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

woodcock has for many years ranked king among birds, at any rate in the opinion of epicures. The very idea suggested by the combination of the flavour of woodcock and truffles is sufficient to make the mouth water. I would strongly recommend a trial of these delicious pates. When game is not in season they form a most admirable dish at picnics in summer, before game has come into season. They can be served as a little bonne louche after the invariable cold lamb and mint sauce. But I would remind housekeepers that they are always best first placed for a short time in a little iced water. I have, under the heading of “ Chicken-and- Ha m Pate,” and also under the heading of “ Pate de Foie Gras,” explained how the remains of these delicious pates can be utilised for various kinds of forcemeat. The same observations apply with equal force to woodcock pate. I# cannot say that I have ever tried it myself, owing to my experience being that these pates are so delicious that I have never been present on any occasion when any has been left at all. WOODCOCKS, TRUFFLED. — Woodcocks can now be obtained preserved in tins in conjunction with truffles. They form an exceedingly agreeable dish eaten just as they are. When, however, the birds can be removed from the tin whole, a very delicate dish suited for ball suppers can be made from them by glazing the woodcocks and serving them up with a salad made with macedoines, and surrounding the dish with some aspic jelly. A full description of how to make this very pretty dish will be found under the heading Larks, Truffled. WORCESTER SAUCE. — Worcester sauce has for many years been most deservedly popular, and though it comes last in our list of sauces, it certainly does not rank least. Worcester sauce contains a considerable amount of heat — that is, pepper heat. It is also exceedingly rich in flavour. With sauces containing this marked flavour cooks would do well to bear in mind that just in proportion as they are valuable for some purposes they are unsuited for others, have known instances of young and inexperienced cooks who have laboured under the delusion that soup is all the better for a variety of compounds, and Worcester sauce has been absolutely used for the purpose of imparting flavour to clear soup. It is needless to say it is extremely unsuited for this purpose. On the other hand, there are many tilings which are very considerably improved by the addition of Worcester sauce. In making various kinds of rich “ devil ” sauces, for instance. Worcester sauce is exceedingly valuable. It is sometimes used for making that simple but extremely nice dish known as devilled toast. Devilled toast will often tempt persons to take a slight luncheon or to commence breakfast when nothing else will. Make an ordinary slice of toast, toast it on both sides, and have ready the following mixture with which to spread it : — Some butter, soft, but not oiled, some mustard, a little cayenne pepper, and about a teaspoonful of Worcester sauce poured ouf of the bottle after the bottle has ■5 been shaken. Worcester sauce is also exceedingly nice as a fish sauce in con-