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

It is the cheapest form of obtaining the mixed ingredients, and when combined with sweetbreads, fowl, etc., is by no means an expensive dish. Small vol-aux-vents a la Toulouse or a la Financiere, containing truffle, cocks’- combs, etc. , can, with the assistance of one small bottle of financiers ragout, as sold by Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell, be made at the rate of less than sixpence each, and would be far superior to any pates that could be bought at the pastrycook’s for twice the money. I would, however, again remind cooks, in making these delicious dishes, of the importance of making sauce, whether brown or white, really good and strong. It is a question of trouble rather than expense. I would suggest the addition of a small quantity of cream or some kind of really good madeira or sherry, and in conclusion would remind them of the good old maxim that it is always a pity to spoil the ship for the sake of a ha’porth of tar. While, however, on the subject of adding wine to soup, I would warn housekeepers against the folly of thinking that any wine is good enough for cooking purposes. When sherry is added it should not be a light, pale kind like Amontillado, hut good golden-brown sherry. A good sound madeira can now be bought at 3s. or 3s. 6d. a bottle, and is in reality a far cheaper and better wine than any sherry at the same price, and is infinitely superior for cooking purposes, especially when making turtle soup. When vol-aux-vents, large or small, have been left, cooks should always be very careful in the way in which they warm them up, as, of course, they will be served for the next day’s dinner. If you warm them up just as they are in the oven the pastry itself must inevitably be burnt up before the inside becomes hot through The cook should therefore proceed as follows : — Empty all the vol-au-vent cases into a small saucepan, place the saucepan on the fire, and heat the contents. Now place the empty cases on a baking-sheet in the oven for three or four minutes. | This will be sufficient to heat the rej mainder of the sauce that must, of course, be left in the case. Then when I the contents of the saucepan is tho- ! roughly hot fill the cases, and as soon as they are thoroughly hot they can be served. The same remarks apply to all pates, such as oyster pates, lobster pates, etc. FLAGEOLETS.— See Haricot. FOCKINK’S ORANGE CURACOA.— See CURACOA. FOIE GRAS, ENTIRE.— The fat livers of Strasburg geese are now sold not merely in the form of pate de foie gras, but whole, preserved in tins in a rich yellow fat. They are very rich, and by many persons considered very delicious. They can be served by themselves, and are usually considered a breakfast or luncheon dish. They can also be used for making exceedingly nice cold entrees, and in my opinion are better in this form than by themselves. When eaten alone they are very rich, and few persons can take more than a very small quantity. A very nice entree can be made from foie gras entire by cutting the foie gras into very thin slices, and serving them placed alternately with slices out of the breast of a cold fowl, or better still, a cold turkey. Indeed, when cold turkey is in the house at Christmas time this is a very nice way of utilising the remains of the turkey.