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

ORANGE FLOWER WATER. —Orange flower water is very valuable for what may be termed high-class cookery. There are few scents more delicious than orange flower, so suggestive as it is of the bridal wreath. That delicately flavoured syrup, capillaire syrup, owes its excellent bouquet to the addition of orange flower water. One of the most delicious sweets is made with the help of this orange flower water. I allude to omelette souffle, a dish for which the “Freemasons’ Tavern” is so greatly noted. This establishment has always maintained its reputation by engaging the services of one of the first cooks in Europe to superintend its kitchen. At the present time M. Burlet presides, a worthy successor to the late M. Francatelli, who, in his work entitled “The Modern Cook,” gives the following receipt for making omelette souffle. “ Put the yolks of six eggs into a large, basin, add six ounces of powdered sugar, a dessert-spoonful of potato flour, two of orange flower water or any other kind of essence or liqueur used for such purposes, and a very little salt. Stir these together with a wooden spoon for about ten minutes. Then whip six whites of eggs and mix them lightly with the batter. Next put two ounces of butter into an omelette pan and set it on a stove fire. As soon as the butter begins to sputter pour the whole of the omelette batter into it and set the pan over the fire. As the batter becomes partially set round the side and bottom of the pan, toss it over and over gently, and then turn the omelette outneatty, and as much as possible in the form of a dome, on to a silver dish previously spread with butter. Put it in the oven and bake it for about twelve minutes, when it will be ready to send to table. Shake some "Sugar on the omelette and serve it immediately.” I would remind housekeepers of the importance of this word “immediately.” In making all kinds of souffles the great point is to lose as little time as possible between their being taken out of the oven and served in the dining-room. They will hardly realise unless they have had experience how an omelette will deteriorate if not served instantly. Very often an omelette souffle which is served in a tin, say four inches in depth, will rise to a height of two inches above the tin. If two minutes elapse between its leaving the oven and its appearance in the dining-room, the omelette will sink down to an inch below- the tin in this short space of time. Under the heading of “Parmesan Cheese” I will call attention to this subject again when speaking of “ Cheese souffle.” ORANGE JELLY.— When cooks make orange jelly at home from fresh oranges, they will experience very considerable difficulty in getting the jelly bright. They will, however, probably find that they will impart more of the flavour of orange than is generally obtained in jelly ready bought. Bottled jelly is undoubtedly by far the most convenient form of having orange jelly. Housekeepers should remember that this bought jelly can be flavoured in a variety of ways. They would do well to regard orange jelly in bottles as the base of various other kinds of jellies. Those persons who have been fortunate enough to enjoy a supper at the Free-