Cookery book and general axioms for plain cookery

Method : — Cut the meat into slices about \ inch thick and 4 inches long, beat them flat with a chopper or rolling pin dipped in water, and if there are any trimmings from the meat chop them finely, and mix them with the forcemeat. Put a little piece of forcemeat on the end of each slice of beef, roll them up and tie each one with cotton. Place them upiight in a stewpan, pour the boiling gravy over, cover closely, and simmer gently 1 hour, or until quite tender j then take the olives out, remove the cotton, and arrange them on a hot dish j thicken the gravy with the flour, stir until it boils, let it boil 3 or 4 minutes, season to taste, colour with a little browning, and strain it over them. N.B. — Slices of cold meat may be used, but cook h hour only. FORCEMEAT. Ingredients : — 3 oz. bread crumbs or scraps of stale bread. 1 oz. dripping or beef marrow, or butter. 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley. £ teaspoonful mixed herbs. A little milk. A very little nutmeg. Salt and pepper. Method : — If scraps of bread are used, soak them in milk until soft, drain away any liquid that is not absorbed, and beat it finely with a fork. Mix the bread, parsley, and herbs very well, just melt the fat, stir it in, and season to taste. N.B. — (1) A little grated lemon rind is an improvement, but all seasonings should be added most carefully ; merely a suspicion of them is required, not a strong flavour. (2) This makes a light, crumbling forcemeat, and is more digestible than a close one. It will also do for fowls, veal, rabbits, or forcemeat balls ; but an egg would be required for the latter to bind them, the addition of which would make it closer. BROWNING FOR GRAVIES. Ingredients : — £ lb. sugar. \ pint hot water. Method : — Put the sugar in a small saucepan, and stir it with an iron spoon until it is almost black, then pour the hot water over, stir it until it boils, let it cool, and bottle it. N.B. — If not well burnt, it will be sweet. STEWED STEAK. Method : — This can be done as for Haricot Mutton or Exeter Stew. CHRISTMAS CAKE. Ingredients : — 1 lb. flour. J lb. butter. 2 oz. brown sugar. i lb. treacle. 6 oz. raisins (either kind). 6 oz. currants. 3 eggs. 1 teaspoonful carbonate soda. Method : — Put the butter and treacle into a bowl, just melt it, then add the soda and work or stir it about 5 minutes, or until it ferments like yeast. Then add the other ingredients, mix well, put it into a cake-tin lined with greased paper, and bake about 3 hours in a rather slow oven, or until a skewer comes out quite clean. Candied peel can be added as liked. N.B. — Margarine can be used for all cakes instead of butter. It is much cheaper and very good. BRAN TEA. Ingredients : — 3 tablespoonfuls medium bran. Sugar or honey to taste. 1 quart of boiling water. Method : — Pour 1 quart of boiling water on the bran. Let it stand £ hour, sweeten with sugar or honey, and strain it before serving. Lemon rind improves it. TOAST AND WATER. Ingredients : — A piece of bread crust 1 quart cold water. Method : — Take a piece of bread crust and toast it brown, on all sides. Put it into a jug with the water. Let it stand with a cloth over it for half-an-hour, then strain it. The crumb of bread should not be used, as it would turn sour. STEAMED VEGETABLE MARROW.