Hilda's diary of a Cape housekeeper

(poultry, etc.), add a piece of crumb of bread and a little butter or beef suet will do. This softens the water, keeps the colour, and preserves flavour of joint. Tinned Fruit, etc. — Tinned or bottled fruit should be kept in the dark— a dry cupboard is best for them. If the ends of the tins which contain fruit or meat are bulged out it has fermented, and should not be tcsed on any account. To Fatten Chickens. — Rice boiled with butter-milk and mixed with chopped suet. Of this give them two good meals a day, but nothing else besides ; keep them in the dark and only have three or four together. Good Coffee.— I have cut this verse, which embodies the points of good coffee, from a newspaper — “ J’aime le cafe Chaud comme I’enfer, Noir comme le diable, Et doux comme un ange.” Seasons for Cheeses (mem. from Miss Adeane’s MS. book) — Cheddar is said to be best from February to October. Also Roquefort in April. Port Salut, Bondons, Gournay, Neufchatel, Mont Dore, and cream cheese, May to September. Brie, October to April. Camembert, October to May. Stilton, November to June. Gruyere, Roquefort, Parmesan, and Dutch cheeses, all the year round. Grouse.— Grouse are excellent roasted “with bacon jackets on." ALMOND PUDDING. TAPIOCA CREAM March March 24. — Almond Pudding (Miss Adeane’s). — Can one have too many pudding recipes ? Here is one for almond pudding. Cover a dish with thin paste ; spread raspberry jam at the bottom. Beat up yolks of 8 eggs and the whites of 2. Mix with them ^ lb. powdered sugar, lb. butter, melted and flavoured with almonds (bitter and sweet almonds in equal proportions, well dried and pounded). Mix all well together and pour upon the raspberry jam. Bake the pudding in a slow oven i|- hours. March 26. — Do we enough appreciate tapioca } I don’t think it appears as often as it might in recipes. I am told that a great many of the ready-made jellies which are to be bought in London are made of tapioca instead of isinglass or gelatine, but “ boiled and boiled for any length of time ” till clear and thin. I suppose mixed with orange juice, or whatever it may be, to flavour. This tapioca cream is excellent (Miss Adeane’s recipe). Tapioca Cream. — To half-a-pint of whipped cream add an equal quantity of tapioca that has been well boiled in milk. Add a little pounded sugar and a few drops of essence to flavour. Serve cold in a glass dish. March 29. — Another letter on cookery books from my friend in London says — “ Do write down the following names on your Cookery Library list. All are brought out by your publishers, Messrs. Chapman & Hall, and all are worth having. The Pytchley Book of Refined Cookery, by Major L. Breakfasts, Luncheons and Ball Suppers, same author. Cookery up to Date, by Mrs. Humphrey. Dinners in Miniature, by Ethel Earl. March Official Handbook of the National Training School for Cookery. Add also Three Courses for Threepence, published by the Society for Promoting' Christian Knowledge, London ; and one called Cookery for Working Men's Wives, by Mrs! Elder, published in Scotland.’' Hprtl April 2. — One of the best months. — April is generally considered one of our best months at the Cape, the atmosphere being very clear and pleasant, and no “ south-easters ” blowing. Fruit. — Fresh fruit is not very plentiful, though apples and many varieties of French pears are to be had.