The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

,rk pates are a mixture larks and rich forcemeats th truffles. These pates i very rich, and a small quantity goes a long way. I have before called attention to the fact that all of these tins of rich meat are better when eaten cold. When, therefore, these tins are used either for breakfast or lunch, they should be kept in a cool place, or placed in ice till just before they are wanted. So, too, when they are used at picnics they form a very agreeable change after some cold meat, but it is far best to place the tins for an hour or half an hour at least in water in which a piece of ice has been placed. Lark pates when eaten luke-warm have a somewhat greasy taste, but when quite cold they are far better. As a rule they are more suited for winter than summer. The remains of these tins will be found exceedingly useful to the cook in order to add to other ingredients to make any kind of rich forcemeat, the pieces of truffle rendering the forcemeat very superior. In making liver forcemeat from calves’ liver, ham, mushrooms, etc. , it will be found a very great improvement to add the remains of one of these tins. The forcemeat made in this way is suitable for all kinds of game pies, and will also assist in making a very nice dish of Italian fritters, which are simply pieces of very rich forcemeat dipped in good stiff batter and quickly fned in smoking hot lard. LARKS, TRUFFLED. — Larks stuffed with truffle are now preserved in tins. They are surrounded by a large quantity of very rich fat. This fat will not be thrown away by economical cooks, but will be used for making rich forcemeat of various kinds. The larks truffled can be eaten whole as they are, just in the same way as pate dc foie gras entire can be eaten whole. Cooks will find truffled larks very convenient for making a handsome supper dish. To many persons the presence of this yellow fat is an objection, on account of its being so extremely rich. When truffled larks are taken out to be eaten cold, or to make a cold dish, the cook should act as follows : Take the larks out of the tin very carefully. Like all other tinned goods they are necessarily rather over-cooked than otherwise. In taking the larks out of the tin the cook will often have some difficulty in getting them out whole. Sometimes the knife will be inserted too deep, and after being disturbed the larks are very apt to drop to pieces. The best method of taking them out is to put two forks under the birds and lift them out carefully one by one from the fat in which they are imbedded. The cook should never attempt to pull them, or they will never come out whole. After having removed the larks and taken away as much of the rich fat as possible, they should be placed on a tin or plate and put for a few minutes in a hot oven, in order that the fat which remains upon them may dissolve and run off. They should then be carefully placed on a plate to get cold. Very often it will be found that portions of the meat will drop from the breasts and fall on to the plate. This is of no consequence, as the birds can be easily mended by what is virtually a little glue in the shape of glaze. Next dissolve a little strong bright glaze ; and when it is of the consistency of melted glue take a small brush and glaze over the larks.