Sea Cookery

VEGETABLES. — Vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, etc., should be trimmed off by removing any leaves showing signs of decay, and then put into a bowl containing cold water and salt, or sea water, and allowed to remain for half an hour. This will cause any slugs or caterpillars that may be hidden in the leaves to drop out. The vegetables should then be well washed to free them from grit. All green vegetables must be plunged in a pan containing enough boiling salted water to completely cover them.. The pan lid must be removed altogether and the water kept boiling fast until they are sufficiently cooked. All scum must be removed. It is not necessary to put carbonate of soda in the water. To keep the colour good, do not overboil them. Peas should have a little sugar and mint added to the water in which they are boiling. Carrots turnips, kidney beans, new potatoes, and asparagus must all be put into boiling water. Old potatoes must be put into cold water and brought to the boil. Parsnips must be peeled under water to prevent them being spoiled in appearance. When boiled they are usually served with boiled salt fish or boiled meats. They should be fried when served with roast mutton. To keep carrots a good colour they should be scraped, and not peeled. Vegetables in soups should be boiled slowly for a good length of time to render them very tender and to obtain their full flavour. PUDDINGS.— Puddings are best if steamed. They take a little longer to steam, but there is less risk of them becoming sodden. When boiling puddings, whether in a mould or just tied in a cloth, they must be plunged into boiling water and kept boiling until they are done. Dumplings, or roll jam or currant puddings are lighter if tied up in a net (a sponge cloth will do), instead of an ordinary pudding cloth. To steam puddings, if you have not got a steamer, put the pudding in a greased basin or mould, cover it with clean greased paper, and stand the mould in a pan containing only enough boiling water to come half way up the mould. Care must be taken to see that the pan does not boil dry. THE USES OF CONDENSED MILK.— Milk is, without doubt, one of the most valuable foods. Owing to its property of absorbing and evenly distributing the flavour of all substances with which it has been incorporated, it is doubly valuable to the cook because when added to white soups and to sauces, or when used as a moistening agent for cakes, it not only intensifies the natural flavour of the other materials present, but also distributes that flavour evenly. thus aiding the cook in his efforts to produce the very best results. Until recently, the cook at sea was much handicapped, because only sweetened condensed milk was supplied to ships. Fussell & Co., Ltd., Monument Street, London, E.C., have now after many patient and scientific experiments, succeeded in producing an unsweetened condensed milk, well known as “ White Butterfly ” Brand, which can be used successfully in all cases where new milk was formerly required. When new milk is analysed, it is found to contain on an average the following substances : — Water . . . . . . . . . . 87 ■ Fat Casein Milk Sugar Mineral Substances Other Substances % % o/ /o O/ /o O/ /o o/ /o 100-0