Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Apricots with Rice. — Simmer very gently a small tea-cupful of rice with a quart of milk. When the milk is absorbed and the rice thoroughly cooked, put it iato a bowl and beat it, for five or ten minutes, with two tablespoonfuls of sugar and six drops of almond flavouring. Press it into a mould which has been previously soaked in water, and when it is quite cold turn it into a glass dish, and pour around it apricots stewed in halves in a syrup made of a pound of sugar, the juice of three lemons, and three or four- spoonfids of water. A few drops of prepared cochineal put into the syrup will improve the appearance of the dish. Apples or pears may be used instead of apricots. Time to boil the rice, three-quarters of an hour: Probable cost, 2s. Sufficient for six persons. Arabian Coffee. — All travellers agree in their account of the delicacy and delicious flavour of the coffee used in the East. It is prepared thus : Pound thoroughly in a mortar some coffee-berries that have been freshly and quickly roasted. Pass them through a fine sieve two or three times, until at last you have a brown flour. Mix two tea-spoonfids of this flom-, and a small piece of cinnamon, with two cupfuls of water. Boil it gently, then draw it back for a moment, and repeat this several times, until a cream rises to the top ; then add half a cupful more boiling water, and it is ready to serve. Neither sugar nor milk are required. Arabian Pilau. — Cut iato pieces, about two inches long, four pounds of the neck or breast of mutton, with sufficient stock for it to swim in. Add salt, pepper, and a blade of mace, and simmer it gently for nearly two hours. Have ready a pound of Patna rice which has been boiled as if for curry — that is, put into cold water and boiled up ; then drained and cold water again added ; boiled and drained once more ; then put bj' the side of the fire with a piece of butter in it the size of an egg, and allowed to remain until tender. The pan must be shaken occasionally to prevent it sticking. Take out the pieces of meat, fry them lightly in butter, and place them among the rice. Garnish with the yolks of eggs boiled hard, and sliced fried onion, or pieces of bacon. Sufficient for six persons. Probable cost, 4s. Aromatic Cordial. — Put two ounces of ground ginger, half an ounce of pepper, an ounce of cardamom seeds, half an ounce of bruised cinnamon, half an ounce of mace, and half an ounce of orange-peel, in a quart of good Avhiskey. Let it stand for a fortnight, tightly corked; then strain and bottle it. It is good to taking two or three tea-spoonfuls in wine or watewhen suffering from indigestion or debility. Aromatic Seasoning of Herbs and Spices. — Take an ounce and a half of thyme, one ounce of bay-leaves, an ounce of savoury, an oimce of basil, and an ounce and a half of marjoram. Dry them thorouglily, pick the leaves. Pound in a mortar a quarter of an ounce of cayenne pepper, with an ounce oi peppercorns, an ounce of cloves, a clove of garlic, the thinly-peeled rind of a lemon, half an ounce of mace, and one nutmeg grated. IMix all well together, pass them through a sieve, and keep stored in well-corked bottles. Time to prepare, one hour and a half. Probable cost. Is. 6d. for a pint bottle.