The Times cook book, no. 2

FRIED CHICKEN. Prepare in usual way; season and dredge thickly with flour; put into frying pan 1 tablespoonful each of butter and lard; when hot arrange the chicken in pan, thickest pieces in center; fry to golden brown over quick fire; turn and brown; then set in a steady, well-heated part of range, but not to fry fast; turn when necessary. In this way the juice is well retained and the meat tender. The bony portions may be served at home. STRAWBERRY ROLLS. Wash and hull 2 boxes of strawberries, drain and slice them, spread on a platter, sprinkle over them a very little lemon juice and 6 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar. Remove crusts from a dozen thin slices of bread; spread with melted but- ter, then the berries, roll and tie with baby ribbon at each end. Wring a napkin from cold water, pack the rolls in it, and then fold in a dry napkin. SARDINE SALAD. Dress a pint of sardines (which have been put up in oil,) with a half pint of good mayonnaise, into which has been stirred 2 tablespoonfuls of minced celery; scoop the centers, all seeds, from 6 mediumsized smooth tomatoes; fill the cavities with the salad mixture, and secure each lid with a couple of toothpicks. TAMALE CROQUETTES. Mix together % pint each of oysters, sweet corn, chopped boiled eggs and graham bread crumbs, a beaten egg, a generous sprinkling of cayenne pepper and a level teaspoonful of salt; form, roll in cracker crumbs and plunge (in basket) in boiling fat, or brown nicely on buttered tin in the oven. Drain on brown paper. TWO DOZEN SPICED CUCUMBERS, home made, are always best. DOUBLE-CRUSTED LEMON PIE. The grated rind of 1 and chopped pulp of 2 lemons, rejecting seed and white fiber of rind; 1 teacupful of water, 1 tablespoonful (scant) of flour, 6 tablespoonfuls of sugar. Mix the last two, then add water and fruit; make incisions in the upper crust as for other fruit pies. A little baking powder in the crust is an improvement. PICNIC PUDDING. One cupful sugar, 1-3 cup butter, y2 cup sweet milk, 1 1-3 cups flour, 1 teaspoonful Royal baking powder, whites of 4 eggs, beaten light and added after the other ingredients have been thoroughly mixed; y2 teaspoonful of pistachio or almond extract. Bake in bread pan. Filling: One pint milk, 2 tablespoonfuls each of cornstarch, sugar and grated chocolate, 4 yolks of eggs. Mix as for other boiled custards, dissolve the chocolate in a little of the scalding milk separately. Add a piece of butter the size of a walnut, a generous pinch of salt, and lastly a teaspoonful of vanilla. Chop a pound of dried figs, add y2 pint of cold water, bring slowly to boiling point, then stir constantly until a thick jam is formed, add more water, as it cooks down, if required. Cut the cake into 4 equal parts, spread a layer with custard, add another layer, and spread on the fig jam, spread the third layer with remaining custard, and add the fourth. Ice thickly with boiled icing to entirely encrust the custard, insuring safe carriage; set thickly with halved pistachio nuts or almonds. BEVERAGE. The juice of 4 grapefruits, when pressing the fruit be careful that the juice does not come in contact with the rind; 1 teacup of sugar; bottle and cork. Add to the spring water.