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

ORANGE SYRUP. — Orange syrup makes a -very delicious drink in hot weather. The nicest form of having it is by mixing a small quantity with a bottle of iced soda-water. It can, of course, be drank with plain water, to which a lump of ice will be a great improvement. Orange syrup can also be used for several purposes in cooking. One of the nicest is to serve it. as an accompaniment to boiled rice. I think it will be found that orange syrup, when served with cold boiled rice, is far nicer than when served hot. Housekeepers would do well to bear in mind that boiled rice can always be served up cold. Very often, after a course of mulligatawny soup or curry, there is a small quantity of boiled rice left. This will make an admirable little additional dish, especially where there are children, and it can be served up with their tea. A little orange syrup added to the cold rice renders the rice a most delicious dish. OREGON SALMON.— See Salmon. ORIENTAL PICKLES (CAPTAIN WHITE’S). — Pickles may generally be divided into two classes— the hot and the acid. Were the question asked of me what pickles I think the best, I should unhesitatingly reply “ Captain White’s Oriental Pickles.” Tastes, however, differ, and probably there are many who would say they preferred piccalilli. Very often people have a positive objection to what may be termed the “ Indian ” flavour produced by the chilies, spices, etc., which are mixed with Oriental pickles. These Oriental pickles are admirably adapted to be eaten with any kind of cold meat, and, owing to the spices, etc., which they contain, they undoubtedly act as a slight stimulant to the digestion. Many persons who have lived in India are noted for suffering from derangement of the liver. Probably the hot oondiments, such as Indian sauce, Indian pickle, Indian curry, Indian chutney, etc., tend greatly to assist in stimulating those organs which have been deranged by excessive heat or other causes. Captain White’s Oriental pickle is by far the best I know for serving up hot with all kinds of dishes, such as cutlets, grilled salmon, etc., these dishes being peculiarly suited for breakfast. The best plan of serving up what may be termed pickle sauce is to take a good tablespoonful of pickle, cuf up the larger pieces, but do not chop the whole finely, and mix with it about double the quantity of good rich brown gravy. The brown gravy should be very thick, in fact thicker than ordinary gravy, and a very little arrowroot and cold water may be added, in order to give it the right consistency. This should be heated over the fire in a small stcwpan, and served up in the middle of a dish of cutlets or fish. Another very nice sauce can be made from Oriental pickles as follows : Take equal quantities of pickle and any good Indian chutney, such as Bengal Club chutney, or Colonel Skinner’s chutney. Mix the sauce in about three times its quantity of stock, and add a teaspoonful of Crosse and Blackwell’s extract of meat. This is of course a very nourishing sauce, owing to the presence of so much extract of meat, and is very appetising, owing to the combined flavour of pickle and chutney. Persons who are recommended nourishing food, when the appetite is found to flag, will find this sauce, served with a few nicely cooked mutton cutlets, an exceedingly agreeable dish.