The Busy Bee In Modern Cookery

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 51, 30 June 1933, Page 45

The Busy Bee In Modern Cookery

By

Kuki

F all the people who eat honey, how many ever give a thought to the interesting legends and beliefs associated with it? Yet there is no more fascinating subject of folklore thau that concerning the bee and its honey. It is also one of the most ancient of folklore records, for the story of the bee goes far into the mythical past, even to the Court of Jupiter himself. There is a fable which tells how when the mother of Jupiter placed him iu the care of Melissa, daughter of the = King of Grete, in order to protect him from his father Saturn, bees brought honey sv that the baby god might be properly nourished. But apart from this fable, honey was generally looked upon as the ambrosia of the gods. It was believed also thut honey was the food upon which souls were fed in Paradise, and so it became identified with some religious ceremonies in different parts of the world. In Norway, a drink made of honey and milk was placed in cups contrived from the skulls of enemies slain in battle, to be quaffed by the slayers in honour of the victory. A similar offering was made by the ancient Greeks to the souls of the dead; and long before the beginning of the Christian era, India considered honey as the much sought after elixir of life. Scotland, too, has quite a number of superstitions and legends associated with bees and honey, and in olden times it was believed that the form the soul assumed after death was that of a bee There are a number of interesting legends on this subject related by. Hugh Miller, One-of these tells about a man who fell asleep after returning from a long walk, and whose soul came out of his mouth. in the form of a bee, which crawled away in the direction of a little burn flowing near the man’s home. When the latter awoke he retained a convincing impression of having himself gone out and wandered by the side of the stream. Legends and myths about honey are interesting, but more interesting to tbe practical housewife are some recipes cu the subject. A few that can be recommended follow :- Honey Roly Poly. [NGREDIENTS: One and a-half breakfast cups flour, half a cup of suet, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt. Mix to a paste with water, roll out and spread with honey, then a layer of currants; roll up, tie in a cloth and boil for one hour, This is very nice if put in layers in a basin. covered with buttered paper, arid steamed for 13 hours, Honey Bread. TPAKE d-cup of sugar, 1 breakfastcupful of liquid honey, 1 breakfast cup of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of soda, 2 breakfasteups of flour, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. Mix cream and sugar, then add honey and flour with: ginger sifted through it. Lastly, add soda dissolved in 2 teaspoonfuls of boiling water. Cook one hour in moderate oven.

Honey Biscuits. MELT 2Qozs. butter in a pan, stirring in ib. of honey. Stir all the time uhtil it boils. Remove from the fire and, when cool, stir in the finely chopped rind of half a lemon, 202. blanched almonds, a little grated nutmeg, 1 cup sifted flour, and joz, baking goda dissolved in a little warm water. Mix well, then set aside for several hours. Roll out, cut into squares, and decorate each with half a blanched almond, or a strip of lemon peel. Bake in a moderate oven. Honey Candy. Two large cups sugar, 1 teacup honey, 2 tablespoons vinegar. Boil until it sets when dropped in cold water. Nuts can be added if desired. Honey Drop Cakes. (THREE-QUARTERS cup of honey, f-cup of butter, $-teaspoon cinnamon, 1 egg, 1 cup raisins, 14 cups flour,

}-tenspoon baking soda, 4-teaspoon water. Heat honey and butter until honey melts white, warm all spices. When cold add part of flour, egg beaten, then soda dissolved in water, and the raisins. Add enough flour to make dough that will hold its shape. Drop in tin and bake in'a moderate oven. Some more useful recipes for the cookery scrapbook :- Velvet Potato Soup. EEL and slice two large potatoes and one onion. Cover with water and boil till tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, mash well. Add a pint of boiling milk and boil again for ten minutes very gently. Beat the yolk of one egg in ths soup tureen, pour the soup over It, stir briskly, and serve at once without, re-heating,

Rice With Blue Cad. ONE smoked blue-cod, one chopped onion, 40zs. cooked rice, loz. butter. Chop up the cooked fish and add it to the rice. Fry the onion in the butter and mix well in. Make all thoroughly hot and pile up on a dish. R488 ITS can provide splendid dishes, particularly in the autumn and winter, when they are in good condition If properly treated they can be almost as tender and attractive as chicken :- Pot-roasted Rabbit. AK a three-quarter grown rabbit and wash thoroughly. Let stand in salt and water for 24 hours to take away the strong flavour. Make a@ stuffing of 2 cups breadcrumbs, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon chopped mint, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon good dripping, salt and pepper to season and a little water to moisten. Till the rabpit and sew up. Rub with flour and put into hot dripping and brown on both sides. Pour in one cup of water and cook slowly for two hours. Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes.

French Rabbit Pie. —

RALBIT pie is often a dull, colourless dish, but it is quite different made in the French way. Skin, clean and cut up a three-quarter grown rabbit. Roll the pieces in pepper and salt. Add a little flour and fry them lightly in dripping; frying with'them a quarter of a pound of lean bacon cut into cubes. When the meat is nicely browned pour a cupful of water into the contents of the stewpan, cover it and simmer gently for about an hour. Then allow to cool. Drain out the meat and pack it into a piedish, together with one or two hard-boiled eggs. Cover the pie. with a nice crust and make a big hole in the top. Cook in hot oven until the crust is done, Reheat the gravy, adding a little wine if desired. Pour it in the bole and serve piping hot. Potato Nests. WARE mashed pctatoes with twice the usual amouut of butter and a little cream. Whip this potato mixture to a light fluff, and shape with a spoon into the shapes of nests. Fill the hol- . low with a mixture of buttered peas and carrots. Brown lightly in a moderate oven. These nests make a nice garnish for a meat or fish dish.

Try This One.

| PASTRY DELICACY |

ae An old-fashioned delicacy worth attempting is made by cooking three-quarters of a pound of peeled and cared apples with four ounces of sugar and the strained juice of 4 lemon until thick and dry. Then add an ounce of chopped sweet almonds and two tadlespoonfuls of apricot jam, and a few stoned and chopped raisins. Have ready some rounds of pastry, spread half of each one with the mixture, fold over, wet the edges, and secure them, and then pinch them together firmly; glaze them with milk in which sugar has dissolved, and bake in a moderate oven.