Welsh Babbit may be defined as Cheese-toast. The name of this excellent dish is at present unexplained ; it may be Gaelic, and have originated in Wales. The conjecture accord- ing to which the name rabbit was a corruption of rare bit has no kind of probability in its favour. It deserves to be men- tioned that, according to ‘ Wyvern,’ native Hindoo cooks term Welsh rabbit Bamakin Toast, a correct if easy result of appreciation of analogy. There are plainer and more com- pound forms of Welsh rabbit ; one of the latter goes by the WELSH RABBI'E RAMEQIUNS, FONDUE name of Mock Crab Toast. Jlavicquiu is a French expres- sion, of which we have not been able to find either defini- tion or derivation. D.h). refers it to Patisserie, hut under that word no definition occurs. ‘ Wyvern ’ identifies ramequins with tittle fondues of cheese, and directs the cook to arrange them on a silver dish, and bake them for ten minutes, or until the cheese dressings of the toast rise. In this view ramequins are only a kind of Welsh rabbit, with a some- what more elaborate cheese composition. On the other hand, Ramequins in Capsules (paper cases) closely re- semble soufflds, and might be classified with them, just as ramequins or croiUons might be classified wnth Welsh rabbits. But a third kind of ramequins are really pre- parations of pasti’5', inasmuch as they consist of a basis and partial covering of pu,ff paste, on, and in which, the souffle- like cheese paste is deposited. These we propose to term puff paste ramequins. When the cheese is mixed with the puff paste we obtain incorporated ramequins, of which the long, thin form is known to some cooks as cliecse-straxos. We have here to establish a distinction between ramequins in cases or capsxdes, and fondues in capsxdes. The former contain either flour or breadcrumb as panada, which im- parts to them the souffle character ; the latter contain no flour or bread, and, to justify their name, must consist of cheese and eggs with spices only. Of the fondue Brillat-Savarin* says that the dish came from Switzerland, and consisted merely of scrambled eggs {(£ufs brouilUs) and cheese, in such proportions as time and ‘ Phys, d. Goftt.,’ Variiites, No. xvi., p. 360. He also relates, as an anecdote, how a M. de Madet, having been elected Bishop of Belley, in Switzerland, towards the end of the seventeenth century, at the dinner' following his enthronization, mistaking a fondue for a cream, ate it with a spoon instead of a fork, as was usual, tie also gives a recipe for fondue extracted from the papers of M. Trollet, bailli of Mondon, in the canton of Berne. We merely repeat this tale alxuit the Bishop’s spoon to show its trivial nature. We believe he was right in using his spoon if the fondue, as IS often the case, was underdone, and consequently fluid like custard in the middle. THE SPIRIT Oh' COOKERY 6oiS experience had shown to be suitable. Some, cjf. Careine, spell the name fonclu. The proportions of ingredients are butter, one part ; Grmjcrc cheese, three parts✪ Welsh Rabbit ; egejs, six paits. We think that some of the whites of eggs might be left out of the composition. Fondues are mostly used as hors- d’oeuvres. CHAPTER LV. SAVOURY AND SWEET TOASTS, OR ROTIES, AND CROUTONS.

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Welsh Babbit may be defined as Cheese-toast. The name of this excellent dish is at present unexplained ; it may be Gaelic, and have originated in Wales. The conjecture accord- ing to which the name rabbit was a corruption of rare bit has no kind of probability in its favour. It deserves to be men- tioned that, according to ‘ Wyvern,’ native Hindoo cooks term Welsh rabbit Bamakin Toast, a correct if easy result of appreciation of analogy. There are plainer and more com- pound forms of Welsh rabbit ; one of the latter goes by the WELSH RABBI'E RAMEQIUNS, FONDUE name of Mock Crab Toast. Jlavicquiu is a French expres- sion, of which we have not been able to find either defini- tion or derivation. D.h). refers it to Patisserie, hut under that word no definition occurs. ‘ Wyvern ’ identifies ramequins with tittle fondues of cheese, and directs the cook to arrange them on a silver dish, and bake them for ten minutes, or until the cheese dressings of the toast rise. In this view ramequins are only a kind of Welsh rabbit, with a some- what more elaborate cheese composition. On the other hand, Ramequins in Capsules (paper cases) closely re- semble soufflds, and might be classified with them, just as ramequins or croiUons might be classified wnth Welsh rabbits. But a third kind of ramequins are really pre- parations of pasti’5', inasmuch as they consist of a basis and partial covering of pu,ff paste, on, and in which, the souffle- like cheese paste is deposited. These we propose to term puff paste ramequins. When the cheese is mixed with the puff paste we obtain incorporated ramequins, of which the long, thin form is known to some cooks as cliecse-straxos. We have here to establish a distinction between ramequins in cases or capsxdes, and fondues in capsxdes. The former contain either flour or breadcrumb as panada, which im- parts to them the souffle character ; the latter contain no flour or bread, and, to justify their name, must consist of cheese and eggs with spices only. Of the fondue Brillat-Savarin* says that the dish came from Switzerland, and consisted merely of scrambled eggs {(£ufs brouilUs) and cheese, in such proportions as time and ‘ Phys, d. Goftt.,’ Variiites, No. xvi., p. 360. He also relates, as an anecdote, how a M. de Madet, having been elected Bishop of Belley, in Switzerland, towards the end of the seventeenth century, at the dinner' following his enthronization, mistaking a fondue for a cream, ate it with a spoon instead of a fork, as was usual, tie also gives a recipe for fondue extracted from the papers of M. Trollet, bailli of Mondon, in the canton of Berne. We merely repeat this tale alxuit the Bishop’s spoon to show its trivial nature. We believe he was right in using his spoon if the fondue, as IS often the case, was underdone, and consequently fluid like custard in the middle. THE SPIRIT Oh' COOKERY 6oiS experience had shown to be suitable. Some, cjf. Careine, spell the name fonclu. The proportions of ingredients are butter, one part ; Grmjcrc cheese, three parts ; egejs, six paits. We think that some of the whites of eggs might be left out of the composition. Fondues are mostly used as hors- d’oeuvres. CHAPTER LV. SAVOURY AND SWEET TOASTS, OR ROTIES, AND CROUTONS.

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