Banquets of the nations

Take two pints of the fish stock and a teacupful of reduced liquor that the lobster was boiled in, and boil half a pound of French beans cut in quarter-inch pieces, a half pound of shelled green peas, a handful of watercress (leaves only), thin slices of onion which have been fried in oil, a carrot cut into small dice, one ounce of well-washed Iceland moss dissolved in stock, and an ounce of green ginger. When the vegetables are tender take them out and strain the stock very carefully. Half fill some small bowls (equivalent to a large teacup) with the meat, fish, lobster, macaroni, and mixed vegetables, leaving out the ginger. Take the strained stock, stir in yolks of two eggs ; add a small quantity of soy, a pinch of pepper and sugar, a good grate of horse-radish, and an inch of green ginger. Cook very slowly till like a thick cream (being careful not to boil). Take out the ginger, and pour the sauce over the meat, fish, and vegetable mixture in the bowls. Cover and steam for twenty minutes. It should be a very thick liquid, not a solid mass. Aona no Swaye (Herb Salad.) Cut a raw turnip into strips like whip cord, about two inches long. Place this in a dish with some young dandelion leaves. (Rub the dish with a piece of garlic before putting in the herbs.) Make a dressing of one tablespoonful of olive oil, one tablespoonful of soy, a dessertspoonful of lime juice, and a pinch of sugar. Serve portions on flat saucers. Kitsutsuki. (Woodcock.) Split up the back and flatten out after having taken off the head and neck. Put' on a roasting dish and push into the oven, and baste very frequently with the following mixture — viz., i pint soy, 4 ounces sugar, and £ pint sherry. Boil this for ten minutes before basting with it. Cut off the choice parts, and serve small portions in flat saucers. Kani no Swaye. (Crab Salad.) Pick the meat from the shells and claws of six small crabs ; put it in a salad bowl along with six lettuce leaves and two hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters, and dress with a tablespoonful of soy, a teaspoonful of sherry, a dessert- spoonful of vinegar, and a pinch of mustard, pepper, and sugar. Serve small portions on flat saucers. The modern custom is to use mayonnaise instead of the above dressing;. Mochi. (Rice Cakes.) In order to make the mochi one will choose the mochi rice, which is different from ordinary rice, though the latter will do. First soak the rice in cold water, after having washed it clean by steeping overnight ; then put it in a steamer and steam it thoroughly by placing a layer of rice on two or three sieves which will fit on top of one another. Close the top one, and place it on a pot of boiling water, and seal the edge so that all the steam will pass through the sieves ; or use an ordinary set of steamers. When the rice is cooked, mash it thoroughly in a wooden mortar till it becomes a smooth tenacious paste. Then put it on a board where ground rice flour has been spread, and roll up into sets of four round cakes, which put on top of one another, the lowest one being about two inches in diameter and one inch thick ; the others are gradually smaller until the top one is like a pigeon's egg.