Common-sense papers on cookery

There are many persons, however, who cannot afford even so much as 10s. a head for a breakfast from the pastrycook’s. When, therefore, the breakfast is made at home, it had better be all cold except the soup ; and the great secret of success will be found to be in the old adage — “ Never put off till the morrow what can be done today.” Have plenty of flowers, and if summer-time, have plenty of ice. Were I to go through a set of dishes, I should simply be repeating what I have already said under the heading of “ How to Give a Nice Little Supper.” Fruit, flowers, and ice make the greatest and best show possible for the money. Then, too, a few dishes can be bought which are not easily made at home. Some of those Italian shops where they sell ices have excellent meringues very cheap. Common-sense Cookery. Perhaps the greatest sacrifice of all to that monster, Custom, is the wedding-cake. I suppose there never will be a case of a couple sufficiently strong-minded to forego themselves this luxury, on the ground of “ what would people say ? ” Unless the cake required be very large, it is by no means a difficult thing to make at home, and it can be sent to be baked at the baker’s, who will probably know it only requires a moderate heat, and that the oven should be kept at an even temperature all through the baking-process. Take first of all some candied peel, orange, lemon, and citron, Jib. of each, and cut them into small, thin shreds ; ijlb. of flour; 1 Jib. of butter; ilb. of dried cherries, which should be cut up, but not too fine ; 1 Jib. of currants, which must be thoroughly washed, picked, and afterwards dried ; 8oz. of almonds, well pounded ; eight eggs ; the rind of four oranges rubbed on to sugar; Joz. of spices, consisting of ground cinnamon, nutmegs, and cloves in equal proportions ; about a tea-spoonful of salt, and half a pint of good brandy. The butter should be well worked with a wooden spoon in a large, strong basin, till it has a sort of creamy appearance. The flour, eggs, and sugar should be added slowly, while the spoon must be kept working the whole time. After this has been thoroughly well mixed, the rest of the ingredients mentioned may be added, only a little at a time, to Wedding Breakfasts. insure the whole quantity being properly mixed up. When this is done, it should be poured into a tin hoop, placed on a metal baking-sheet. Two sheets of well-buttered paper must be placed on the bakingsheet underneath, and the hoop itself must be lined with a double band of well-buttered paper, or else the cake will be sure to burn round the edges. The cake may now be taken off to the baker’s oven, and as it will keep good for a long time, and in fact improve in flavour by keeping, it should be made some time beforehand. The icing of the cake should not be done till a short time beforehand, as it of course has a tendency to get dirty. First the almond part — the only part of a wedding cake, to my mind, worth eating.