuits

are made by cutting above paste, rolled very thin, into oblong or diamond shapes, with pastry cutter. Bake in same way. Serve either hot or cold. Spread with a little Marmite and savoury tomato mixture, or sandwich this between two biscuits.

Cheese Straws (2).

Two ozs. cheese, same of batter, flour and fine white crumbs. Add seasoning, and make into paste with one egg, roll out, stamp out a few rings, make the rest into straws, bake and put a bundle of straws into each ring.

Parmesan Puff Pie.

Prepare some cheese pastry, as for "Straws No. 1," and with it line a round shallow tin or tart ring. Common short or puff pastry will do, but the cheese pastry is nicer. Fill in with rice or crusts to keep in place. Bake rather briskly, and remove from the tin. Fill in with the following mixture:--In a saucepan melt 1 oz. butter, and into that stir 1 oz. flour and 1 oz. flaked or ground rice. Add gradually a teacupful milk, and when it thickens, 2 ozs. grated cheese and seasoning, cayenne, and made mustard. Pour into pastry case. Sprinkle a few browned crumbs or shredded wheat biscuit crumbs on the top. Dot over with bits of butter, and bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes. Put a little more grated cheese on the top and serve very hot.

Small Cheese Tartlets

can be made by dividing same ingredients into a number of small cases or patty tins. Ten minutes should be long enough to bake. Another very good filling for these or the previous puff pie is the mixture given in recipe for Scotch woodcock, while a novel and delicious

Welsh Rarebit

could be made with either of these mixtures, with perhaps a rather more liberal supply of cheese and made mustard spread between slices of hot buttered toast.

Mock Crab

is made with somewhat similar filling, but is best with fresh tomatoes. Remove skin and seeds from 1/2 lb. firm, ripe tomatoes, and cut small; grate 4 ozs. rich, well-flavoured Cheddar cheese. Add to tomatoes in basin with teaspoonful made mustard, yolks of 3 hard-boiled eggs, large spoonful mushroom ketchup, a little extract, and a very little curry powder or paste. Pound all together with back of a wooden spoon till quite smooth. Serve in scallop shells, garnished with the white of egg.

These cheese tartlets, mock crab, patties, &c., can be most acceptably varied by using

Shredded Wheat Biscuits

in place of pastry cases or scallop shells. Use any of the cheese mixtures given for Scotch woodcock, mock crab, &c. With a sharp-pointed knife split the biscuit open and place in buttered tin, with a bit of butter on the top of each, in hot oven till crisp and brown. Remove to hot dish, fill in each biscuit with the mixture made very hot, and pile up more on the top.

Dresden Patties.

Stamp out 6 or 8 rounds of bread, dip quickly in milk, gravy, or diluted extract, and drain--on no account allow to soak. Brush over with egg, toss in fine crumbs and fry. Drain and keep very hot. Prepare a cheese and tomato mixture same as for "Scotch Woodcock," and while in saucepan add 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs--the white chopped in small dice or tiny strips. Mix lightly over the fire and pile up on centre of each round. Serve on hot napkin, garnished with fried parsley. These patties may also be made with shredded wheat biscuits.

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MISCELLANEOUS SAVOURIES.

Scotch Haggis.

"Fair fa' yer honest, sonsy face, Great chieftain o' the puddin' race."

It is to be hoped the shade of Burns will forbear to haunt those who have the temerity to appropriate the sacred name of Haggis for anything innocent of the time-honoured liver and lights which were the _sine qua non_ of the great chieftain. But in Burns' time people were not haunted by the horrors of trichinae, measly affections, &c., &c. (one must not be too brutally plain spoken, even in what they are avoiding), as we are now, so perhaps this practical age may risk the shade rather than the substance.

For a medium-sized haggis, then, toast a breakfastcupful oatmeal in front of the fire, or in the oven till brown and crisp, but not burnt. Have the same quantity of cooked brown or German lentils, and a half-teacupful onions, chopped up and browned in a little butter. Mix all together and add 4 ozs. chopped vegetable suet, and seasoning necessary of ketchup, black and Jamaica popper.

It should be fairly moist; if too dry add a little stock, gravy, or extract. Turn into greased basin and steam at least 3 hours. An almost too realistic imitation of "liver" is contrived by substituting chopped mushrooms for the lentils. It may also be varied by using crushed shredded wheat biscuit crumbs in place of the oatmeal. Any "remains" will be found very toothsome, if sliced when cold, and toasted or fried.

Rolled Oats Savoury.

Put a teacupful Scotch rolled oats in a basin, and pour over 2 cupfuls milk in which some onion has been boiled. Allow to soak for an hour, remove onion, add pinch salt, &c., and a beaten egg. Steam in small greased basin for an hour. May be served with a puree of tomatoes.

Irish Stew.

Pare and slice 2 lbs. potatoes, and about 1/2 lb. each carrots, turnips, and onions. Fry all, except the potatoes, a nice brown in a little butter or fat. Put in layers in saucepan with 2 ozs. fat, salt, pepper, and good stock to barely cover. Simmer very gently for about 2 hours. It may also be baked in pie-dish.

This may be varied in many ways, as by adding layers of forcemeat, pressed lentils, &c. Then there are the various nut meats--Meatose, Vejola, Savoury Nut Meat, &c.--which can be used to great advantage in such a stew.

Scotch Stew.

