An old-world recipe book

Again, after the harvest, and the delights of gleaning in the home- fields, when the sheaves of wheat had been stored away in the old- 9 PREFACE stone-gabled, ivy-clad barn, there would come a morning when we awoke to the sound of a continuous low humming proceeding from the farmyard, and well we knew what that meant ! It was the thrashing- machine ; and all through that day every spare moment would be spent in watching its slow devouring of the sheaves of corn that were thrown into it, and a quartern-measurefull of the sifted wheat would be brought into the house to make “ Furmety ” for next morning’s breakfast — a much-prized delicacy in the school- room. But, to return to our ancient recipe book. The spelling is peculiar lO PREFACE at times, as in the instructions for making an “ omlette,” the “ Sheps Head ” required for Scotch Soup, and also the “ Cellery.” “ How to Colar a Pig’s head,” is extremely racy reading, also the “ Old Sports- man’s recipe to pot Grouse ” — and we are glad to know how to preserve “ Green Plumbs ! ” In the “ Cure for Lumbago,” there is a very curious expression — “ for three nights hand-xurmmg ” — where it is only necessary, one would think, to say “ three nights running.” But the oldest and quaintest recipe of all is that “ For a cold,” which was found amongst some other papers, yellow with age, in the secret PREFACE drawer of an old carved oak bureau, dated 1784. “ Squees the duce lemin,” is phonetic, and musical, and “Oalive Oil,” and “ Hunny,” have a patriarchal sound, so we hope that the remedy was effectual ! But whatever is meant by “ crabs- eyes,” in the recipe for making plate- powder ? This, and a few other words, are a puzzle in these later days ; but the recipes for Christmas cakes, and other delicacies, bring before the mind’s eye visions of far- off days, and of long-gone-by mirth and festivities by which the old- world Christmas used to be cele- brated, when — A Christmas frolic well might cheer The poor man’s heart through half the year. 12 CONTENTS I PAGE Soups 15 Meats 29 Pickles 36 Puddings 39 Creams 46 Jellies 53 Savouries 61 Cakes 67 Biscuits 71 Desserts 73 Wines 79 Cheese 86 Useful Receipts for House- keepers 91 >3 1 ii I % * 4. AN OLD-WORLD RECIPE BOOK Consomm6 or Clear Soup An equal quantity of Beef and Veal is best, rub a quarter of a lb. of Butter over the bottom of a Stew- pan into which put the Meat, with some lean Ham, i lb. to sixteen pounds of Meat, 4 Onions, 4 Turnips, 2 Carrots, 6 Cloves, one blade of Mace and a pint of Water, set it over a brisk fire stirring it occasionally, until the bottom is covered with a clear light glaze, then add four Gallons of Water or thin broth. Skim 13 AN OLD-WORLD RECIPE BOOK it well, add a bunch of parsley, 3 Sprigs of thyme, 2 Bay leaves, a quarter of a lb. of Salt, 2 Onions and 2 heads of Celery, let it simmer three hours, skim off all the fat and pass it through a cloth into a basin. Give it the colour of light Sherry with some brown gravy. For a smaller quantity to 4 lbs. Veal, a qr. of a lb. of ham, 8| oz. Butter, 2 Onions, half a carrot, a turnip, a head of Celery, a Sprig of parsley and of Thyme, a Bay leaf, 3 Cloves, 6 Pepper Corns, 1 oz 8c \ of Salt & four quarts of Water. Boil two hours — if not clear clarify it with the Whites of Eggs with their Shells in another Stewpan, Whisk them 16