HOME INTERESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1920, 4 December 1890, Page 38

HOME INTERESTS.

Boiling Vegetables. — To avoid the odour which too often fills the house when cabbage or other green vegetables are boiling follow these simple directions : — Put your cabbage in a net, and when you have boiled it five minutes in the first pot of water lift it out, drain for a few seconds, and place carefully in a second pot, which you must have full of fast-boiling water. Empty the first water away, and boil your cabbage till tender in the second.

A Paste that will Stick Anything. — A paste that will stick anything is said by Professor Winchell to be made as follows : — Take 2oz clear gum arabic, l^oz fine starch, and white sugar. Dissolve the gum arabic in as much water as the laundress would use for the quantity of starch indicated. Mix the starch and sugar with the mucilage, then cook the mixture in a vessel suspended in boiling water until the starch becomes clear and the whole as thick as tar. It must not be diluted, and may be kept from spoiling by the addition of a little camphor or a few drops of oil of cloves.

Lexington Cake. — Half a pound of flour, £lb sugar, 3-Blb butter, five small eggs, grated rind of half a lemon, one tablespoonful of wine, half a teaspoonful of rose water, quarter of a teaspoonful of mace, quarter of a teaspoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of lemon juice. Cream the hutter, add the sugar slowly; then the yolks of the eggs well beaten, the lemon rind and juice, wine, and rose water. Mix soda and mace with the flour and add. Beat well. Then add the whites of the eggs beaten stiff. Use pastry flour. Three-eighths of a pound of butter equals three-quarters of a cup in measure. In winter the butter may be creamed by hand, in summer use a wooden spoon. Add mace and soda to the flour. Measure a spoonful of soda even full ; cream of tartar is measured rounding full. Butter either the pan or the paper; the latter should always be used, since it assists in lifting the cake from the pan. It need not cover the ends of the pan, which must be buttered separately, but should project above the sides of the pan. Baking powder is more reliable for inexperienced cooks to use, since there is less danger of failure from putting in more than the recipe calls for.

Okra Stew. — Cut from the bones of steak, roast, or chicken left from a previous meal all the meat and fat. Put the former in a saucepan with enough water to make a strong gravy ; when the bones have well boiled remove them, and slice into the stock 10 okra, three tomatoes, two potatoes cut small, and one onion ; stew gently until the vegetables are done, then add the pieces of meat and serve as soon as they are thoroughly hot. Scraps of ham improve the flavour.

Rhubarb Pie. — Line deep pie pans with plain crust, mix half a teacupful of sugar and a spoonful of flour; sprinkle over the crust, then add a pie plant cut fine ; sprinkle thick with sugar. Set in a slow oven and bake one hour, or stew the pie plant in a little thin syrup before putting In the pantry.