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

Some strips of angelica can be used for ornamenting the top, while round the base of the dish and outside the rice should be placed a border of preserved greengages. Sometimes this dish is finished by pouring some vanilla liqueur round the base with the greengages. PEAS, GREEN, TINNED.— A very large quantity of peas are now sold in this country tinned, and when preserved young it is really very difficult to distinguish between peas that have been tinned and those that are fresh gathered. If the peas are young and you can gather them fresh from your own garden there is no doubt that fresh peas have an infinitely superior flavour to any others. Unfortunately, however, the majority of people in this country are not dependent so much upon their garden as upon the greengrocer or market. There is no doubt that pre served peas in tins are very superior to a large number of those that are sold as fresh peas, but which have been kept for a long time after being gathered. The English fashion of serving green peas is, of course, boiled plain. I would, however, suggest that they should be wanned up in the tins themselves. The tin should be opened and the liquor strained out after the peas are heated through. To be so heated the tin should be kept in boiling water fcr at least a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. When the peas are turned out into the dish add a saltspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, and a little sugar. Mix the whole lightly together. If a few fresh mint-leaves can be obtained boil them and serve them with the peas. When the peas are large they can be served in the French fashion, in which case they are generally handed round to be eaten by themselves. When this is done a spoonful of good white sauce can be added to the peas, or a piece of butter and a little chopped mint may be added. Green peas are one of the most useful forms of preserved vegetables, as they always enable us to make a very nice dish at all times of the year. They can be served up in the centre of a dish of mutton cutlets, or can be added with a few carrots and turnips sliced to some soup. A spoonful of green peas always very much sets off the appearance of any spring or clear soup. Peas are considered particularly adapted to be served with roast duck and roast lamb. PEPPER, GROUND. — Of all the various spices sold, plain black pepper is the most useful, and the one which would be most missed. It is used in making almost every kind of dish that is known in cookery, with the exception, of course, of sweets. Many years ago it was customary for pepper to be ground at home, but this has long since gone out of fashion. Pepper ground in large quantities by machinery is much more uniform and much finer than any home-ground pepper. White pepper is somewhat more delicate in flavour and a trifle more expensive than black. White pepper is very useful to be kept in the house for the purpose of flavouring white soups and white sauces. * Cooks will often find in turning out white soups or white sauces that a large spoonful or two at the bottom contains a quantity of black specks or dregs, owing to their having used black pepper instead of white. PEPPER, CAYENNE.— See Cayenne. PERSIAN SHERBET.— See Sherbet. PETITS POIS.— See Pois. PHILIPPE AND CO.’S SARDINES.— See Sardines.