The new practical housekeeping

Piquant Gravy. — Put two tablespoons each chopped cucumber pickles, capers and onions in saucepan with half pint vinegar and stir over fire until vinegar has nearly all evaporated ; add two tablespoons each butter and flour rubbed smooth, two teaspoons salt, two saltspoons pepper and half as much cayenne, with pint boiling water or stock, Stir up once and serve. This is also known as Piquant Sauce, and a more elaborate recipe is the following : Put two tablespoons butter in stewpan with a small carrot and six shallots, slicea, bunch savory herbs, half bay leaf, two small slices lean ham, chopped fine, two cloves, six pepper-corns, blade of mace, and three whole allspice. Simmer all over slow fire until bottom of pan is covered with a brown glaze, stirring to prevent burning, and add four tablespoons vinegar, halt pint stock, teaspoon sugar, pinch of cayenne and salt to taste. Simmer gently fifteen minutes, skim off all fat, strain and serve hot with roast meats. If not liked so acid use less vinegar. Sage Gravy, — Chop fine a half dozen large green sage leaves, or more if the leaves are small, with two medium-sized onions. Put in stewpan with butter size of walnnt, sprinkle with flour, cover closely and let steam a few minutes. Then add teaspoon vinegar, some broth or gravy, and seasoning of salt and pepper. . Simmer till the onion is tender. Capital with roast pork. Veal Gravy, — Cut three pounds veal and two slices lean ham in small pieces; put in stewpan, moisten with little water and set over fire to extract juices ; when bottom of pan is covered with a white glaze add three pints water, bunch savory herbs, a few green onions or one large onion, blade of mace, salt to taste and a few mushrooms when obtainable. Stew very slowly three or four hours and skim well the moment it boils. Let cool, take off fat and reheat when wanted for use. May be used as a foundation for white sauces, for fricassees, or wherever nice veal gravy or stock is wished. Venison Gravy, — Brown trimmings of venison in a little butter or fat over brisk fire and put with them three or four mutton shank bones and pint water ; simmer gently two hours, skim, strain, add two teaspoons walnut or any catsup; salt to taste^ boil up and serve. i*-*- Cold Meats. In America and England there is great prejudice against warmedover food, but in France one eats it half the time in some of the most delicious "made dishes" without suspecting it. Herein lies the secret. With us the warming over is so artlessly done, that the hard feast too often stares at us from out the watery expanse in which it reposes. One great reason of the failure to make warmed-over meat satisfactory is the lack of gravy. On the goodness of this, as well as its presence, depends the success of the dish. The glaze, for which the recipe is given under Gravies, renders one at all times independent in this respect, but at the same time it should not alone be depended on. Every drop of what remains in the dish from the roast should be saved, and great care be taken of all scraps, bones and gristle, which should be carefully boiled down to save the necessity of using glaze for every purpose. Do not make into "hash" all cold