The victory cookery book

Boil the vinegar, to which add sufficient fresh vinegar to cover the vegetables. Boil together, then place in a jar and cover. After 2 or 2 days drain the vegetables. Boil the vinegar down to full strength, and if it tastes too watery add more vinegar, then pour in the vegetables and give one boil. Place the vegetables in the jars and pour the vinegar over. If mustard pickles are wanted, mix a little mustard powder with corn flour, using half as much flour as mustard, and mix with cold vinegar to a paste. Pour over the boiling vinegar like a custard, stir, and then pour over the vegetables. Seal up, and keep for a week before using. To Use Cabbage and Cauliflower Stalks as Pickles The tender parts of cabbage and cauliflower stalks, when skinned, cut in neat pieces, and placed in salt for 24 hours with other vegetables, are useful to add to pickles. Celery Flavouring The outside of celery should be washed and skinned, dried in the oven, pulverised and mixed with salt to make celery salt. The green tops can be dried in the oven and then reserved for flavouring when celery is not available. Cheese Rind Thoroughly remove the canvas and scrape the rind clean, then chop or grate. Use for rarebit, gratin dishes, etc. This hard, dry cheese is better for cooking than soft cheese. To Soak a Dried Egg for Quick Use Cover the dried egg with tepid water, put — in a warm place, and stir frequently until the ~ egg is dissolved. Pass through a muslin — before using. It is much better, however, to — soak the egg overnight. | To Save Fat in Sauces When fat is not available for making © sauces, the best method for thickening is to — make a batter with flour, corn flour, arrow- | root or potato flour, and cold water, and run — this into the boiling liquid, then allow it | to come just to the boil. On the first sign | of boiling withdraw it from the fire. | To Toughen a Casserole Boil in water, rub the outside with an — onion, and then fill with water and place on © the fire to boil. : The best method of strengthening an — earthenware casserole (red pottery) is to | brush it over with oil and bake it in the — oven. This will harden it against sudden — air currents. The older they are the tougher _ they become. | _ © Stoving ” and “ Sweating ” The words ‘‘ stoving”’ and “sweating ”’ are used here to indicate cooking slowly over gentle heat, so that the meat, fish or vegetable is allowed to throw out the moisture it contains and then the food cooks in its own juice. Thus all the properties of the food are preserved and a much better flavour is obtained. To Save Fuel A haybox or fireless cooker should be used. Food can also be cooked in covered tins or jars placed in a pot and surrounded with boiling water. Several tins may be placed in one vessel, and thus a whole dinner can be _ cooked on one gas ring or electric plate. When cooking by gas the cook must exercise her intelligence and not use the oven for one dish. If the oven is needed, arrange to cook all other dishes in it. A little thought will show that there are numerous methods of saving coal, wood, gas, electricity and oil. INVALID DISHES Note.—Cream may be obtained by doctor’s © order. | Peptonised Milk To 1 pint of milk add +} a of water. Heat to a temperature of 140° F. (60° C.), add 2 teaspoonfuls of pancreatic liquor and 20 grs. of bicarbonate of soda; mix this well. Place in warm water to keep up the temperature for 14 hour, then boil 212° F and use as ordinary milk. Peptonising tablets are obtainable at chemists for this preparation. Peptonised Foods