Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

It is essential to make them dry, and not spongy, for if the crumbs are moist they retain some of the fat used for frying and become greasy, so that anything coated with them looks most unsightly. For the white crumbs used for the crumbing of fish, cutlets, rissoles, etc., place any slices or remnants of white bread for a short time in the oven. Let them crisp but do not let them colour, then pound them in a mortar, sift them, and keep them in a bottle. For raspings or chapelure , either grate crusts of bread, or put slices of bread in the oven till they have browned well. Pound, sift, and bottle as before. Both these kinds of breadcrumbs should be made from time to time, and not kept too long or they may become musty. THE KITCHEN STORE-CUPBOARD It is absurd to buy “ vintage ” wines for cooking. A good sound Sicilian Marsala is quite sufficient when Madeira or Sherry is mentioned in recipes, and an inexpensive Sauterne answers perfectly for the “vin blanc” of French chefs. It is obvious that brandy, rum, and liqueurs should not be kept in the kitchen store-cupboard, but given out as wanted. W eights and measures are given on pages 27 and 28. Bottles of wine can never be depended upon to hold a certain number of ounces, only “ reputed ” pints and quarts. A bottle of brandy, however, must hold exactly twenty-six ounces, and no lesser quantity of brandy can be sold in a bottle. Chutneys, if liked, should be at hand in the kitchen store-cupboard. For Apple Chutney, roast six apples, mash them to a pulp and colour them tomato-red with beetroot juice. Add two shallots, a tablespoonful of Chili vinegar, a saltspoonful of cayenne and of salt, and simmer very gently till the Chutney is of the consistency of thick cream. When cool, put it into half-pint bottles and cork it well down. For Chutney to be eaten at once, Cucumber Chutney and Mint Chutney are excellent. For Cucumber Chutney “ Wyvern ” advises this method. Cut the cucumber into thin juliennelike strips an inch long. Allow of these three heapedup tablespoonfuls to a teaspoonful of finely-minced chives, of chopped green capsicum, and of parsley. Moisten with a dessertspoonful of vinegar in which a pinch of sugar has been dissolved, a dessertspoonful of salad oil, and dust over it salt and black pepper at discretion. For Mint Chutney , blanch mint leaves for seven minutes, drain, press out all moisture, and pound them. Allow two tablespoonfuls of mint leaves to a teaspoonful of grated green ginger, half a teaspoonful of minced onion and of Chili, and add a little vinegar, just enough to sharpen the taste of the Chutney. Green ginger is the ordinary root of the tropical herb ginger, only not dried or bleached. It can be bought in London. Tamarind Chutney is uncommon, and is much liked. The W est India tamarinds are the most useful, as the pods of the West India tamarind tree are much smaller than those of the East Indian variety. For Tamarind Chutney, pound together a tablespoonful of tamarinds and the same of green ginger.