The Kitchen.

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 57, 18 January 1890, Page 4

The Kitchen.

Fig and Custard Pudding. — Half a pound figs, three eggs, half a pint of milk, quarter of pound of sugar, two ounces of bread crumbs, and a pinch of nutmeg. Split the figs, and line a plain tin mould with them. Put the seeds next to the tin. Beai up the eggs and any figs that may be left over, the milk, sugar, crumbs, and nutmeg. Pour this into the mould very carefully, and cover with greased paper. Steam for an hour and a half or two hours. Turn out on a hot dish, and serve with custard or fig sauce.

Swiss Roll. — Quarter pound fine flour, Jib fine sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of baking powder, and some jam (I prefer jelly). . Beat sugar and eggs for ten minutes, then sift in flour and baking powder (have both mixed), and add milk. Grease a small flat pan, and line the bottom with paper ; pour in mixture. After being in the oven for five minutes, turn out.

Vegetable Pie.— Ten ounces of potato •; 8 ounces and a half carrot, 8 oz. of turnip, '.' -.of onion, 2 oz. of butter, one tablespoonful <v ; ur, one pint of water, and celery to flavou. Jut the vegetables into small pieces ; stew thei,. n a pan with the water; place them in a pi-j-i'lsh, add the butter ; cover with paste ; bake i j a moderate oven, and add water as required. The same ingredients, boiled in a cloth, make .-"jceellent pudding.

Short Cake. — Three teacupfuls of flour, 1 *-eacupful of butter, 1 teacupful white sugar, 3 <■ gs, and a pinch of salt. Rub the butter into the Hour, add the sugar and salt, and the eggs well b^ aen. Mix into a smooth dough, roll out three oi tour times ; make it into a round shape about a qaarter of an inch thick. Pinch the edges, and bake in a moderate oven till nicely browned. When cold, spread it with jam or jelly laid in strips from the centre.

Cheese Cakes. — Eight ounces flour, 3oz butter, 4oz sugar, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, halfteaspoonful essence of lemon, 1 tablespoonful of milk, 2 eggs. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, beat up eggs well, and add gradually to the butter and sugar ; sift in flour and baking powder, add milk and essence, and mix all well together. Grease 12 patty tins and line with paste, fill up with the mixture, and bake half an hour. A Jib flour and 2oz butter will make sufficient paste to line 12 patty tins. Boiled Haricot Beans. — One pint of beans, two onions, and salt. Wash the beans; soak over night ; put them on the fire in a saucepan of cold water, just sufficient to cover them ; add the salt and the onions ; boil gently two or three hours, and serve with the liquid in which they are boiled, as this contains the principal portion of the flavour and nourishment of the beans. Any kind of kidney beans will answer the purpose. Raised Griddle Cakes. — Take a quart of sweet milk, warm it enough to m6lt a large tablespoonful of butter, add two teaspoonfuls of salt and flour to make a pretty stiff batter. Dissolve onethird of a cake of yeast in tepid water and stir it into the batter. Cover olosely and keep ■in a warm place until morning, when fry on a griddle. If found to be too stiff, thin it with a little tepid milk.

A Hint on Cooking Fruit. — There is no doubt that stowed fruit is a most wholesome addition to our ordinary diet. There are, however, many persons who cannot eat it, either on account of the acidity of the fruit, or of the large quantity of sugar required to make it palatable. Now, every housewife should store up this " hint " in her memory. Sugar does not counteract the acid taste ot the fruit ; it' simply disguises it, and if much is used it is apt to interfere with tha digestive organs. Now, before cooking the fruit, sprinkle over it a small pinch of carbonate of soda ; this renders the dish more wholesome, and certainly more tasty.

— Sir James Martin commenced writing for newspapers at the early age of 18.

— Patti receives for every London concert £700. In North America this winter she gets £1000 a night. In South America last year she got £1200 a night. In 28 years she has only disappointed her audience by being absent six times. No wonder.

— Jones: "Got an engagement'yet?" Seedy 'un : v Yes, I'm playing a small part at the Fashion Theatre." "What salary?" "What salary?" "No salary; but the part calls for a meal on the stage, and so I get something to eat."

— When young, Gladstone wrote a blank verße tragedy of classic mould; this he read some years ago to Mrs Langtry. Nothing came of it, however, and now, it is said, Druriolanus Harris is about to produce it.

— The Bengalese have a matrimonial journal It. is called the Prrjrqjatl, and is published in Murshedabad. It contains lists of marriageable boys and girls, with, full descriptions of their age, personal appearance, education, taste, and other qualifications. .' . .