The dishes I am about to mention all belong to American domestic cookery. First there is " gumbo," * made of " ochra," which is, I think, procurable in Piccadilly, not tar from Fortnum and ]\Iason's. Cchra is the plant called AhelmoscJdis esculent as, which yields a nmcilaginous fruit used in soups and pickles in America, the AVest Indies, and the Isle of France. The odd name, Ahelmosclius, is supposed to be derived from the Arabic, and means " father of musk ; " the seeds of one of the varieties of the fruit having a musky odour. " Gumbo" is only the Indian name for ochra, which is also called " bandikai." Green corn and '•' succotash "t you should be able to get at almost any co-operative store ; but let me tell you that perhaps the most enjoyable way of consuming green corn is to. eat it from the cob, boiled and buttered. To see a pretty young American lady take up a corn-cob in a napkin and dexterously twirl it round and round till she has nibbled all the grains of corn from the cob, without soiling her fingers or her symmetrical chin, is a truly delightful spectacle. As for pork and beans, it is a New England dish, and a thoroughly national one besides. There is a New England Society both in Boston and in New York ; and it is said * See p. r>7(!. t Sjc p. i-'>\. CHATS ABOUT COOXEUY. i) that the two associations have amicably agreed to diti'cr as to the exact date of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Kock. They hold their annual banquets on different days; but there is only just a sufficient interval between the two to allow the New York society to feast on pork and beans at Boston as well as New York ; while the Bostonians follow suit, and revel on pork and beans both in their own State and in that of the Empire City. At a restaurant a truly patriotic American — and Avhat xlmerican is not pat- riotic ? — never calls for pork and beans : he orders " Stars And Stripes." Indian pudding is another distinctly American domestic dish. It is made of sifted Indian corn-flour, scalded in bc'il- ing Avater, and placed in a saucepan over a tire, with a quart of milk, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a pint of molasses or golden-syrup treacle ; six beaten eggs and a little lemon- juice✪ Indian Pudding are added to the mixture, which must be stirred till it is quite light and smooth, and it is then baked in a moderately hot oven. Fish pudding may be made of salmon, soles, or turbot, seasoned with salt, pepper, tinely chopped onions, and parslej-, Avith Avhich the fish nmst bo carefully rubbed. This is placed in paste rolled half an inch thick, tied up in a pudding-cloth, placed in boiling watei-, and allowed to simmer for an hour and a half. I don't knoAv Avhether any of our caterers import the fresh-water or tide-water tortoises called ■'■ terrapin,"' of Avhich there is a salt-water variety found in the maishes around Charleston. There is also, bv the wav, a chicken t<'>r- toise, so named from its flavour, Avhich is a o-veat favourite with American epicures. If you do get hold of terrapin, cook them in the following manner: — They must be killed like lobsters, by being placed in boiling Avater ; a cruel process no doubt, but AA'ould you like to eat lobsters Avith black shells / Skin your terrapin Avhen killed, and cut off their 10 THE THOBOUGE GOOD COOK. ✪ Fish Pudding

AI-modernized reading of the original text

A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.

The dishes I am about to mention all belong to American domestic cookery. First there is " gumbo," * made of " ochra," which is, I think, procurable in Piccadilly, not tar from Fortnum and ]\Iason's. Cchra is the plant called AhelmoscJdis esculent as, which yields a nmcilaginous fruit used in soups and pickles in America, the AVest Indies, and the Isle of France. The odd name, Ahelmosclius, is supposed to be derived from the Arabic, and means " father of musk ; " the seeds of one of the varieties of the fruit having a musky odour. " Gumbo" is only the Indian name for ochra, which is also called " bandikai." Green corn and '•' succotash "t you should be able to get at almost any co-operative store ; but let me tell you that perhaps the most enjoyable way of consuming green corn is to. eat it from the cob, boiled and buttered. To see a pretty young American lady take up a corn-cob in a napkin and dexterously twirl it round and round till she has nibbled all the grains of corn from the cob, without soiling her fingers or her symmetrical chin, is a truly delightful spectacle. As for pork and beans, it is a New England dish, and a thoroughly national one besides. There is a New England Society both in Boston and in New York ; and it is said * See p. r>7(!. t Sjc p. i-'>\. CHATS ABOUT COOXEUY. i) that the two associations have amicably agreed to diti'cr as to the exact date of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Kock. They hold their annual banquets on different days; but there is only just a sufficient interval between the two to allow the New York society to feast on pork and beans at Boston as well as New York ; while the Bostonians follow suit, and revel on pork and beans both in their own State and in that of the Empire City. At a restaurant a truly patriotic American — and Avhat xlmerican is not pat- riotic ? — never calls for pork and beans : he orders " Stars And Stripes." Indian pudding is another distinctly American domestic dish. It is made of sifted Indian corn-flour, scalded in bc'il- ing Avater, and placed in a saucepan over a tire, with a quart of milk, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a pint of molasses or golden-syrup treacle ; six beaten eggs and a little lemon- juice are added to the mixture, which must be stirred till it is quite light and smooth, and it is then baked in a moderately hot oven. Fish pudding may be made of salmon, soles, or turbot, seasoned with salt, pepper, tinely chopped onions, and parslej-, Avith Avhich the fish nmst bo carefully rubbed. This is placed in paste rolled half an inch thick, tied up in a pudding-cloth, placed in boiling watei-, and allowed to simmer for an hour and a half. I don't knoAv Avhether any of our caterers import the fresh-water or tide-water tortoises called ■'■ terrapin,"' of Avhich there is a salt-water variety found in the maishes around Charleston. There is also, bv the wav, a chicken t<'>r- toise, so named from its flavour, Avhich is a o-veat favourite with American epicures. If you do get hold of terrapin, cook them in the following manner: — They must be killed like lobsters, by being placed in boiling Avater ; a cruel process no doubt, but AA'ould you like to eat lobsters Avith black shells / Skin your terrapin Avhen killed, and cut off their 10 THE THOBOUGE GOOD COOK.

The thorough good cook