Mary Hooper

“ It is surely somewhat singular that Englishwomen, who have excelled in almost every other craft, should be remarkable for their want of skill in cookery. They have not been dismayed by any difficulties in literature, art, or science, and yet how few are there among us who can make a dish of porridge like a Scotchwoman, or an omelette like a Frenchwoman! ”

“ There is no need in any household for even a penny a day to be wasted; and yet if we look closely into things, how much money value is lost daily in some one or other of the ways we have mentioned. In the course of the year, the daily pennies mount up to many pounds, and we are sure that it is much safer once in a way lavishly to spend the shillings than to be habitually careless of the outgoings of the pence. ”

“ A good cook is always a good manager. She makes many a meal of what an inferior cook would waste. The housekeeper should therefore insist on having good cooking at a reasonable cost, and never keep a cook who does not make the most of everything. In a large household a mistress cannot look after the sifting of cinders, but she can check her coal bills, and by observation find out in what department the waste is going on. ”

“ Yet, although, for many reasons, it is often most difficult to retrench on a large scale, there are people who find it easier, for instance, to put down the carriage than to see that the small outgoings of housekeeping are more duly regulated. It is seldom, indeed, that a wife can assist her husband save by lightening his expenses by her prudence and economy. Too many husbands, nowadays, can vouch for the truth of the old saying, "A woman can throw out with a spoon faster than a man can throw in with a shovel." ”

“ Under these circumstances capitalists have thought it worth a considerable investment of money to discover some means of bringing the cheap and magnificent supplies of New Zealand into the English market. After many failures, success has at length crowned the enterprise, and nothing can exceed the perfection in which New Zealand mutton is now placed on the English market. It is universally admitted that the meat, both as respects its nutritive value and its flavour, is unsurpassed, while the price is very moderate. ”

“ We are constantly told that it is not possible to have fresh fish for breakfast, because it cannot be kept all night in the home larder. But we must insist that there is no greater difficulty in keeping fish than meat. Indeed, there is perhaps less difficulty, because fish can be left lying in vinegar, if necessary, whereas in the case of meat it cannot always be done. ”

“ Although it is not necessary that the mistress of a household who can afford to keep servants should herself do the cooking, or spend much time in her kitchen, it is absolutely necessary that she should understand the best methods, and know how everything should be done. ”

“ When the brain is cold, cut it into slices as thin as possible, dip each of them in batter, drop them as you do them into a stewpan half-full of fat at a temperature of 430°, or that which will brown instantly a piece of bread dipped into it. To make the batter, mix two large tablespoonfuls of fine flour with four of cold water, stir in a tablespoonful of dissolved butter or of fine oil, the yolk of an egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper; when ready to use, beat the white of the egg to a strong froth, and mix with it. ”

“ It is quite as easy to cook a fry properly as to flour and fry it hard and over-brown, as is too frequently done. Trim the sweetbreads neatly, and simmer them for a quarter of an hour in good white stock with an onion. When they are done take them up and put the brains in the gravy, allowing them to boil as fast as possible in order to harden them; let them get cold, then cut into slices, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry with the sweetbread in a little butter. After the brains are taken out of the gravy, put the slices of heart and melt in, and let them stew slowly until tender. ”

“ The Naples, or pipe-macaroni, is the most useful for families, and the Genoa, or twisted, for high-class dishes. The English taste is in favour of macaroni boiled soft, and in order to make it so, many cooks soak it. But this is not correct, and it is not at all necessary to soak macaroni. If kept boiling in sufficient water, the macaroni requires no attention—ebullition prevents it sticking to the saucepan.
Although we give several ways of finishing macaroni, it is excellent when merely boiled in water with salt, as in the first recipe, eaten as an accompaniment to meat, or with stewed fruit. ”

“ Nelson's Gelatine having now been favourably known all over the world for more than half a century, it is unnecessary to do more than observe that our efforts are constantly directed to supplying a perfectly pure article, always of the same strength and quality. ”

“ When the vegetables are tender drain the liquor, set it aside to cool, and remove all fat. Pass the vegetables through a fine sieve to a nice smooth purée. Those who possess a Kent's "triturating strainer" will be able to do this much more satisfactorily, both as regards time and results, than by the old way of rubbing through a sieve. Put the liquor on to boil, dissolve in it—according to the strength the soup is required to be—the contents of one or two tins of Nelson's Extract of Meat, then add the vegetable purée, a lump or two of sugar, and if required, salt and pepper. ”

“ In all the following recipes for little dishes of mutton, it will be found a great advantage to use New Zealand Meat.
A good cook will never be embarrassed by having too much cold meat on hand, because she will be able by her skill so to vary the dishes that the appetites of those for whom she caters will never tire of it. Even a small piece of the loin of mutton may be served in half-a-dozen different ways, and be relished by those who are tired of the mutton-chop or the plain roast. ”

“ There is no doubt that by the more general adoption of machinery household work would be much lightened, and that if there were a demand for it, enterprise would be much stimulated, and many more useful helps would be produced. As it is, manufacturers hesitate to bring out new inventions at a great expense, when there is a doubt of securing the appreciation of the public. ”

“ The careful housekeeper of modern times has been accustomed to class creams among the luxuries which can only be given on special occasions, both because they take so much time and trouble to make, and because the materials are expensive. It is, nevertheless, possible to have excellent creams made on a simple plan and at a moderate cost. Cream of a superior kind is now everywhere to be had in jars, condensed milk answers well, and by the use of Nelson's Gelatine, and any flavouring or syrup, excellent creams can be made. ”

