Modern cookery, in all its branches

These plums, which resemble in form small dried Norfolk biffins, make a delicious compote: they are also excellent served dry. In France they are stewed until tender in equal parts of water, and of the light red wine of the country, with about four ounces of sugar to the pound of fruit: when port wine is used for them a smaller proportion of it will suffice. The sugar should not be added in stewing any dried fruits until they are at least half-done, as they will not soften by any means so easily in syrup as in unsweetened liquid. Dried plums, 1 lb.; water, \ pint, and light claret, £ pint, or water, | pint, and port wine, \ pint : \ \ hour. Sugar, 4 oz. : 2 hours, or more. Obs. — Common French plums are stewed in the same way with or without wine. A little experience will teach the cook the exact quantity of liquid and of sugar which they require. TO BAKE PEARS. Wipe some large sound iron pears, arrange them on a dish with the stalk end upwards, put them into the oven after the bread is withdrawn, and let them remain all night. If well baked, they will be excellent, very sweet, and juicy, and much finer in flavour than those which are stewed or baked with sugar : the bon chretien pear also is delicious baked thus. STEWED PEARS. Pare, cut in halves, and core a dozen fine pears, put them into a close shutting stewpan with some thin strips of lemon -rind, half a pound of sugar in lumps, as much water as will nearly cover them, and should a very bright colour be desired, a dozen grains of cochineal, bruised, and tied in a muslin ; stew the fruit as gently as pos- StlODEHH COOKERt* [chap. xXVffi* sible, four or five hours, or longer should it not be perfectly tender Wine is sometimes added both to stewed pears and to baked ones. If put into a covered jar, well tied down and baked for some hours, with a proper quantity of liquid and sugar, they will be very good BOILED CHESTNUTS. Make a slight incision in the outer skin only, of each chestnut, to prevent its bursting, and when all are done, throw them into plenty of boiling water, with about a dessertspoonful of salt to the half gallon. Some chestnuts will require to be boiled nearly or quite an hour, others little more than half the time : the cook should try them occasionally, and as soon as they are soft through, drain them, wipe them in a coarse cloth, and send them to table quickly in a hot napkin. Obs. — The best chestnuts are those which have no internal divisions : the finest kinds are quite entire when shelled. BOASTED CHESTNUTS. The best mode of preparing these is to roast them, as in Spain, in a coffee-roaster, after having first boiled them from seven to ten minutes, and wiped them dry, They should not be allowed to cool, and will require but from ten to fifteen minutes’ roasting. They may, when more convenient, be finished over the fire as usual, or in a Dutch or common oven, but in all cases the previous boiling will be found an improvement. Never omit to cut the rind of each nut slightly before it is cooked. Serve the chestnuts very hot in a napkin, and send salt to table with them. ALMOND SHAMROCKS. ( Very good , and very pretty.')