The new practical housekeeping

Caper Butter . — Chop one tablespoon capers very fine, rub through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and mix with a salt-spoon salt, quarter of a spoon pepper, and one ounce cold butter, put a layer of this butter on a dish, and serve fish on it. Drawn Butter. — Cut one-fourth pound (or four well-rounded tablespoons) butter up into small pieces, put in saucepan, dredge over a dessert-spoon flour, and add four tablespoons water and a seasoning of salt ; stir it one way constantly till the whole of the ingredients are melted and thoroughly blended. Let it just boil, when it is ready to serve. If the butter is to be melted with cream, use the same quantity as of water, but omit the flour ; keep stirring, but do not allow it to boil. Another way of making, which is also used as a sauce, is to mix the flour and water, rubbing down all lumps with a spoon, and put in a saucepan with the water and salt, adding one-halt spoon white vinegar and a very little grated nutmeg. Simmer, not boil, until it thickens. Lobster Butter. — Mix the spawn and coral of a lobster with double the quantity of butter, a little cayenne, and pound in a mortar to a paste. May be used in flavoring lobster sauce and garnishing or decorating cold salmon, etc. Parsley Butter. — One-fourth pound butter, two dessert-spoons minced parsley, the juice of one large lemon and salt and pepper to taste, well worked together. Serve over or around either meat or fish. Caramel Coloring. — Put one cup sugar and two teaspoons water in a saucepan over the fire, stir constantly till it is a dark color, then add a half teacup water and a pinch of salt, let boil for a few moments, take off, and when cold, bottle. Parsley Coloring. — Procure nice young parsley, and wash and dry thoroughly in a cloth ; pound the leaves in a mortar until all the juice is extracted, and put juice in teacup or small jar, set in a saucepan of boiling water and warm it just enough to take off its rawness. Let it drain and it will be ready for coloring. Spinach Coloring. — ^Wash a peck of spinach, pour on it two quarts boiling water and let it stand one minute. Pour off the water, and pound the spinach to a soft pulp. Put this in a coarse towel and squeeze all the juice into a small frying pan. (Two people, by using the towel at the same time, will extract the juice more thoroughly than one can). Put the pan on the fire, and stir until the juice is in the form of curd and whev. Watch closely and do not boil. Turn on a sieve, and when all the liquor has been drained off, scrape the dry material from the sieve and put away for use. Another mode is to put with the juice in the frying-pan tliree tablespoons sugar, and cook five minutes ; then bottle for use. This is really the more convenient way. Spinach green is used for coloring soups, sauces and creams. French Mustard. — Slice an onion in a bowl and cover it with good vinegar ; after two days pour off the vinegar, add to it a teaspoon each cayenne pepper and salt, a tablespoon sugar, and mustard enough to thicken ; set on the stove until it boils ; when cold it is fit for use.