THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13925, 5 December 1908, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

THE TABLE.

Beefsteak Chowder.

Cut one slice of nice fat salt pork into small bits with one onion minced fine; cook these until a nice brown, and the pork bits well crisped. Add one quart of boiling water and let simmer for five minutes then pour it over one pound of round steak which has been previously cut into strips half an inch thick and two inches long. Bring this quickly to a boil; boil five minutes, then simmer until meat is tender. Add four or five potatoes that have been pared and sliced; season with salt and pepper, add more boiling water, and when potatoes are tender add a cupful and a half of good rich milk or cream. Split six or eight crackers, put them into the soup dish and pour the chowder over them, serving at once. Braised Tongue. This is a popular dish abroad, and it is generally served with a sharp sauce. Place a fresh tongue in a fairly large stewpan, cover with boiling water, and simmer very slowly for two hours. Remove the tongue from the water, skin it carefully, and trim the root, place it in an earthenware dish, or casserole pot, cut one-quarter pound of salt pork into dice, and put round the tongue, also two carrots, one onion, and a stick of celery, also cut into dice. Pour over some stock, cover closely, and bake slowly for two hours. Turn once after cooking an hour. Serve hot with a garnish of the vegetables, the gravy thickened and sharpened with vinegar and chopped capers. Baked Tomatoes. For this dish select six large, smooth, ripe, and round tomatoes. Put them in a baking pan with the stems down. Cut a thin slice from the smooth end of each, and take out as much pulp as possible without spoiling the firmness and shape. Mix the pulp and juice with breadcrumbs, a little chopped meat —ham or lamb or chicken is the best—salt, pepper, a little butter, a quarter of a' green pepper, and one-half teaspoonful of onion juice. Fill the tomatoes with the mixture, replace the little lids, and bake for about three-quar-ters of an hour. Serve with a garnish of parsley. HOUSEHOLD HINTS. Cold water, a tablespoonftil of ammonia, and soap will remove machine grease where other means would not answer on account of colours running. Mountain Ash Berries for-Decoration: To preserve , these for winter use, arrange them in large jars, pour over a strong brine, and seal them up. Keep the jars in* a cool, . airy place. The «brine should be boiled, for any undissolved salt would spoil the colour of the berries. To destroy red ants, grease tin plates with lard and put them on the floor with a few stick for the ants to climb up. Soon the plates will.be covered with ants, which prefer lard even .to sugar. Turn the ant-covered plates upside down on a hot fire to destroy the insects. Reset the •plates a* often as needed. Beeswax and turpentine is ■» capital polish for furniture which is not French polished. To make it, shred half an ounce of beeswax very fine and add it to a quarter of a pint of spirits of turpentine. Stir well with a piece of stick, and then put it aside till next day. Then stir it again, and let it stand for another day, when it will be fit for use. Never melt beeswax and turpentine over a fire, as it is a highly inflammable mixture.

Cloth balls for removing grease spots are easily made, i and cost less than if bought of a chemist. To make them, take half a pound of dry fuller's earth' and moisten it with a little lemon juice. Then add half an ounce of finely-pulverised pearlash, and make all into a thick paste. Form into little balls, and dry i them in the sun or at some, distance from a fire. In a few hours the balls will he ready for use. When required, the ; stained cloth should be moistened with warm water, and rubbed with a. ball. Let the garment dry, then brush off the powder, and wash it out if necessary.