CARVING CLOTH OR TABLE CENTRE.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 309, 2 July 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

CARVING CLOTH OR TABLE CENTRE.

A carving cloth should be large enough to protect the table from any carelessness of the carver, whilst the centre piece should be nearly the length of the table. Take a piece of good linen and use washing silks in natural shades, trace or transfer a running design all round. The vcining of the leaves should be worked in fine brown silk. The cloth is finished by a border of buttonhole stitched Vandykes. This does away with the necessity for fringe or lace, HINTS FOE THE COOK'S SCRAPBOOK. All baked puddings, if placed in cold water for a few minutes before sending to the table, will leave the dish freely. When preparing onions for cooking it will be much more comfortable work if they are peeled or sliced under water. Hold in the lap a largo bowl filled with clear water and ffork with the hands under water. After frying, allow the fat to cool a little, then strain it, so as to free it from any loose crumbs or pieces of meat etc. Before putting milk into a pan to boil, rinse the pan well oat with cold water : this prevents the milk ingTo remove grease : When grease is spilled on the kitchen floor or tabic, pour cold water over it instantly. That makes it harden instead of sinking into the pores of the wood, and then it can be easily removed. After using a silver fork 'for fish—especially anything strong smelling, like herring—the odour often clings to the silver, even after washing. There are two methods of preventing this, the simplest is to lay them in cold water for ten minutes and then wash them, the other is, directly the fork has been used, wash it in warm water, and then stand it in a basin of tea leaves for a few minutes. This will quite remove the taste. Th. 3 yolk of an egg, well beaten, is a verv good substitute for cream in coffee. One egg if sufficient for three cups. When cooking cabbage or onions, put a small quantity of vinegar in a cup on the stove. This neutralises in a great measure the disagreeable odour from the cooking vegetables. ATTRACTIVE WOMEN. Every woman wishes naturally enough to make the most of her power of fascination and to enhance the good points of her persoual appearance. She must go in for mind culture as well as beauty culture, for the former overweighs the latter immensely. Nothing casts such a glamour of grace and refinement, as a mind that gives expression to good, graceful and cultured thoughts, therefore mind culture ought to occupy the first place, for it is the most important. After this she must cultivate an artistic eye. tad a sense of beauty, she must learn what true beauty really is, and by that time she will have acquired some of it. There is reason in this, for even animals are changed in outward appearance according to their surroundings and habits, and everyone knows that the character of a nation cau be influenced by the scenery of ita country, GENERAL FASHIONS. One of the most noticeable modes is the adoptieu of the plain white linen collar and a coloured tie with the silk blouse of every description. This is a becoming fashion for a touch of white at the throat suits nineteen women out of twenty. The popular shades is, undoubtedly green, the correct shade is that of new grass and must be in velvet of a good quality ere it proves really becoming. Coloured kid gloves are once more fashionable, but the plain black or white for summer is better style, while brown ] dogskins are suitable foi country aud general rough wear. The new tucked bodice is to be met with everywhere. Bodices, sleeves, skirts and basques are all tucked. Some of the tucks are two inches deep, while others are as small and narrow as it is possible to make them. Tho newest of all is the bodice of tucked cashmere, arranged to fall over a tightly fitting belt of folded black satin. The cushmere must match the skirt in shade, and should be buttoned with cut steel or fancy buttons on the left side, while a frill of black satin should hide the fastening. The skirt should be quite plain, save for three tucks set round the foot hem and the eleeves tucked throughout, or they may have a puff at the shoulder and fit tightly below. COOKERY RECIPES. A Fish Salad.—Flake or cut the fish into small fillets, rub over each a little vinegar, dust them with pepper and salt and then dip then into beaten egg and h ake crumbs over them. Put them into o t fat and fry a golden colour, drain on

kitchen paper and when quite cold dish as follows. Arrange the fillets iu the centre, and place over them some slices of beetroot and bunches of mustard and cress and a tender lettuce shredded. Pour over all a good mayonnaise sauce, and garnish with chopped white of egg. Australian Kidneys.—Skin and cut the kidneys into halves, then remove the fat, dust, each one with pepper and wrap them in. a thin rasher of trimmed bacon ; fasten with a small skewer or tie them with cotton and and lay them aside till morning. Half an hour before breakfast screeu the bacon in beaten eggs and fine breadcrumbs ; put them into a battered tin, set in a hot even for twenty minutes. They may be fried in a little sweet dripping if more convenient. Seed to table on lengths of toasted bread. Smoked SciiNArrKß and Eggs.— Blanch a schnapper witli a little boiling water. Set is before the fire and baste with milk, when cooked place it on a hot dish aud scatter over it some very small pieces of butter. Have ready one or two poached eijgs and place them in the centre of the dish.