MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 20

MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY

MONDAY. —The cooking to do by myself this day, as is ever the way, so do choose a souffle omelette (sweet), this to the great satisfaction of Mr. Pepys. I would have all know that for it is needed the same proportions as for any other omelette, but the difference to put the yolks and whites of your eggs into separate basins. Add a little castor sugar, and such flavouring as you wish, to the yolks of your eggs, also warm water, using 1 tablespoon - ful, to two eggs, and now to beat your yolks with a wooden spoon until they be creamy. For your whites add a pinch of salt and beat to a stiff froth Xext add your yolks to the whites, and with a spoon, metal the best as I am told, turn your mixture lightly until it be well blended. And now to continue as for any other omelette. For serving use sugar alone or a filling of hot jam, or pour rum upon it. Mr. Pepys would have me add give him the last mentioned every time. TUESDAY. —For reminding my good gossip, Mistress Bassett (and others) to make it in the fitting time, do write out my well-tried recipe for rhubarb cider. This to cut in lengths 281 b. of rhubarb, to put it into a tub and to pound well. Add 3 gallons of cold water and stir well also. Now cover up the tub and let it stand until the liquor begins to ferment, then, when the surface is covered with a crust, skim them off carefully. This you must do for a day or two till no more crust rises; then strain diligently and add 31b. of loaf sugar to each gallon and the thin rind of a lemon. Leave for a fortnight, for the after fermentation, ty which time another crust' ■will have

formed. This you shall take off carefully and draw the clear liquor into a cask adding - thereto loz. of isinglass to each gallon, when you may stop your cider down for a fortnight. In two months you may bottle or draw from the cask, but I would have all remember that it improves mightily by keeping.

WEDNESDAY. —This day do lunch with Mr. Pepys’s cousin Gladys, for which she did make with her own hand a dish of Italian custard, the same proving, as I thought, very pleasant eating and so the recipe of her. The way of it to press some tomatoes through a hair sieve and to measure the puree thus obtained. Heat up 2 eggs, boil 3 gills of milk, and stir to the eggs, beating all the time, now add 2oz. of grated cheese and 1 gill of tomato puree, season well with pepper, salt and a little cayenne, and pour into small china cases, or greased paper cases, to serve very well. Place the custards upon a tin and bake in a moderate oven until set. Mr. Pepys’s cousin Gladys impressed upon me not to let the mixture boil or the eggs to curdle.

THURSDAY.—For the use of all novices at cooking, I would write here a very good test for their ovens. That, after the first 10 minutes of cooking a joint let them judge if the liquid in the tin be spluttering very fast, and if there be an acrid smoke in their oven, because these things point to its being too hot, and the need to lower the gas, or to push in the damper if the stove be a “kitchener.” But if the liquid in the tin doth no more than splutter gently, the temperature in the oven may be judged correct. If all is still, with no noise at all to it, then is the oven not hot enough. And this I hope to prove useful to many for guiding of them. FRIDAY.—To my kitchen there to find my maid Jane washing chamois gloves in a manner likely to spoil them utterly. I am mighty glad to discover they are her own and not mine. Ho carefully instruct her in the* right way of washing them, and this to be in a soap lather, not too hot, wearing the gloves upon the hands, then to rinse in a fresh lather of the same temperature as the first. Now to put the gloves in a towel and to wring, then hang them in a good current of air to dry, but not in the sun, or too near a fire. Before they are quite dry put your gloves on the hands again, "this to get them into shape and to render them ready to wear. All this my maid Jane doth promise to do. SATURDAY.—For eating at our supper (cold) upon the Lord’s Day, do prepare a very excellent chocolate tart, the manner of doing so to put of milk and water 4 gills into a pan to boil. Mix of cocoa 2 tablespoonfuls, and of cornflour the same quantity, with a little cold milk, adding 4oz. of castor sugar. Now to pour on the boiling milk and water, while stirring, return to your pan and continue to stir until the mixture boils, then simmer it for 10 minutes. Add a little vanilla essence, cool your mixture and put it into a round tin lined with a good short pastry. For baking the time, in a slow oven, 30 minutes. And here I would have all trying this tart mixture to note that if it seems to them too thick, to add a little more milk is the remedy. Also if any’ would prefer to use all milk that may be as they choose. Should milk burn while being heated, pour it into a vessel standing in cold water and throw in a pinch of salt. Stir well, and the burnt taste will disappear.