HOUSEHOLD NOTES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 261, 31 December 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

HOUSEHOLD NOTES.

I do not know any hot which i> rot more or less injured by cowling previous to serving it. At all events. tlie cover tdiould ho heated betoro placing it over tho di>h : ■.von then eoiulonSiit:on of steam will sometimes occur., and this is injurious. Well-prepared lend diould ho put on tho table the instant it i« ready. If the guests are not ready for it. so much tho worse tor th"iu; their palates do.s.Tvono consideration. Not enough care is given to the warming of plates and d'shes upon which food is served. Cookery is not merely " the art of providing dainty hits to fatten the litis." as tho scornful old proverb has it. It is tho art of turning .very morsel of tood to th 0 best ivo; it is tho exercise of skill, thought, and ingenuity to make every morsel of lood yield all tho nourishment of wh'ih it is capable.

GOOD HOUSEWIFERY. A woman .tho is not essentially kindhearted ramie! bo a pood housekeeper; a woman who has tint judgment, firmness, forethought. and general good .-ens<.i cannot manage her lions- 1 prudently or comfortably, no mailer how much money she, may'have at her command. It is not moiiey but management that i:. the great requisite in procuring comfort in household alf airs. (»:' course no one expects impossibilities. None but the .lews ever yet succeeded in making "bricks without straw.'' and even thev found it difficult: but tho woman with limited "means may have her thing's as perfect, .d'ter their kind, as the woman with ample means, only she will he obliged to put more r-f herself into llr management. Macon and venison lie at opposite ends of the economical scale, but if the woman whose means allow h>>r to proouro bacon only, is careful to have 't so dressed, and served, that it is as good as baron ought to be she lias attained tho only perfection rcquiirxl at her hands. ' We are all so much creatures of imagination, that wo think more of tho signified than of the actual fact. When n man sees tho table nicely sot out. he believes in the goodness of hia dinner in a way that would Im> impossible with the self-snmo dinner on a soiled tablecloth, witn a slovenly arrangement.

TO W)IL POTATOES. The most, inoxp rienood woman who duos cooking would show signs of indipnation if asked if fho know how to boil potatoes; vot it is rather exceptional to so- potatoes sent, to the table with tho perfection of which they are capable. For once condescend to take my advice on the subject. Advice we know is cheap, and thore u only a little prido to stand in our way of its acceptance. Put tho potatoes on the fire in cold, slightly salted water, and boil them till about half done. Throw away the water, and replace it with boiling water also salted. Cook until the potatoes can hj» easilv pierced with a fork. Then take them off the fire, put a tablespoonful or two of cold water in the pot, and everv potato, after the water is poured off, will burst and hare the taste anil

appearance tiint Potatoes should uaytx They will Ik? mealy, puffy and dry. Stnno ciHiks after pouring uif water sprin',;] > a little f-alt over at;d give the pan a good shaking s«>t it l>y the lire, and put a thin clot.h over to keep in tho steam. A little good di pping added i') two or tlir<v potatoes will mn£« a meal for a child. Dripping is cheaper than c(ul l:v. >r oil. much more agreeable to tli<> taste, and has >uno 'I the properties of tho oil. AX UNION' OMKLKTTE. Slice* fivo or s ; x young onion- anu bake tht'in with a lit'tlo butter, jn-.-jpcr. and salt. Boat "P four eggs u.th a cupful of milk, a spoonful of iT!>ai.--. two tahli*pooiiful.s of breadcrumbs, and. tho onions. Pour the mixture into a groa*. Ed dish, and take, in a moderate oven. Turn out, the omelette. It may be c\ten with a .sharp sauce, such us c;ir».-r sauce. ' Two famous womon, namely, Madame do Maintenon and the Empress .losophine, respective wives of two of the, most illustrious French monarchs. prid- ■?(] themselves (their high rank notwithstanding) on their ability to cook ar omelette as it .should be. '

I'HKB6KI) BKEF. This dish of cold meat is much relished, and it is useful to have in the larder at m<>4 times. Take any number of pounds of the brisuot of beef and as lean as can k> obtained. Jlavo a pckle ready, made of a quarter of an ounce of saltpetre di.ssolv.xl in little water, mix with it two pounds of common s alt'. and half a pound of moist sugar. l{ub this pickle into the meat every morning for eight days tinning it over each day. Take it from the pan, and bone it, or tho buteher will do this before sending tin meat home. Put it into a pan of fast, boiling water, as much a« will cover

it; add an onion stuck with two cloves, a largo carrot, and a bayleaf. Let tlio water boil up, then skim it. Draw tlio pan to tho .side, of the lire, and simmer tho meat as gently as possible till dono enough. Lift the stewpan from tho firo. but leavo the meat in tho liquor for half an hour; then take it up. dram, and nlaco it between two Hut dUhes or boa q lieavy weight on tho top am. ■■. , next day. A SAVUUHY PUDDING.

Scald some bread— not new bread—with boiling milk. Cover tho basin, ami when cool add rather more than a quarter of a pound of su?t chopped fine, four table-pooiifuls of oatmeal, fivo of Hour, one onion minced (after part boiling it), jK'ppcr and salt to taste, one egg, and a littie, mixed sage, and niarjoruin sufficient, to fill a teaspoon in all. Pour a little of til? waiter in which tho onion wa.s boiled into tlio mixture. Hout it up. Grease a Hat shallow tin. put tlni mixture in it. bake the pudding in a brisk oven, and put bite ot dripping on the top. The .sago should lie scalded bel'ori it is minced. The pudding may bo eaten alone, but is especially gcoj with roast pork, or roast beef.

MACARONI AND MEAT MOULD

Macaroni can also be used with n r-nt in order to make the latter go further Macaroni and meat mould is a capital dish for which tin following injrredvnts are required:— S m. macaroni 1 s li;-,. of biead. 1 pint slock or gravy. 1 i>p,& (or cug and milk), Jib. meat minced "<anv Jiuid-. tapper and salt, pinch of mixed herb.-:, gravy for serving. Put. a pan of water on to boil, wadi macaroni and break into small pieces. W'h 'ii water boils add half a toaspoonful of salt and the maearon'; boil fast for fifteen minutes. Strain macaroni and put morn water on to boil. Mince the meat, and make the stock hot. Heat up og£. Put slico of broad into a large basin and pour the hot stock over. Lina smaller ba-dn with some ( f the macaroni and put reman-!, r except a few pieces for top. into hum nM( | add meat seasoning, bro,:d. ami egg. Mix all well. Fill up tin l'ned basin with mixture, cover with pieces of macaroni. Cover with buttered paper and steam lor two hours. Tu. .i out and serve with brown gravy. X.U.—Thu mav be niacin with eold meat ; then it should only he steam ■d for one hour.