A year's cookery

For the Day.— One four-pound tin of Australian Mutton ; Smelts, one for each person and one over ; one pennyworth of Parsley. Smelts are delicious little fish, and are very generally used as a garnish for large fish, but they are very good served alone. They should be quite fresh, and when in this condition smell like cucumber. The bodies should be stiff and firm, the eyes bright, and the skin transparent. Potatoes. For To-morrow.— A lunch Tongue. Small tins are now sold about Is. 3d. each. They contain calves’ tongues, and are excellent. A pennyworth of small Salad, and a bottle of Anchovies, if none are in the house. Breakfast. — Fish Cakes (January 13tli) ; Savoury Eggs (January 1st); Muffins (January 30th) ; Porridge (January 25th). Breakfast. Fish Cakes. Savoury Eggs. Muffins. Dry Toast. Brown and White Bread and Butter. Porridge. Luncheon. Australian Mutton, cold, with Pickles and Baked Potatoes. Cake Pudding, made of broken bread. Luncheon. — Australian Meat is at its best when served cold with pickles. It should be turned out of the tin very carefully, and the dripping that lies on it should be taken away, and will prove a valuable addition to the household stock of dripping to be used in cookery. When the ring dish that is made expressly for Australian meat is not at hand, the meat should be put upon an ordinary dish and garnished with parsley. The jelly should be preserved— it will make excellent gravy ; and in order that there may be no waste the tin should be rinsed with warm water for gravy. Baked Potatoes (May 4th). Cake Pudding. — This pudding is both economical and wholesome, and is generally a favourite with the children. To make it, gather together a number of pieces of broken bread and put them into a bowl. Pour upon them as much boiling water as will cover them, put a plate upon the bowl, and let them soak until soft, then drain away the water. Beat them up with a fork until smooth, and take out any pieces that still remain doughy. Stir into the mass a good lump of dripping, a pinch of salt, a little grated nutmeg, moist sugar to taste, and a few picked and dried currants, or, if these are objected to, sultana raisins may be used. Grease a pie-dish, turn the mixture into it, and bake in a well -heated oven till the pudding is brightly browned on the top. A little jam is a great improvement to this pudding, and wine sauce makes it seem very much better than it really is. It must not be drained too dry. Dinner. — Smelts. — Be particularly careful in cleaning these fish. Do not open them, but pull out the inside through the gills, and leave in the milt or roe, then wipe them lightly with a soft cloth, and dredge them with flour. Let them lie for an hour or two, then egg and bread them, or, if liked, simply dredge them once more with flour. Fry them till brightly browned, according to the directions already given for frying fish. [See January 17th.) The smelts may be neatly arranged, with the tails meeting in the centre of the dish, and with a wreath of fried parsley round them. It is very usual to serve them without sauce, but shrimp or anchovy sauce, and more than either, Tartar sauce, will be found to constitute a palatable accompaniment to them. If preferred, they may be baked instead of being fried.