SALADS AND CUPS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2283, 5 February 1912, Page 7

SALADS AND CUPS.

H A BIT OF MASCULINE COOKERY

Among the few things that the average man ever attempts in the culinary line are salads and cups. He thinks he can make a salad or claret cup better than his wife or landlady. Usually he is disappointed at the result, but these hints will enable him to succeed next time. The information should be useful at the present season, when many men are fending for themselves while camping out, and others are joining in picnics and so forth. Let us take an ordinary summer salad of lettuce, mustard and cress, radishes, cucumber, and dressing. The lettuces, of course, cannot bo too fresh ; if at all stale or dead looking they should be allowed to soak In water for a n hour or two. Then they should be well drained by wringing them gently in a clean cloth. When cutting up the lettuces, radishes, and cucumber, be careful to use a silver knife. Some people like young spring onions in a salad, but there a re quite as many don’t, so unless you are sure of people’s tasteo in this direction, it is wise to serve the onions separately. The dressing should be poured under the salad, not over it, and should not be stirred up with the salad until it is ready to bo eaten. It Is the dressing that makes or mars a salad. Here is a recipe for an excellent dressing : One teaspoonful mixed mustard, one teaspoonful of powdered sugar, two tablespoonfuls salad oil, four tablespoonfuls milk, two tablespoonfuls vinegar, cayenne and salt to taste. To begin with put the mustard and sugar in the salad bowl, and add the oil drop by drop and mix well together. Proceed similarly with the milk and the vinegar, which must be added very, very, gradually. ' Here is a good recipe for claret cup ; One bottle of claret—good claret, not red ink-two glasses of maraschino, two bottles of soda or seltzer, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, borage, and slices of fresh fruit. Now to make, put the sugar in a jug, and pour over it the wine and maraschino and set in ice. Slice the fruit in a bowl,, pour over the contents of the Jug, and when ready to serve add the soda or seltzer and the borage. Claret cup, as a rule, Is too weak and too sweet, while many people think that any old, or rather young, sort of claret will do for "'cup.” Good claret cup is a drink fit for the gods, but the stuff one usually gets isn’t fit for hogs. I should have said that the above recipe will make enough claret cup for six persons unless they are an unusually thirsty lot.—W. F. Poster, in “Modern Man.”