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

days of our grandfathers than it is now. It possesses but very little intoxicating power, but is at the same time very reviving. It will be remembered after Mr. Pickwick’s memorable breakdown in his chaise, that when he and his party arrived at the hospitable home of Mr. Wardle at Manor Farm, the very first act of his host, after remarking how tired his guests were, was to bring out the cherry brandy. It is rarely used for cooking purposes, but cherry brandy will make an excellent jelly. One reason why cherry brandy possesses very little intoxicating power is that good cherry brandy is made by preserving cherries in brandy and sugar, and the cherries possess the remarkable faculty of withdrawing the spirit from the brandy and absorbing it into themselves. Were you to open a bottle of brandy cherries and place the cherries in one dish and the liquor in another, the one which contained the cherries would be found to contain three or four times the amount of alcohol contained in the dish of liquor. CHERRY JAM. — Cherry jam is of a very pretty colour, and, like most other jams, is always best when made in large quantities. It is in this respect that some of our large manufacturers have an advantage over private houses. Home-brewed ale is very pure and genuine, like home-made jam, but, owing to the quantities in which jams are made, it is as difficult for a housewife to compete with a manufacturer of jam as it would be for her to produce a cask of ale that would stand the test of competition with that brewed by Bass or Allsopp. Cherry jam can be used for making open tarts, tartlets, etc., and for all purposes for which jams of any kind are required. CHERRY SYRUP.— This makes a delicious drink when mixed with iced water, or, better still, iced soda-water. A spoonful of cherry syrup can also be added with advantage to cherry-pies made from bottled cherries. CHICKEN-AND-HAM PATES.-Chickenand-ham patios are a very popular form of what is known as breakfast delicacies. They are preserved in small tins, and have these great advantages — they can be kept in the house, and remain good till they are wanted, and can be always produced, when required, as a spare or additional dish, which is so great a boon to housekeepers on the arrival of one or two unexpected guests. They are somewhat rich, hut of very delicate flavour. There is a slight resemblance in the flavour of these pates to that well-known delicacy pate dc foie !/ras. These little tins of chicken-and-ham pates should be carefully cut open, turned out whole, placed on a dish, and surrounded with some nice bright green parsley. It is a delicacy rather than a meal, and, being very rich, is generally taken in small quantities. Good housekeepers will perhaps be glad to know of a good means of using-up the fag-ends and remains of these delicacies. After one or two days, or possibly only one day, it will be found that there is only sufficient left to make it doubtful as to whether it can be put on the table again or not. These remnants of pates are, however, invaluable to really good cooks. Chicken-and-ham patés are really a very rich forcemeat, and with the addition of a little cold fowl, cold ham, cold tongue, or, indeed, the remains of almost any kind of cold meat, will very greatly assist the cook in making a nice dish of rissoles or kromeskies.