A year's cookery

Brown and White Bread and Butter. Marmalade. Hominy. Parsnip Soup (made of the liquor the mutton was boiled in). Civet of Babbit. Potatoes. Savoy, Lemon Pudding. Cheese. Marketing. For the Day.— Two pounds of lean Steak (see January 1st) ; two plump Tame Rabbits (see January 24tk) ; one pennyworth of Parsley ; one tin of Oysters ; a set of Pigs’ Feet (see February 7th) ; Potatoes ; six ounces of Beef Suet. For To-morrow.— A tin of Pilchards (see January 23rd) ; a couple of Guinea Fowls (see February 14th) ; half a pound of streaky Bacon, if this is not in the house ; fresh Salad for supper ; two heads of Lettuce ; one-pennyworth of Beetroot ; two-pennywortli of Watercress (half for breakfast) ; and onepennyworth of small Salad ; Potatoes ; Seakale. Breakfast. — Fish Cakes made yesterday ; Potted Partridge (January 7th) ; Sally Lunns (June 4th); Hominy, boiled (February 11th). Luncheon.— Beef Stew Economical. — Cut the steak evenly, with a sharp knife, into slices an inch thick. Brown them on both sides with a little dripping, dredge flour upon them, and put in the pan a large carrot, a turnip, an onion, and a bay-leaf. Pour in the liquor from the tinned oysters with as much stock or water as will cover the bottom of the pan, but not the meat. Cover the stewpan closely, and simmer the meat very gently for about an hour and a half, or till it is tender ; add pepper and salt to taste. Put the oysters into a basin and make them hot in the oven. Lay the meat on a dish, place the oysters upon it, and after freeing the gravy from fat, strain it over all. Serve very hot. If liked, mushrooms can be used instead of oysters. Jam and bread, or cheese and bread. Dinner. — Parsnip Soup (December 3rd) ; Civet of Rabbit (December 8th); Potatoes (May 12th); Savoy (June 4th); Lemon Pudding (August 12th) ; Cheese (June 8th). Tilings that must not be Forgotten. 1. Turn and rub the mutton in the pickle. 2. Make glaze of the liquor the beef was boiled in, and glaze the beef. To do this, first clear the liquor thoroughly from fat, and boil it quickly without having a lid on the saucepan, being careful to remove the scum as it rises. When it is reduced to about a quart turn it into a small stewpan and boil it again — but more gently — till it is a thick syrup. Try a little in a spoon, and if, when cold, it sets like a jelly, it is ready. When it reaches this stage it is in great danger of burning, and if it burns it is spoiled. Put it into a jar. Paint the meat with it, using for the purpose an ordinary gumbrush that has been soaked for a while in cold water. The glaze should be laid lightly on the surface of the meat, and when one coat is cold and stiff a second may be given. Any glaze that is left should be put into a small dry jar ; it will keep for a long time. When wanted, it should be melted as glue is; that is, the jar which contains it should be put into a saucepan surrounded half-way up with boiling water, and kept boiling till it is dissolved. An easy way of making glaze is to soak a spoonful of gelatine in cold water, and dissolve it in twice its bulk of strong, brown gravy. Or glaze may be bought ready-made in skins. This glaze, however, does not taste so well as home-made glaze. 3. Pluck the Guinea Fowl for to-morrow, and preserve and cure the feathers {see February 28th).