Common-sense papers on cookery

First, the unpacking of the huge hampers, at times necessitating almost the diving in of two heads at once — bright eyes meet under cover of the unromantic wickerwork, and look brighter for the meeting. It is wonderful, by-the-by, how stooping over a hamper causes most people to flush. Ah ! happy time; when most are young, and the world before them as fresh, as bright, and as green as the grass on which they sit. How many staid old married couples are there who can look back upon a picnic as the starting-point in their long road of happiness. No rose, however, without a thorn. How many, too, can look upon the same festive occasion, and remember as if yesterday the sharp sting of the green-eyed monster, then felt for the first time, and the poison of which has blighted a lifetime ! “Lift not the festal mask, enough to know No scene of mortal life but teems with mortal woe.” Fortunately, we are not all moulded alike by the parent hand of Nature. The majority, in fact, pass in early life from face to face like the butterfly from flower to flower, seeing no difference beyond that the present one is always the sweetest, and at last settle down into a humdrum life, Common-sense Cookery. as unacquainted with the heaven of love as they are incapable of feeling the stings of disappointment. “ How much, methinks, I could despise this man, But that in charity I am bound against it.” But the very class of whom we are speaking — viz., the majority — have probably long ere this looked for the practical part of the subject to commence — viz., the lobster salad, pigeon pie, cucumber, ice, champagne, &c. A few hints on the general management of picnics may possibly be of service. All know the difference between one well-managed and one ill-managed. The things most generally forgotten are the knives and forks and the salt. The most awful thing of all to forget is the hamper containing the drinkables. One indispensable thing for the comfort of a picnic on a hot day is a large lump of ice. If this is well covered in sawdust, and wrapped round with a blanket or thick cloth, it is wonderful how little will melt even in a long journey. We will run hastily through the ordinary picnic dishes, with a word or two to say on each. First, cold lamb and mint sauce. Bear in mind that the former is very apt to turn quickly, in hot weather, especially if packed close, or put in a hamper Picnic Dainties. near the top exposed to the sun. Pepper the joint, and wrap it up in cool cabbage-leaves. The mint sauce must be put in a small bottle, a stone ginger-beer bottle being as good as anything. Second, lobster salad. This of course is dressed on the ground. Take care, however, in packing the lobsters, that they do not impart a fishy flavour to everything else. A few hard-boiled eggs should be taken to garnish the salad.