Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Artichokes Stewed in Gravy.— Strip ofl: the leaves from the artichokes, remove the chokes, and soak them in lukewarm water for three hours, changing the water three or four times. Place them in a saucepan with enough gravy to cover them, a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, the juice of a lemon, and a piece of butter, the size of a walnut, rolled in flour. Let them stew gently until tender, then serve with the sauce poured over them, and as hot as possible. Time to stew, half an hour. Allow one for each person. Probable cost, 2d. to 4d. each. Artichokes, Stuffed. — Thoroughly wash the artichokes. Boil them until they are nearly tender, drain them, remove the middle leaves and the chokes, and lay in each a little good forcemeat, and put them in a moderate oven until the meat is sufficiently cooked. Make a little good melted butter to serve with them. Time to bake, half an hour. Allow one for each person. Probable cost, 6d. each. Ashantee Pudding. — Shred finely, with a little flour, half a pound of suet ; mix with it an equal weight of finely-grated bread-crumbs, three oimces of ground rice, a tea-spoonful of baking-powder, and the rind of a lemon, finely chopped. Stir all together; then add three eggs, and if it is too stiff, a little milk may be put in. Place the mixture in a well-oiled basin ; steam it, and serve hot, -with melted butter and a little sherry. Time to steam, two hours. Probable cost. Is. Sufficient for six persons. Ashberry Jelly. — This fruit is not often for sale, but must be gathered from the Mountain Ash. Wash the fruit thoroughly, and put it into a preserving-pan with water sufficient to cover it. Let it simmer gently until the water is red and has a bitter taste; then strain but do not squeeze the fruit. Put a poimd of sugar to every pint of liquor, and boil it over a good fire until it jellies. Pour it into jars, and when cold cover with tissue paper dipped in gum water. The fruit should be gathered when it is red, but before the frost has touched it. It should be placed on the table with venison. Time to boil, about forty minutes. Asparagus, Boiled.— Choose bunches of asparagus which have the cut fresh and the heads straight. If the cut end is brown and dry, and the heads bent on one side, the asparagus is stale. It may be kept a day or two with the stalks in cold water, but is much better fresh. Scrape off the white skin from the lower end, and cut the stalks of equal length. Let them lie in cold water until it is time to cook them. Put a handful of salt into a gallon of water ; and let it boil. Tie the asparagus in bundles and put them into it. Toast a shoe of bread brown on each side, dip it in the water, and lay it on a dish. When the asparagus is sufficiently cooked, dish it on the toast, leaving ASP (35) ASP the white ends outwards each way. Send melted butter to table ^ith it. Time to cook, about twenty minutes. Fresh asparagus cooks more quickly than stale. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. a hundred. Sufficient, one hundred for eight persons.