HOUSEHOLD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 826, 30 December 1887, Page 6

HOUSEHOLD.

Fish Salad. -Any kind of cold, cooked ‘fish, either boiled or baked, may be used, first separating the pieces into neat flakes and then adding hard-boiled eggs, cut up into small pieces, and some pickled gherkins, or other green pickles also cut into small pieces. Or, if preferred, the pickles may be omitted and a head of lettuce' substituted; place the salad in a deep dish, moisten it with a good mayonnaise sauce and garnish with slices of lemon and some parsley.

Ratatouvtlle. —This is a very savory dish made from the remains of cold meat; two or three different kinds, which have been cooked at different times, may be used, but none except that which is perfectly sweet should enter into its composition. It is a popular method among the French for utilizing moats which might otherwise go to waste. Cut both the cooked and uncooked meat into pieces about an inch square, placing them on separate dishes. If the meat to be used is very lean, add to it a little fresh fat meat; the thin ends of the ribs of beef answer very well for this purpose. Slice two or three medium-sized. onions into a saucepan which contains some good beef drippings, and, when they are lightly browned, put in the uncooked meat and brown it; when brown enough, dredge a little flonr over the whole and stir it till it is without lumps ; then pouf in gradually as much water as will cover the whole. To this add a mixture of vegetables to suit the fancy, such as turnips, carrots aud celery, finely shredded; freshly peeled potatoes, halved or sliced ; haricot beans which have already been three-quarters cooked, green peas, etc., together with a bunch of sweet herbs, a bay leaf, and a little pepper and salt. Simmer all gently together until the ■vegetables are tender, when add the dressed meat; ana let the mixture again simmer gently till the meat is hot and impregnated with the flavor of the stew, but on no account must it boil again. When done arrange the meat and vegetables on a hot dish; pour the gravy over all, then serve. Some like the gravy thickened, which may be done with curry powder and a portion of ground rice, instead of with flour. Rice boiled as for a curry should be sent to table on a separate dish.

Rice Cream. —Take a large heaped tablespoon ful of ground rice, mix smooth with oold milk ; put a pint of milk into a saucepan, sweeten and flavor to taste , when the milk is hot add the ground rice, and stir well until it boils. To be used as a custard with fruit or served alone cold in a glass dish. Baking Powckr.—An equal quantity in bulk of tartartic acid, carbonate of soda, and ground rice or cornflour. Mix thoroughly, and rub through a wire sieve. One teaspoonful to be used to each pound of dry ingredients used in your cake, pudding, etc.

Points in Cake Making.—Baking powders should be used with discretion on account of the alkaline flavor they are likely to impart, and should always be first mixed with flour. Large cakes should be baked in earthen pans, for those made of metal heat too quickly, and are apt to burn their contents. A paper at the bottom of the pan will be found of assistance, while if the top brown too rapidly, another paper should be spread over it. Cake will not rise if the oven is too slow, but caie, also, must be taken that it be not too hot, in which event the cake burns on the outside. The oven should be first tested, a good way being to drop a little flour on the bottom of it, and if this browns, then the oven will be sufficiently hot for all ordinarj' cakes. But if it speedily blackens and burns, it is too hot.