HOME INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1819, 1 October 1886, Page 32

HOME INTERESTS.

Slim CAke. — One pound of flour, two eggs well beaten, one ounce butter, half a teaspoonf ul salt.as much milk (some prefer warming the milk first) as will make all into a paste. Knead it well, let it stand before tho fire for half-an-hour, roll it out, cut into small squares, dust with flour, bake in an oven or on a griddle. Cold Puddings.— Cover the bottom of a pudding dish with macaroons, which must be pricked and soaked with rum ; cover these with a thick layer of plum jam (from which the stones have been removed), and then pour a rich custard over the whole. Bake to a light brown, and serve cold. Hilton Puddings. — Some thick slices of bread, cut off the crust, and soak&he slices well in milk ; remove to a dry disnand wash each slice over with egg, then grate a little nutmeg over each. Boil a little lard in the fryingpan, put in the slices, and fry a light brown. Serve with white wine sauce, and sprinkle sifted sugar over the slices after luying them on the dish. • Curried Eggs.— Fry two onions in butter, with a tablespoonf ul of curry powder and a pint of good broth. Let it all stew till tender : then mix in a cup of cream (or milk thickened with arrowroot and a dust of sugar). Simmer a few minutes ; then lay in six or eight hard-boiled eggs, cut in halves or quarters, and heat them through, but do not let it. boil ! If procurable, use cocoamit milk instead of cream. Serve with rice. Cheese Straws. — Mix a quarter of a pound of butter well into the same weight of flour, grate finely a quarter of a pound of cheese, two ounces of Parmesan cheese, and a quarter of a pound of breadcrumbs. Add these all to the flour by degrees ; when well mixed, add a little salt and cayenne, roll all into a very thin paste, cut it into long narrow strips, and bake on a sheet of paper for a few minutes. If put into a biscuit tin they will keep a long time, always being heated before using. ! Those who wish for a cheap barometer I j recommend to half-fill a jar with moist sand, j and place a fern on it. When the weather is turned to fine the leaves open ; when turned to wet the leaves shut. Another domestic v ! hint I recently heard is that if one wishes | to stain a wood floor without painting it, one j only needs to wash it daily with cold tea. > In a short time it will acquire a very pretty ! shade. Cambridge Sausages.— One pound of porlc fat and ham, one pound of veal, and one pound of beef suet; all these should be well minced, then add half a pound of bread, crumbed through a wire sieve, the rind of half a lemon well chopped, a little salt, nutmeg, and pepper, a few sage leaves chopped very, fine ; mix all well together, put it into skins, or if you cannot procure-* them into a jar from whence you can have it made into little cakes and fried for breakfast. They should be floured before cooking To Clean White Sheepskin Mats.— These may be washed in a warm lather of soap and water (no soap to be rubbed on the mat itself). Twp or three washes are nswwary,

according to the degree in which the mat is soiled. Rinse in cold water, and again in another with a little blue in it, then wring and shake well, and hang out in the open air. Shako frequently whilst drying, and reverso it, hanging up first by one side then another. If hung in the sun, which it may be if the heat be not too scorching, Ist the skin side be turned towards the sun. . ■ In Devonshire, celebrated for its clotted cream, the pans are of tin, and shallow. They contain from 10 to 12 quarts of milk. These, after standing for 10 or 12 hours, are placed on a hot iron plate or over a stove, until the cream has formed, which is indicated by the air bubbles rising through the milk and producing blisters on , the surface of the creatn ; it is then near boiling point, and the pan must be removed at once to a cool place. After some hours the cream irt skimmed off with a slice. Milk which is carried from a distance, or much agitated before- being put into pans to settle for cream, never throws up so much, nor such rich cream as if used directly after being milked. The last drawn milk of each milking is at all times richer than the' first, and for that reason should be set apart for cream." MEATS. For a "dry devil," whatever is used— whether a kidney, leg of fowl or turkey, pigs' feet or ears— the process is the same. Cut the meat several times, making the gashes somewhat deep, then press into them some fresh butter mixed with made mustard, cayenne, salt, and a dash of Worcester or some sauce of the kind, .ndividual tastes must regulate the quantities of the ingredients. The meat is then ready for grilling over or broiling before a clear fire. Another way is to mix the, seasonings together, and insert them into the " scores " made in the meat, and to coat the surface of the flesh with butter before grilling. A "wet devil" is prepared by putting a little brown gravy in a saucepan to which is added a small quantity of cayenne, vinegar, some mustard, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Some people like the addition of lemon juice, and others are partial to curry powder ov paste, while a spoonful of good chutney is thought indispensable by lovers of highly seasoned dishes. Indeed, a good cook may vary this at pleasure if she bears in mind that a piquant sauce is the thing to aim at. A few drops of anchovy essence are useful if only to bring out the flavour of the rest.