MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 261, 25 January 1928, Page 5

MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY

MONDAY —At a tea drinking at her house do gather from Mr. Pepys’s cousin Gladys a hint she would have me write here, of how she doth safeguard herself from much cleaning of her oilcloth. First she doth procure 3oz of glue, and putting it a pot with 1 b pints of water, warm, doth put her jar in a warm place until the glue be melted, then doth apply the liquid to the oilcloth, using a piece of old flannel for the purpose. Now you must be very cautious that no one be allowed to walk upon your oilcloth until it be quite dry, but after that, little to do to it but dust it, she sayeth, and I pray God it may be so. TUESDAY —At my shopping do come upon Mistress Poore and she very perturbed, as her manner is, because of the iron mould upon some of her bed linen, and only discovered by her at the turning out of her linen chest. Do tell her to cheer up and to stretch the article over a basin of boiling water, to take a pad of clean rag tied to the end of a stick, and so to rub the stain with salts of lemon, afterwards pouring over all more boili: ? water. Next to rinse in water to which carbonate of soda has been added, and the quantity for that two teaspoonfuls of soda to one pint of water. This la.st very important as safeguarding the fabric from the effects of the salts of lemon, of whieffi I would have all note that it is a deadly poison and so not to touch it with their hands. WEDNESDAY .—Do here write lest and should choose to profit thereby, a very fine way to cook a breast of mutton. First the need to remove all skin and a good portion of fat from your joint; also to bone it. Now to spread the meat upon your board, and to flatten it with your rolling pin. Wipe both sides, trim into shape, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread a good veal forcemeat over:: then roll up neatly and tie with string. Now to prepare and to slice two carrots, one turnip, one onion, two sticks of celery; a spray of parsley also needed. Plane all at the bottom of your pan, barely cover them with stock, or water if you must, place your mutton upon the top, cover with a greased paper, put on your lid, and so to cook very slowly indeed, for two hours, or until your meat be tender.

When it be done lift it on to a hot dish, strain the liquid from your vegetables, and place round about your meat. Put the liquid back in your pan, flavour to your taste and boil up, then pour over your meat. Red

currant jelly to be served with this dish, or not, as you wish. THURSDAY. —By the post, from Mr. Pepys’s aunt Lettice, a very excellent recipe for rhubarb flan as she would have me believe, and this not hard to do upon reading of it, though Mr. Pepys to remark had the old doll sent it round ready-made that were more to the point. The way of making it to boil one pint of milk, to sprinkle in 2 tablespoonfuls of ground rice, and to simmer over a low heat until cooked. Also must you stir often. Now to wipe your rhubarb and cut it into pieces, stew it with a little wattr and sugar until soft; line a flan tin, with short crust pastry, prick the bottom and put your rhubarb over. Add to your rice two tablespoonful-s of golden syrup, and of almond essence a little, and pour it with care over your rhubarb. Cut from your remains of pastry thin strips enough to form a pretty trellis over your rice. And so to your oven, for 30 minutes. "FRIDAY.—This day do decide on a dish of carrot croquettes for eating at our supper with fish. For the croquettes needed to grate all the red parts of enough carrots to make half a pint, and boil same in salted water until tender. Then to drain well and to measure to see if you have indeed the rigjjt quantity. Next to melt loz of margarine in a pan, add lhoz of flour, blend well, stir in one gill of milk, andso to cook, stirring all the time until your mixture forms a ball in the centre of the pan. To this add your grated carrot, the yolk of an egg, and a seasoning of sugar, salt and pepper. Mix all very well and turn upon a plate to cool. When all is set form into croquettes of a pretty pear-shape, brush over with white of egg (slightly beaten), dip into bread crumbs and so to fry in boiling fat. Drain with thoroughness upon soft paper, so that your croquettes be indeed hot, and serve piled on each other upon a hot dish. SATURDAY.-—For eating at our tea upon the Lord’s Day, and that not a fast, to any, and so no fear of their being rejected whoever drop in to take a dish with us, do make with my own hand a baking of Eccles cakes. The way of them to melt loz of butter, and to mix with it 2oz of sugar, 6oz of currants, well cleaned, loz of peel, shredded, and of nutmeg a pinch: Now to roll out some flaky pastry until it be Jin thick, to cut it into rounds, to put a little of your mixture into each round, to wet the edges of your pastry and to draw them together in the centre of your cake Now turn them ovfer, flatten slightly, cut three slits in the middle of each

cake to give them the right appearance, brush over with beaten egg, dredge with castor sugar, put upon your baking tin, greased, and bake in a quick oven for 15 minutes. And so I hope any who would copy me to have as great success of this enterprise as I have this day.