Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

Use half a box of gelatine, one table-spoonful of granulated gum-arabic, three table-spoonfuls of sugar, two table-spoonfuls of lemon juice, two cloves, and half a pint of port. Soak all the ingredients in a bowl for two hours. At the end of that time place the bowl in a saucepan of boiling water, and cook, stirring frequently, until all the ingredients are dissolved. Strain, and set away to harden. The bowl must be kept covered all the time the jelly is soaking and cooking. This jelly is to be used when the patient finds it difficult to swallow either liquid or solid food. A small piece of it, placed in the mouth, melts slowly, and is swallowed unconsciously. The sugar may be omitted, and a gill of port and a gill of beef juice be used, the beef juice to be added when the jelly is taken from the fire. Any kind of stimulant may be used instead of port. *Soft Custard. Use half a pint of milk, one egg, one generous teaspoonful of sugar, and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of arrowroot. Mix the arrowroot with one table-spoonful of cold milk. Put the remainder of the milk in a small sauce- pan, which should be placed in another pan and surrounded with hot water. Place on the fire. When the milk boils, stir in the arrowroot, and cook for five minutes ; then add the sugar and egg, beaten well together. Stir for two minutes. Add the salt, and take the pan from the fire. Flavor the custard to suit the taste. A few drops of any kind of extract may be used; or a teaspoonful of chocolate, dissolved in a table-spoonful of hot milk will give a pleasant flavor. If coffee be liked, use a teaspoonful of strong coffee. Two eggs may be used for this custard. In that case omit the arrowroot, and add two table-spoonfuls of cold milk to the beaten eggs and sugar before adding the hot milk. Ice-cream. For a quart of ice-cream use half a pint of milk, one pint of cream (not too rich), a scant half-cupful of sugar, one teaspoonful of arrowroot, and flavor to suit the taste. Mix the arrowroot with two table-spoonfuls of cold milk. Put the rest of the milk into the double-boiler, and place on the fire. When it boils, stir the arrowroot into it, and cook for ten minutes. Add the sugar, and set away to cool. When cold, add the cream and flavor. If lemon, orange, or vanilla extract be used, half a teaspoonful will give the right flavor ; or one table-spoonful of chocolate, dissolved in the boiling milk, will give a good flavor. Pack a small tin pail in salt and ice, using three cupfuls of salt and as much ice as may be needed for packing the pail firmly. Wipe the inside of the pail, to be sure that no salt shall be in it. Put the cream into the pail, and let it stand for about ten or fifteen minutes. At the end of that time take off the cover and scrape the congealed cream from the sides. Beat well, and put the cover back. Do this every five minutes until the cream is smooth and thick ; then cover the pail, and let it stand until the patient wants the cream. This ice-cream will keep for twelve hours in cool weather, without repacking. In hot weather the water will have to be drawn off, and more salt and ice added. If a small freezer be at hand, the work will be much easier than if a pail be used.