Banquets of the nations

3 minims ; spirits of nitrous ether, 24 minims ; spirit, 62 over proof, 24 ounces; sugar, 25 ounces; rose water, 2 ounces ; and 17 ounces plain water. Mix the oils, etc., with the spirit ; dissolve the sugar in the water by bringing to boiling point, so as to remove scum. When cold add rosewater and spirits. Roast Canvas-back Duck. Procure two fine fat canvas-back ducks, pick, singe, draw well, and wipe them, throw a light pinch of salt inside, run in the head from the end of the neck to the back, truss them, and place in a roasting pan. Sprinkle over a little salt, put them in a brisk oven, and cook for eighteen minutes. Arrange on a very hot dish, untruss, throw two tablespoonfuls of white broth into each duck, and serve with six slices of fried hominy, and garnish with celery and watercress, and currant jelly on a dish. Baked Sweet Potatoes. Thoroughly wash some sweet potatoes, place them in the oven, and bake. Sprinkle a little salt over them, and serve. Hominy Croquettes. Soak half a pound of hominy in boiling water for an hour, then put it in a lined stewpan with about one quart of milk, and stew until tender. Put in one ounce of butter and a beaten egg, season with salt and pepper. Mix it thoroughly off the fire, and turn into a basin. When cold, shape hominy into balls about the size of eggs, dip in beaten egg, and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry in boiling fat till equally browned, drain, and serve with piquante sauce. Piquante Sauce. Clean and cut up very fine one onion, half a carrot, three mushrooms, reduce them in three tablespoonfuls of lemon, and fry them brown in two tablespoonfuls of oil or one ounce of butter, and half an ounce of flour, in a pan ; then stir in half a pint of brown stock, adding a bunch of fine herbs, a bay leaf, twenty-four coriander seeds, two cloves, two inches of cinnamon, and one sliced chilli. Simmer for half an hour. Season with salt, a little cayenne, and strain through a fine cloth. Crab Savoury. Two pounds of crab after it is opened, one tablespoonful each of sherry and brandy, one gill of cream, two eggs (yolks only), two tablespoonfuls of butter, salt and cayenne pepper. Heat the crab in the chafingdish with the butter ; add the other ingredients ; season, and, last of all, when thoroughly hot, add the beaten yolks of the two eggs. Serve at once. Pumpkin Pie. Take half a quart of stewed pumpkins which have been passed through a sieve, five eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one quart good milk, half teaspoonful of cinnamon, the same of nutmeg, and of sugar three quarters of a cup. Beat all together till fairly light and perfectly smooth, pour into a deep piedish, and bake in a moderate oven. Strawberry Pudding. Four eggs, two ounces soft sugar, two ounces ground almonds, two ounces stale cake or bread-crumbs, two tablespoonfuls of cream, an ounce of candied cherries, two gills of preserved strawberries, one ounce of shredded citron peel, and one ounce melted butter.