Culinary jottings

The following proportions will, I think, be found satisfactory as far as the flavouring is concerned : — Two ounces of coriander seed, one ounce of cummin seed, one ounce of fenugreek or maythee, half an ounce of mustard seed, two cloves of garlic, a dozen black peppercorns, and four or five leaves of hurreaphaul, or Murraya neem (karay-pauk). All put into a muslin bag, without pounding or bruising, boiled with the soup, and removed as soon as the flavour is satisfactory. These quantities are estimated for above three pints of clear consomme ; but as tastes vary in the matter of condiments, they are obviously susceptible of alteration at discretion. I would abstain from the use of all ordinary spices for fear of disturbing the flavour derived from the curry-stuff. The soup itself may be ordinary consomme, consomme de volaille or blond de veau. Clear ox-tail thus flavoured is well-known at the Army and Navy Club in London under the name of queue de boeuf a VIndienne. Fish consomme, i.e., a stock made from fish and vegetables, makes a capital basis for a thick mulligatunny ; and a bisque or puree of shell-fish, flavoured with currypaste, is a right royal potage. Vegetarians can fall back upon a stock composed of vegetables, consomme de legumes. This, artfully flavoured with a good mulUgatunny paste, thickened with flour and butter, and enriched with lait d'amandes, cocoanut milk, cream, or raw yolks of eggs, will be found to make a most excellent soupe maigre. The stock should be composed as follows : — Weigh, when trimmed and cut up, one pound, each, of carrots and onions. Throw them into a stew-pan, with half a pound of butter (tinned butter will do well), a bunch of parsley, and a couple of ounces of celery. Fry until the vegetables begin to take colour, then moisten with two quarts of hot water. Boil and skim, then put into the pan half an ounce of salt, a quarter ounce of black peppercorns, and a pint measure of shelled green peas. Simmer for three hours, skim off any oil that may rise from the butter, and strain the broth into a basin through a tamis. Be careful in using turnips. Unless they are very young they are apt to be overstrongly flavoured in this country. Leeks are invaluable ; if available I would put half a pound of them in with the carrots ; a few sprigs of thyme or marjoram are also useful. A pint of French beans may be used instead of, or in addition to, the peas. This consomme is, with a dash of white wine, quite fit to serve alone. Maccaroni or vermicelli may be added to it as a garnish, and grated Parmesan may accompany it. For ordinary mulligatunni) maigre, however, plain eau de cuisson may be employed. This most useful liquid is too often thrown away by ignorant native cooks, or annexed by the wary ones for theii' own food. It is the water in which certain vegetables have been boiled. As a matter of economy, house-keepers should make a note of this. Suppose you want to make a salade cuite, i.e., a salad of cooked vegetables, the water in which the carrots, onions, leeks, peas, flageolets, French beans, and young turnips are boiled will provide you with an excellent stock for ordinary white sauce, or mulligatunny.