Cookery book and general axioms for plain cookery

Method: — Put the water into a saucepan to boil. Cut the vegetables into very small pieces (if leeks are used, cut the green tops off, and peel, wash and slice them, but they do not need parboiling, as they are not so strong as the onions), and put them into the boding water with the butter, salt, and pepper, simmer gently about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are quite soft. Then rub the soup through a sieve or colander with a wooden spoon, pour it back into the saucepan, add the milk and thickening, and let it boil about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, and serve hot. ° N.B. — (1) Semolina or hominy makes the soup much more nourishing than sago or tapioca. Oatmeal makes it still more so, and should be used frequently in vegetable soups. (2) A strip of celery or seeds greatly improves the flavour. BREAD WITH YEAST. Ingredients : — 31 lbs. flour. If pints tepid water (i.e., -J- boiling § cold). 1 heaped teaspoonful salt, or to taste. 1 teaspoonful sugar. 1 oz. German yeast, or 2 tablespoonfuls of brewer’s yeast. Method :~Put 3 lbs. of flour into a basin, mix the salt with it, and make a well in the middle. Put the yeast and sugar into another basin and work with a spoon to a smooth paste, then add the water gradually, to prevent lumps. Pour this into the well, work the flour in gradually, making it into a light dough; then knead it with the hands until smooth. Cover the basin with a cloth, and set it in front of the fire to rise about 2 hours. Then turn the dough on to a floured board, and knead in so much flour that it no longer sticks to the fingers or to the board. Divide it into two or three, as wished (just to half fill the tins), knead lightly and put into floured or greased tins. Set them before the fire again for about £ horn’, and bake in a hot oven at first, then bake more slowly from 1 to 2 hours, according to size. Do not open the oven door for about 10 minutes. For cottage-loaves, divide each piece of dough into two, one smaller than the other (more flour will be required), work both into balls, place the smaller on the larger one ; make a hole in the middle of the top, and put the finger quite through to press them together, and bake on floured this, rising and baking as above. N.B. — (1) If German or French yeast is used be sure that it is fresh. It will not keep long, especially in hot weather ; and as thunder, or any rough usage in the carriage of it, will kill the little yeast plant, it is better to try it by letting it stand about five minutes when mixed with the sugar. It -33 feeds very quickly on sugar j so if it is dead it will not ferment or bubble up, and it would only be a waste of flour to use it. (2) If brewer’s yeast is used, care should be taken not to use too much, or the bread will be bitter. (3) When it is baked place the loaves sideways, or on a sieve, to let the steam escape, or it will be absorbed into the crust. Do not take them into a cooler atmosphere until they are quite cold — the cold air is heavier than the warm, light steam, and will force it back again, and the bread will not be so light. This applies also to cakes. MEAT PUDDING. Ingredients : — 1 lb. beef steak or | lb. skirt, and £ lb. kidney, or leg of beef. 1 gill boiling water. 1 tablespoonful flour 1 small teaspoonful salt. V Seasoning. i „ „ pepper J Suet paste (quantity as given below).