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

The best way of ornamenting rice borders is for the cook to get a carrot or some vegetable of that description, and to cut it into a shapo like a triangular chisel. By pressing 46 Crosse and Blackwell's this carrot thus cut against the edges of the border, the border of rice can be formed into a number of projections somewhat star-shaped, the whole of which, of course, will be exactly the same size, as they are formed in the same mould. It is far better to use a mould cut from vegetable than to attempt to form the rice into anything like a pretty shape by hand or by using a knife. It is almost impossible to get the ornamental ridges the same size unless only one mould is used. Of course, the- cook can exercise her ingenuity as to the shape in which the rice is formed. For instance, if the carrot should be scooped out, say three inches high, and fluted at the top, by pressing this against the border the border would be surrounded by a series of small round pillars rounded at the top, each three inches in height. The mould should now be lightly washed over with clarified butter, and placed in the oven to bake. When the rice border is to be filled with any kind of meat or ragout the border should be baked till it is a nice light-brown colour, but when it is intended to be filled with any kind of sweets, preserves, etc., it should not be kept in the oven more than long enough to dry the rice. Next take the border out of the oven, and scoop out the inside part. What is scraped can be rolled into small round balls about the same size as the damsons. The damsons can now be placed in the interior, piled up, and the juice poured over. A few damsons can be reserved and placed round the edge of the mould with little balls of rice of the same size. The alternate white balls and coloured damsons round the edge have a very pretty effect. A much cheaper and quicker way of making rice borders for compotes of fruits is simply to boil the rice in some milk till it is tender and can be moulded with the hands. Turn the rice into the dish and press it together till an oval border is made about two or three inches in height. If the rice is well boiled, when it cools this border will have sufficient consistency to allow of the fruit being turned into the centre. Some of the bright damson juice can now be made into jelly by the simple addition of a little gelatine. Of course, the juice of the damsons must first bo well sweetened. Before putting the damsons in the centre of the mould, and when the jelly made from gelatine in damson-juice is nearly on the point of setting, with a tablespoon pour it over the cold boiled rice. The cold of the rice, supposing that it has been kept in a cold place, will cause the jelly to set instantly. The rice, therefore, is now covered with a transparent film of jelly, the colour of damson-juice. Then place round the edge of the mould little white balls just the size of the damsons, and place the remainder of the fruit in the j centre of the dish. When this is done j and the fruit is piled up it is an improvement to sprinkle over the fruit a few white grains of boiled rice. The ! white specks on the red background have an equally pretty effect to red specks on a white background.