Salads, sandwiches, and savouries

the tomatoes should have been stood on ice some time before use. This dish is an American one, and to be eaten in perfection should be served in an outside bowl full of crushed ice. It cannot be too strongly impressed both on cooks and house mistresses that the success of all salads and mayonnaises alike depends in great measure on the freshness of the mixing. A properly mixed French dressing will not deteriorate so much, though, of course, it is never in perfection save when fresh, but a mayonnaise which has to stand any time exposed to the air is absolutely and irredeemably ruined, the sauce becoming rank and discoloured, whilst the ingredients mixed with it are sodden and flabby. If a mayonnaise has to stand for any time it is far better to enclose the mayonnaise itseK either alone, or mixed with vegetables, &c., in an aspic-lined mould, as this excludes the air and keeps the mixture in relatively good condition. Lamb Salad a la Printaniere. — Carefully braize, or roast, the best end of a neck of lamb, and when perfectly cold trim it into neat little cutlets, dipping each of these as trimmed in mint jelly (two good tablespoonfuls of mint sauce stirred into half a pint of aspic and used just as it is setting) and allow them to set. AiTange these en couronne, and fill up the centre w’th the broken up hearts of young lettuces, and, if liked, very small spring onions, and toss the whole in some good mayoniiaise ; then serve garnished with plovers’ eggs and chopped aspic. For another version of this dish you cut neat slices from some cold roast lamb, trimming off all skin and sinews, but leaving a fair proportion of fat. Fill a border mould about an inch deep with the mint jelly, and when firm turn it out, pile up the lamb with lettuce mayonnaise, as above, in the centre, and serve with the top of the border garnished alternately with plovers’ eggs and turned olives farced with mayonnaise. Beef Salad a la Chateau. — Slice some cold roast or braised beef thinly, season each slice with salt, spiced pepper, and chopped olives or capers, roll each up neatly, and cut into two-inch lengths ; sprinkle each with finely scraped horseradish, and then mask lightly with a little aspic jelly to fix the garnish and to glaze the rolls, leaving these till perfectly set. Fill a border mould about an inch deep with mayonnaise aspic, to which you have added mixed olives or capers (according to what you used with the beef) and some washed, boned, and filleted anchovies. When set, turn this out and fill the centre with a macedoine of cold cooked vegetables tossed in oil and chilli vinegar, with a good dust of freshly minced tarragon and chervil. Arrange the rolls of beef on the border mould with a light garnish of scraped horseradish. Salade d la Paysanne. — For this you mix together pickled red cabbage, sliced cold potatoes, and either cooked celeriac or celery root, seasoning it all with pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar. Arrange this in a kind of wall round the dish, and fill up with sliced cold salt or stewed beef, lightly dusted with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and if liked a few drops of oil.