“ People in middle-class life often expect the cook to do all the kitchen work, and frequently some of the house work. Of course, in small families, this is quite possible to be done, and it is always best for servants, as for other people, to be fully employed. But in large families it is impossible the cooking can be properly done, when the cook is harassed by so many other occupations. ”

“ With a piece of tape tie the veal into a round shape, flour, and put it into a stewpan with a small piece of butter, fry until it becomes brown on all sides. Then put half a pint of good gravy, nicely seasoned with pepper and salt, cover the stewpan closely, and set it on the stove to cook very slowly for at least four hours. When done, the veal will be exquisitely tender, full of flavour, but not the least ragged. Take the meat up, and keep hot whilst the gravy is reduced, by boiling without the lid of the saucepan, to a rich glaze, which pour over the meat and serve. ”

“ When the eels are done enough, slip out the bones and cut them up into pieces about two inches long. Take the liquor in which the fish is boiled, strain it, let it boil in the stewpan without the lid, skimming it until it becomes clear. Dissolve a quarter of an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine to each half-pint of the fish gravy, and boil together for a minute, let it then stand until cool. Arrange the pieces of eel tastefully in a plain mould with small sprigs of curled parsley and slices of hard-boiled eggs, and, if you like, a fillet or two of anchovies cut up into dice. ”

“ Soles weighing from three-quarters of a pound to a pound are the most suitable size for frying whole. If it is desired to have the fish juicy and with their full flavour, do not have them skinned. The black side of the soles will not of course look so well, or be so crisp, as the white side, but this is of little consequence compared to the nourishment sacrificed in removing the skin. Have the soles scraped, wipe them, put a tablespoonful of vinegar in a dish, pass the fish through it, and let them lie an hour or more, if necessary all night, as the flavour is thus improved. ”

“ Care is required in making the sauce, if it is too thin it is difficult to mould the croquettes, and ice will be required to set it. Croquettes of game without any flavouring, except a little salt and cayenne, are generally acceptable as a breakfast dish. Preserved lobster makes very good croquettes for an entrée, and small scraps of any kind can thus be made into a very good dish. Put one ounce of fine flour into a stewpan with half a gill of cold [45] water, stir this over a slow fire very rapidly until it forms a paste, then add one ounce of butter, and stir until well incorporated. ”

“ If we pause here, it is not because we have exhausted the list of things most woefully wasted, mainly from want of thought, but because we have not space to enumerate more of them. We can only add that the importance of small household savings cannot well be overrated, both because of the principle involved and because of the substantial sum they represent together. ”

“ If the sugar is not sifted very fine a much longer time will be required to make the icing, and in the end it will not look so smooth as it ought to do. Confectioners use pyroligneous acid instead of lemon-juice, and there is no objection to it in small quantities. To make the icing, beat up a packet of Nelson's Albumen dissolved with three teaspoonfuls of cold water, work in by degrees one pound of fine icing sugar, adding a teaspoonful of lemon-juice or a few drops of pyroligneous acid, which will assist in keeping the icing white, or a slight tinge of stone-blue will have the same effect. ”

“ Boil a pint and a half of milk with two ounces of lump sugar, or rather more if a sweet pudding is liked, and pour it boiling hot on three eggs lightly beaten—that is, just sufficiently so to mix whites and yolks. Flavour the custard with nutmeg, grated lemon-peel, or anything which may be preferred and pour it into a tart-dish. Place this dish in another three-parts full of boiling water, and bake slowly for forty minutes, or until the custard is firm. There is no need to butter the dish if the pudding is baked as directed. ”

“ It will be seen, when we say that the entire cooking for a small family having late dinners, bread baked, and much water heated, is done for something under £2 a quarter, that gas as a fuel is not so great an extravagance after all. The stove used has the oven lined with a non-conducting substance, which has the advantage of keeping the heat within instead of sending it into the kitchen, as stoves made only of iron plates are apt to do. ”

“ A mould should be used as cold as possible, because then when the jelly comes into contact with it, it is at once set and cannot stick. Any kind of mould may be used. If the direction to put the jelly in when just setting is followed, it will turn out as well from an earthenware as from a copper mould.
It should be unnecessary to say that the utmost cleanliness is imperative to insure the perfection of jelly. So delicate a substance not only contracts any disagreeable flavour, but is rendered cloudy by the least touch of any greasy spoon, or by a stewpan which has not been properly cleansed. ”

“ To make the forcemeat, pound the fillets of the small haddocks till fine, then work in about half its quantity of bread panada, an ounce of butter, and the fillets of two anchovies; season with salt and pepper, mix in one egg and a yolk, pass through a wire sieve, and work into it a gill of cream.
FILLETS OF SOLE EN ASPIC.
Aspic jelly, or meat jelly, may be made very good, and at a moderate cost, by boiling lean beef or veal in water with a little vegetable and spice. To make it according to the standard recipes is so expensive and tedious that few persons care to attempt it. ”

“ Many people will say that it is unbecoming for women to be gourmands; we agree with them, and that it is equally unbecoming for men to be so. But to be a gourmet is another thing; and we ought not to lose sight of the fact that food eaten with real enjoyment and the satisfaction which accompanies a [111] well-prepared meal, is greatly enhanced in value. ”

“ Fry a minced onion in butter until lightly browned, cut up the flesh of two cooked chicken legs, or any other tender meat, into dice, mix this with the onions, and stir them together over the fire until the meat is hot through; sprinkle over it about a small teaspoonful of curry-powder, and salt to taste. Having thoroughly mixed the meat with the curry-powder, pour over it a tablespoonful of milk or cream, and stir over the fire until the moisture has dried up. Celery salt may be used instead of plain salt, and some persons add a few drops of lemon-juice when the curry is finished. ”