The household cook book

almost endless variety of new and attractive sandwiches. We sug- gest a few more. (1) Prawns or shrimps may be used instead of lobsters. (2) Fresh caviare spread on bread and butter, with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of cayenne, and if liked, a little minced salad, is excellent, (8) Slices of cucumber, dressed with oil and vinegar, make a delicious sandwich. (4) Use yolks of eggs pounded with butter and Parmesan cheese. (5) Make pate de foie gras sandwiches, with or without water=cress, (6) Make salmon or shrimp sandwiches with mayonnaise sauce and minced salad. (7) Put kippered salmon in thin shreds between slices of hroimi bread and butter. (8) Vary any sandwich by using mayonnaise, bechamel or other sauoe. PASTRY. Tr% OTWITHSTANDING the frequent denunciations of pastry I \^y for its unliealthf ulness, people will eat pie, and a thorough JLV knowledge of pastry^making is indispensable to the econom- ical housewife. To succeed in this, certain rules must be remembered and implicitly carried out. The excellence of puff paste depends upon the quality of the materials used, the lightness of hand and dexterity of the operator, and the coldness of the materials. The hands should be washed very clean, and then dipped into very hot and then into cold water. The mixing=bowl should also be filled with hot, and then with cold water, which makes it smooth and pre- vents the butter from sticking. The slab or board for working upon should be smooth, clean and dry. A marble slab is better than a board because it keeps the pastry cooler, but few can command this, and a board is more frequently used. The Flour. — The flour used should be of a fine quality, and should be thoroughly sifted, dried and chilled. For making paste a starchy flour is better than one rich in gluten, and that is what is meant by pastry flour. Although eggs are commonly used in paste, they are really not necessary, and a good paste can be made without them. The butter should be of good quality and pliable, or it will not mix properly with the pastry. Work it in clear, cold water, to free it from salt and buttermilk, and the pastry will then be more delicate; then keep it cold until used. Method of Making Paste. — The method of making paste is as follows: For the best paste use 1 lb. of butter to 1 lb. of flour (if measured use 2 pints flour to 1 pint butter). Take 1 lb. of the washed butter, flatten it out, press it. on all sides to remove the moisture, keep out about 2 or 3 oz. and put the balance in a floured cloth on ice till needed. Now put the 1 lb. of sifted and 296 FIG. 1. PASTE FOLDED OVEB THE BUTTER. 296 PASTRY