Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Crust, Pate Brisee. — Pate Brisee, the short, crisp crust which is so much used by the French for pies, is made by working the butter, lard, or suet thoroughly into the flour, which must be very dry, before it is moistened ; six ounces of butter, a pinch of salt, and a small cupful of water may be allowed for every pound of flour, and if it is to be used for raised pies, it must be made rather stiff. Time to prepare, twenty minutes. Probable cost, 6d. per pound. Crust, Short, Common. — Mix two table-spoonfuls of sifted sugar, a pinch of salt, and a heaped tea-spoonful of baking-powder with one pound of dry flour. Rub into it three ounces of good beef dripping, and work it into a smooth paste with a little boiling milk. Handle it as little as possible. Bake in a moderate oven. Probable cost, 4d. per pound. Crust, Suet, for Puddings.— Allow six or eight ounces of suet and a pinch of salt I for every pound of flour. Carefully remove the i sldn from the suet, and shred it as finely as possible, strewing a little flour over it two or three times to prevent its sticking together cue ( 167 cue ;. Mix it with the Hour, and work it into a firm paste with a little cold water. Probable cost, 4d. per pound. Cucumbers. — This delicious fruit is in seasen frem April to September. Though it may be served in various ways, it is never so good as when eaten raw. Many persons object to it on account of its being so indigestible, and certainly this is the case ; but we believe it would be found to be less so if the rind were eaten with the cucumber. If the stalk end be kept standing in cold water, and the water be changed every day, cucumbers will keep hard for a week or two. Cucumber Ketchup. — Cucumber ketchup is useful for flavouring sauces which are to be served with rather tasteless meats, such as rabbits, veal, sweetbreads, calf's brains, &c. It is made by paring and mashing cucimibers, sprinkling salt over them, and leaving them for some hours to draw out the juice, which is then sferained, and boiled with a liberal allowance of seasoning. The ketchup must be kept in bottles and closely corked. Time, twenty-four hours to extract the juice. Sufficient, two dessert-spoonfuls of ketchup for half a pint of sauce. Probable cost of cucumbers, when plentiful, 6d. each. Cucumber Mangoes. -— Choose large, green cucumbers, not very ripe, cut a long narrow strip out of the sides, and scoop out the seeds with a tea-spoon. Pound a few of these Avith a little scraped horse-radish, finely -shred garlic, mustard-seed, and white pepper; stuff the hollows out of which the seeds came as full as they will hold, replace the strips, and bind them m their places with a little thi-ead. Boil as much vinegar as will cover them, and pour it on them while hot ; repeat this for three days. The last time boil the vinegar with half an ovmce of mace, half an ounce of cloves, two ounces of pepper, two ounces of mustard-seed, a stick of horse-radish, and one clove of garlic to everj' half gallon of vinegar. Put the cucumbers into jars, pour the boiling liquid over them, tie the jars closely down, and set them aside for use. Time, four days. Probable cost of cucumbere, 6d. each when in full season.