Cookery book and general axioms for plain cookery

(2) These are very good steamed in a steamer when heating an oven is a difficulty. For Turnovers : — Quarter, core and cut up the apples, roll and cut the paste in squares or rounds, as liked ; put the apples and a little sugar on one half, turn the other half over, wet and press the edges together, finishing them neatly. J am or marmalade can be used for a change. COCOA. Ingredients : — Cocoa. Boiling water. Milk and sugar (if liked). Method: — For a breakfast cup, put in a teaspoonful and fill it up with boiling water, and add sugar and milk to taste. N.B. — (1) All cocoa is smoother and pleasanter to drink if boiled in a saucepan after the boiling water is poured on. The full value is obtained also, as there is nothing remaining at the bottom of the cup. This is doubtless due to the presence of starch in the cocoa beans, and the actual boiling a minute or two will burst the starch grains more thoroughly. (2) If the cocoa is mixed with cold milk first, and only the boiling water poured on to it, it is not really submitted to boiling heat, as the cold liquid in the cup and the cold cup will lower the degree of heat. STEWED BEEF AND BICE. ■ Ingredients : — 1 lb. leg of beef. 2 oz. rice. 1 large onion (scalded or parboiled). 1 pint hot water. 1 teaspoonful mixed herbs, or to taste. Salt and pepper. Vinegar. Method: — Cut the meat into nice pieces and dip them in vinegar, and lay them in a stewpan or jar, with the onion sliced and the herbs. Pour the water over, cover it closely, and stew from 2 to 4 hours, or until it is quite tender. Wash the rice and add it the last hour. Stir it often to prevent burning, and season to taste just before serving. N.B. — If the stew is wanted brown, the onion can be fried in \ oz. of dripping, but leg of beef, or any tough pieces of meat, should never be fried. CORNISH PASTIES. Ingredients : — 1 lb. buttock steak. 3 lb. parboiled potatoes. 1 small onion. 1 ' Salt and pepper. Short paste — half quantity (receipt page 27). Method : — Peel and boil the onion until tender, and chop it 'finely. Chop the meat and potatoes into small pieces. Roll the paste out about 1 inch thick, and cut it into rounds. Put a little of the meat, onion and potato on each round and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wet the edges of the paste, press them together, making a frill on the top, and just insert a knife beneath the frill for the steam to escape. Bake on a greased tin in a hot oven about 1 hour. N.B. — (1) The onion can be left out if not liked, but in 'Cornwall all sorts of vegetables (cooked) are put in, and sometimes pork and apples are used ; fish, with chopped parsley and potato, is very good. BOILED CAULIFLOWER. See receipt, page 44, and “Axioms” (24), page 105, for boiling Green Vegetables. Method : — The Cauliflower must not be cut except twice across the stalk; cook it flower downwards, and keep the water well skimmed. It should be served as whole as possible, and must not be over cooked; allow from about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve plain or with melted butter. BARLEY WATER. Ingredients : — 1 oz. pearl barley. 1 qt. cold water. Lemon or orange rind and sugar to taste. Method: — Just cover the barley with cold water, let it boil up and strain it away. Then add the quart of water and lemon or orange rind, simmer one hour, and strain and sweeten to taste.