The standard book of recipes and housewife's guide, comprising as complete cook book

Beef Essence. — Cut up a pound of good lean beaf into small pieces, and put it into a pint bottle (or other handy receptacle), without any water. Cork the bottle loosely and place it up to its neck in water in a stewpan. Then boil the water in the pan for three or four hours. This will bring out the juice (essence) of the meat, which should be poured off, not strained. The fat must be removed as with beef- tea. This is the most concentrated of all articles of food. It is often of the greatest value in conditions of prostration ; as a little of it goes a great way, while requiring almost no effort of digestion. Red pepper may usually be added to it in moderation, and salt according to taste. Broiled Beef Juice. — Broil a pound of lean beef. Cut it into strips, and press out the juice with a lemon-squeezer or meatpress. A pound of meat will give about three tablespoonfuls of "gravy" or juice. When salted according to taste, it maybe taken either hot or cold, as preferred. Raw-Beef Extract. — Cut up good lean beef very fine, and put a pound of it with half a pint of cold water in a bottle. Let it soak for about twelve hours, shaking it well half a dozen times or more during that time. Then pour it off through a coarse sieve, and salt according to taste. Raw-Beef Scrapings. — Take a piece of good tender beef, and, with a rather dull knife, scrape off all of it that will come, leaving the tough, gristly portions behind. The pasty meat thus obtained may be salted a little and used at once as it is, or it may be rubbed up with half its quantity of granulated white sugar. The latter plan will be likely to suit children best. Good well-boiled ham (as well as dried beef) may be treated in the same manner. Infants recovering from summer complaint are sometimes very fond of such food. Chicken Broth — Clean half a chicken and remove the skin. Pour on it a quart of cold water, and salt to taste. Add a tablespoonful of Carolina rice, and boil slowly for two or three hours. Then skim it well to get off all the fat, and add a little parsley. This is one of the most agreeable of dishes for many sick people. Oatmeal Gruel. — Boil a pint of water, and while boiling, mix with it two tablespoonfuls of (Canada, Bethlehem, or Ohio) oatmeal, which has been first rubbed smooth in a little cold water ; also add half a pint of milk, and a little salt. Let all simmer together for half an hour, then strain it through a hair-sieve, sweeten, and add a little nutmeg. A few raisins may be added before the boiling. Indian-Meal Gruel. — Stir a tablespoonful of Indian meal till it becomes smooth, in half a teacupful of cold water. Then mix it well with a teacupful of boiling water, and add half as much milk : then boil it until it is moderately thickened. Salt or sweeten according to taste. Raisins maybe put in before boiling, if desired. Barley Water. — Wash well two ounces of pearl barley with cold water, throwing that water away. Put the barley into a pint and a half of fresh cold water, bring it to the boiling point, and boil for twenty minutes in a covered vessel. Strain, sweeten to taste, and flavor with lemon-juice and a little lemon-peel. In certain cases, as in using it to feed infants, the lemon had best be omitted.