The home cook book

however, you think you must use some kind, take the more harmless white, or cayenne. Black pepper is the dried fruit of an East Indian shrub. White pepper comes from the same plant and is made from the black pepper by taking off the outer scale. It is not so strong as the black, but has a finer flavor. Cayenne is a preparation from the dried fruit of capsicum, and when pure and taken in slight quantities, a stimulant to digestion. Paprika is a Hungarian red pepper, and is not so strong as the cayenne. AS TO SAUCES Every cook should know how to make three or four simple sauces, for nothing adds more to the appetizing qualities of a meat. The French cynic who said that the reason why the English considered it bad form to dip their bread in their sauces was because they had no sauces worth dipping bread into, had a slight foundation for his remark. A thick mayonnaise is the basis for sauce tartare. Add to it a tablespoon of chopped cucumber pickle, chopped olives, a few capers, and a dash of onion-juice, season rather highly, and toss lightly. A sauce little used in this country is horseradish mixed with cream, which is a favorite in Russia, with plain boiled meat. RATIO OF RAW TO COOKED CHICKEN Thirteen pounds of raw chicken make three quarts of cooked chicken — enough to serve thirty people. One quart of chicken salad serves eight people liberally. MILK FOR CUSTARD The success of a custard is much increased if the milk Is scalded and cooled before being made into the custard. KEEPING MILK AND BUTTER The air where milk and butter stand should be the purest. Both milk and butter absorb smells, and they will be con- taminated and unwholesome, and also taste of any bad air to which they are subject. Milk readily absorbs and develops bacteria of the air. No article of food requires more care and concern in its wholesome keeping. In traveling in New Mexico I once saw a milk room opening into the cows' stables ! There, surrounded by the noxious air, the milk stood while the cream rose. The cream and milk tasted of the stable disgustingly and were unusable except to the strong stomachs of the people who lived under such conditions. BUTTER PADDLES The little paddles of hollywood used for making butter Holly Butter Paddles into balls for table use should be scrubbed, rinsed, sunned, and laid in the ice-box till their next use. TO HELP IN WHIPPING CREAM If the cream seems thin, add a pinch of finely powdered gum-arabic mixed with double its quantity of powdered sugar. COLD EGGS FOR BEATING The colder eggs are the sooner you can beat them to a froth. TO CHOOSE MACARONI The best macaroni is yellowish in color, should not break easily while cooking, and in cooking swells to three or four times it size when dry. RADISHES WITH RICE It is a gastronomic fact that with rice something should be eaten that offers a little resistance to digestion. People who eat rice daily are aware of this. The Chinese, for instance, takes radishes with his rice. WHEN PIES OVERFLOW