CAMP COOKERY. 321 once cnt, is apt to get dry, and with, the exception of being sliced for toast, or grated for bread-crumbs, is not very presentable a second time. In baking, be very careful that your flour is well sifted and thoroughly dry. In a moist climate like this it is advisable to dry it in the oven before using it ; the sifting must be carried out by a sieve. I have made very eatable bread with carefully sifted country flour, the sifting of which is an imperative neces- sity, be it observed, unless you have no objection to a gravelly loaf. !N'ow, let us discuss the animal and vegetable food of camp life, taking soups first : — Many people think that because they cannot get beef in camp, they cannot have a freshly-made soup. Now, there are a few capital soups requiring no meat at all, which are known as ''^ soupe.s maigres." I will give you two : — " Soupe a Voignon^^ : — Slice a couple of Bombay onions ; powder them well with floiu% let them fry awhile in a stew-pan with plenty of butter ; before they begin to brown at all, add water, pepper, and salt, let the whole boil till the onions are well done and serve with croutons of fried bread. Grated Parmesan should accompany✪ Soupe à l'Oignon. " Soupe aux choux' : — Let us assume that you have taken a cabbage or two with you when you left cantonment. Cut the cabbage into quarters, put them into a sauce-pan with a good sized slice of bacon, some slices of a Bologna sausage, and a bag containing sweet herbs, a clove of garlic, pepper, and a little spice ; add water enough to cover the whole, and let the soup simmer till the cabbage is done, serve with croutons of fried bread. A bacon bone would assist the undertaking greatly✪ Soupe aux Choux. But you need not condemn yourself to " soiopes an ■niaigre' whenever there are sheep, and fowls, to be had, 322 CULINARY JOTTINGS FOR MADRAS. when you can shoot game, and lastly, when you are pro- vided with tinned soups, and preserved vegetables, espe- cially that excellent tablet called " Julienne.'' In camp, bottles of dried herbs, and tinned provisions are, of coui'se, indispensable, and you should be provided with potatoes, carrots, and onions before starting. Soups in tins can be turned to excellent account in this way : — Kill a good full-sized fowl, cut it up, and put it, giblets and all, into a stew-pan ; cover it with water, and let it come very slowly to the boil, skimming off the scum which may rise during that process ; when the boiling stage has been attained, take the pan from the fire for a minute and throw into it a Bombay onion, cut into quarters, any fresh vegetables you may have brought out, a bag of mixed sweet herbs, a clove of garlic, a dozen pep- per corns, a pinch of parsley seed, a few drops of celery essence, a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, a tea- spoonful of sugar, and a dessert-spoonful of salt. Now, let the pan boil again till the onion is soft, and then reduce the fire for the simmering stage. When the pieces of fowl are nice and tender, the broth is ready : long cooking will avail nothing : so lift up your pan, and strain off the broth into a bowl, it will be beautifully bright and clear ; slightly tinted with caramel (page 35) and served hot with a dessert-spoonful of Marsala and a dissolved dessert- spoonful of " Julienne^'' this consomme de volaille will be found sufficient for two hungry men.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

once cut, is apt to get dry, and with the exception of being sliced for toast, or grated for bread-crumbs, is not very presentable a second time. In baking, be very careful that your flour is well sifted and thoroughly dry. In a moist climate like this it is advisable to dry it in the oven before using it ; the sifting must be carried out by a sieve. I have made very eatable bread with carefully sifted country flour, the sifting of which is an imperative necessity, be it observed, unless you have no objection to a gravelly loaf. Now, let us discuss the animal and vegetable food of camp life, taking soups first : — Many people think that because they cannot get beef in camp, they cannot have a freshly-made soup. Now, there are a few capital soups requiring no meat at all, which are known as "soupes maigres."" I will give you two : — "Soupe à l'Oignon": — Slice a couple of Bombay onions; powder them well with flour, let them fry awhile in a stew-pan with plenty of butter; before they begin to brown at all, add water, pepper, and salt, let the whole boil till the onions are well done and serve with croutons of fried bread. Grated Parmesan should accompany. "Soupe aux choux": — Let us assume that you have taken a cabbage or two with you when you left cantonment. Cut the cabbage into quarters, put them into a sauce-pan with a good sized slice of bacon, some slices of a Bologna sausage, and a bag containing sweet herbs, a clove of garlic, pepper, and a little spice ; add water enough to cover the whole, and let the soup simmer till the cabbage is done, serve with croutons of fried bread. A bacon bone would assist the undertaking greatly. But you need not condemn yourself to "soupes maigres" whenever there are sheep, and fowls, to be had, when you can shoot game, and lastly, when you are provided with tinned soups, and preserved vegetables, especially that excellent tablet called "Julienne." In camp, bottles of dried herbs, and tinned provisions are, of coui'se, indispensable, and you should be provided with potatoes, carrots, and onions before starting. Soups in tins can be turned to excellent account in this way : — Kill a good full-sized fowl, cut it up, and put it, giblets and all, into a stew-pan ; cover it with water, and let it come very slowly to the boil, skimming off the scum which may rise during that process ; when the boiling stage has been attained, take the pan from the fire for a minute and throw into it a Bombay onion, cut into quarters, any fresh vegetables you may have brought out, a bag of mixed sweet herbs, a clove of garlic, a dozen pepper corns, a pinch of parsley seed, a few drops of celery essence, a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, a teaspoonful of sugar, and a dessert-spoonful of salt. Now, let the pan boil again till the onion is soft, and then reduce the fire for the simmering stage. When the pieces of fowl are nice and tender, the broth is ready : long cooking will avail nothing : so lift up your pan, and strain off the broth into a bowl, it will be beautifully bright and clear ; slightly tinted with caramel (page 35) and served hot with a dessert-spoonful of Marsala and a dissolved dessert-spoonful of "Julienne" this consommé de volaille will be found sufficient for two hungry men.

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