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

This is one reason why tinned meats are best warmed up in the tins, which are placed in a saucepan of boiling water, thus forming a sort of bain-marie. Some fried or toasted bread can be placed round the dish. Bouilli served this way forms a nice entrée, which can be got ready at a short notice, and is a convenient dish for those occasions known to housekeepers as emergencies. BOUSQUIN’S JULIENNE.— See Vegetables, Mixed, Dried. BRANDY BITTERS.— Brandy bitters is a very excellent tonic, which can be taken before a meal, as it is productive of appetite. It is sold ready prepared in bottles, and is of the right strength to assist and not impede digestion. Too often persons in mixing bitters, such as angostura or orange, fail to hit upon the happy medium between burning the coats of the stomach on the one hand, and making a nauseous draught on the other. The brandy bitters now sold ready prepared will be found an excellent stomachic. BRANDY CHERRIES.— The most general form of serving brandy cherries is as a separate dish at dessert, when it will always be found a popular one. Some of the liquor in which the brandy cherries are preserved (cherry brandy) should always be poured round the cherries in the dish. One curious feature about brandy cherries is that the cherries retain the brandy, or rather the spirit from the brandy, at the expense of the liquor — i.e., the cherry brandy — itself. Consequently care should be taken in giving brandy cherries to children, as too many would be certain to produce headache and nausea. Brandy cherries, in addition to being served as a sweet at dessert, are also used to assist in making high-class puddings. I will give one instance of a pudding famous in Warwickshire some years ago known as Kendal pudding. Line the bottom of a pie-dish with thin slices of sponge-cake, and on the top of this lay a layer of brandy cherries. Next on the top of the cherries lay another layer of spongecake that has been spread over with some rather acid jam — i.e., some sharptasting jam like quince. Then on this lay another layer of brandy cherries, and on that a layer of cake spread over with some sweet jam, such as raspberry, then again some cherries, etc., taking care that the sharp and sweet-flavoured jams are in alternate rows. When the dish is filled to the top pour in a rich custard, and when the cake has thoroughly soaked up the custard, bake the dish in a somewhat slow oven at first till the whole has thoroughly set. This pudding, though somewhat expensive, is exceedingly rich and good. BRANDY, CHERRY. — See Cherry Brandy. BRAWN, OXFORD. — Oxford brawn is now sold in tins, and comes under that most useful list of preserved condiments known as breakfast delicacies. One of the chief objections to the brawn sold fresh is that it is, as a rule, made in too large a quantity. The tins of brawn are small and compact, and can be turned out whole, and surrounded with a small paper frill. This forms an agreeable change to the breakfast or lunch table ; and the tinned brawn possesses this great advantage, that till the tin is opened it will keep good for years. In carving brawn it is of great importance that it should be cut with a very sharp knife. Brawn is of course made from pig’s head, and, like other forms