The "Queen" cookery books: Entrees

book liave been given on the supposition that Mrs. A. B. Marshall’s leaf gelatine is used, as this, in addition to its undoubted and guaranteed strength and purity, needs no previous soaking, dissolving very readily in a very little hot liquid. Where other gelatines are used a previous soaking in cold water is always necessary, and nearly half as much again in quantity should be used. Whenever gelatine is used the utmost care should be taken to have it thoroughly dissolved, for if not, it will coagulate and form gluey lumps through the mixture, giving a ■disagreeable, raw, and gluey flavour to the whole thing ; a flavour, moreover, generally laid to the •account of the gelatine, whereas it is most usually the result of carelessness on the cook’s part. Macaroni, to Boil. — The great thing to remember about this is that macaroni must be put on in plenty •of boiling water and kept at the boil all the time it is cooking, adding sufficient salt with the macaroni. Directly the paste is cooked dash into the saucepan •containing it a tumbler or more of ice cold water to throw it oft: the boil, and drain off the macaroni at once. It is difficult to say how long it will take to cook, as this depends a good deal on the size and quality of the macaroni itself. From twenty to thirty minutes, however, is a fair guide ; but the best way is to try it by biting a morsel of it. If it bites soft, yet short, it is cooked, and the sooner it leaves the pan the better. In England macaroni is systematically overcooked, when it is woolly and pappy. All macaronis and pastes are cooked thus, and too much water cannot be given. Olives en Ragout. — Turn or stone eighteen or twenty fine olives, put them into a pan with sufficient good stock to cover them, add half a wineglassful of sherry, three or four drops of essence of anchovy, and stew them gently at the side of the fire in a tightly covered pan for about half an hour. Panade. — Boil half a pint of water with a pinch of salt and loz. of butter, and when boiling well sift in four large tablespoonfuls of fine flour, and cook on the stove for five minutes or so, stirring it occasionally to keep it smooth, and prevent its catching. Use when cool. Quatre Rpices. — This is a flavouring powder made by sifting together loz. each of powdered cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper with foz. of cloves, and storing this in a tightly stoppered bottle. Rice. — Almost every cook has his or her own way of boiling this ; the two following methods are given from long and successful use. The first is Indian. Pick over and well wash the rice, then put it into a pan with a pinch of salt, and a liberal allowance of cold water, say, a full quart to fib. of rice. Bring this water to the boil gently, and when it boils up the rice should be cooked ; now drain off the water, return the pan and the rice to the fire for a minute or two, and stir it gently with a fork to get all the grains of rice separate and dry. Or : put into a pan ■Ub of rice with sufficient cold water to cover it, and A a pinch of salt ; bring it sharply to the boil, then drain off the rice, rinse it well in more cold water, and return it to the fire with about three pints of boiling water, and cook it steadily for twelve to