This is a most substantial and excellent dish. Wash well 1/4 lb. _pot_ barley--the unpearled if it can be procured--simmer gently in 1 pint white stock for an hour, then add some carrots, scraped--and if large, sliced lengthwise--2 or 3 small turnips cut in halves or quarters, or part of a large one in slices, a Spanish onion sliced, or a few shallots, some green peas, French beans, or other vegetables that may be in season; some cauliflower in sprigs is a welcome addition. It or green peas should not be added till 1/2 hour before serving. Simmer till all the vegetables are just cooked, adding more stock if necessary. Serve with a border of boiled pasties, potato balls, or chips.

Poor Man's Pie.

Pare and slice 2 to 3 lbs. potatoes. Slice 1 lb. onions; put half the potatoes in pie-dish, then the onions, and sprinkle over 2 tablespoonfuls tapioca and a little powdered herbs or parsley. Add the rest of the potatoes, dust with pepper and salt, pour in water or stock to within 1/2 inch from top. Put 2 oz. butter or nut butter on the top, and bake in moderate oven about 2 hours.

Vegetable Roast Duck.

Take a good-sized vegetable marrow, pare thinly and remove a small wedge-shaped piece from the side. Scoop out the seeds and water, fill in with good forcemeat, replace the wedge, brush all over with beaten egg. Coat with crumbs, put some butter over, and bake till a nice brown, basting frequently. Serve with fried tomatoes.

An ordinary forcemeat of crumbs, onion, parsley, egg, &c., will do, or any of the sausage mixtures given previously.

Esau's Pottage.

The following I have had given me as the original recipe for "Esau's pottage," but I think it must be more elaborate than that set before the hungry hunter.

One pint lentils and 2 quarts water boiled 2-1/2 hours, then add 1/2 lb. onions, 2 lbs. tomatoes, a little thyme and parsley. Cook all together 3/4 hour longer and add 3 oz. butter and 1 oz. grated cheese just before serving.

Dahl.

Wash well 1/2 lb. rice and allow to swell and soften in just as much water or stock as it will absorb. Cook 1/2 lb. red lentils with stock or water, some grated onion, pinch herbs, little curry powder, and any other seasoning to taste. Make a border of the rice, pile the lentils high in the centre, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs. The lentils are best steamed, as they can thus be thoroughly cooked without becoming mushy or burnt.

Mushroom and Tomato Pie.

For a fair-sized pie get 3/4 lb. medium-sized flap mushrooms, the meadow ones are best, and 1 lb. good firm tomatoes, remove the stalks from the mushrooms and wipe with a piece of clean flannel dipped in oatmeal or salt. Unless very dirty, it is best not to wash them, as that somewhat spoils the flavour. Pare and put a layer in pie-dish, along with slices of tomato, pared and free from seeds. Put a little bit of butter on each, dust with salt and pepper, and repeat till the dish is heaped up. Cover with a good, rough puff paste, and bake till the paste is ready, about an hour. No water should be put in, but the trimmings of the mushrooms and tomatoes should be stewed in a little water, and this gravy may be added with a funnel after the pie is ready.

Mushroom and Tomato Patties.

For these we require some richer puff paste. Prepare and trim a small quantity of tomatoes and mushrooms. Cut rather small and cook gently, with a little butter and seasoning, for 10 or 15 minutes. Allow most of the moisture to evaporate in cooking, as this is much better than mixing in flour to absorb it. When the pastry cases are baked, fill in with the mixture. Good either hot or cold. If baked in patty pans, the mixture should be cold before using. Line in the tins with puff paste, half fill, brush edges with egg or water, lay on another round of paste, press edges together and bake.

Vol-au-Vent.

A delicious vol-au-vent is made with exactly the same filling as above.

Mushroom Pie.

Put on stewpan with a piece of "Nutter" or other good vegetable fat. Cut up one large Spanish onion very small, add to fat and brown nicely. Cover with water and stew along with the contents of a tin or bottle of white French mushrooms (including the liquid), also pepper and salt to taste. Stew till the mushrooms are tender, then take out and chop. Dish along with other contents of saucepan, and when cool add a cup of brown bread crumbs, and one beaten egg. Cover with puff paste or short crust and bake. Serve with brown sauce.

Shepherd's Pie.

Mushrooms same as for mushroom pie, but covered with nicely mashed potatoes, adding pepper and salt to the latter. Beat well and cover, stroke with a fork, and brown in the oven.

BREAKFAST DISHES--Porridge.

"The halesome parritch, chief o' Scotia's food."

In these days of tea and white bread it is to be feared that the "halesome parritch" is now very far removed from the honoured place of chief, and it must be more than a coincidence which connects the physical degeneracy of the Scottish working people with the supplanting of the porridge-pot by the tea-pot. Even in rural districts there is a great change in the daily fare, and there too anaemia, dyspepsia, and a host of other ills, quite unknown to older generations, are only too common. Certainly many people have given up porridge because they found it did not suit them--too heavy, heating, &c.--but we must remember that all compounds of oatmeal and water are not porridge, and the fault may lie in its preparation. It is a pity that any one, especially children and growing youths, should be deprived of such valuable nutriment as that supplied by oatmeal, and before giving it up, it should be tried steamed and super-cooked. It is only by steaming that one can have the oatmeal thoroughly cooked and dextrinised, while of a good firm "chewable" consistency, and not only are sloppy foods indigestible, but they give a feeling of satiety in eating, followed later by that of emptiness and craving for food. The custom, too, of taking tea and other foods after porridge is generally harmful.