In all studies, it is the best practice to begin with the plainest and easiest parts; and so proceed, by degrees, to such as are more difficult: we, therefore, first treat of plain boiling and roasting *;.

* The muscular flesh of animals, which is the subject of culinary operations, is composed of many elements. A nice discrimination of these parts is by no means necessary for our present purpose; it will be sufficient to point out, that of muscular flesh one part becomes coagulated at the boiling heat of 212° of Fahrenheit, and resembles, in its properties, the white of an egg; it has, therefore, been called albumen. Another component part is the animal glue or jelly, termed gelatin; and the other is the coloured ju'ce contained within the smaller vessels, which, in compliance with custom, we denominate gravy. In the preparation of food by boiling and roasting, the albumen is coagulated: the same effect takes place in the drawing of gravy. In this latter operation the gelatin and fluids contained in the smaller vessels are extracted; and the albumen, coagulated with the fibrous matter, remains.

It will be evident, from this statement, that roasted meat. and shall then gradually unravel, to our culinary students, the art and (until we candidly and clearly develop it in this work) mystery of making', with the least trouble and expense, the most delicious and highly finished made-dishes.

Let the young cook never forget that cleanliness is the first cardinal virtue of the kitchen; and, as the first preparation for Roasting, take care that the spit be properly cleaned with sand and water; nothing else. When it has been well scowered with this, dry it with a clean cloth. If spits are wiped clean as soon as the meat is drawn from them, and while they are hot, a very little cleaning will be required. The less the spit runs through the meat the better*; and take especial care it be evenly balanced on the spit, that its motion may be regular, and the fire operate is more nutritious than boiled; because, at the boiling heat, a great quantity of the gelatinous part is extracted by the water.

* As many small families have not the convenience of roasting with a spit, a remark upon roasting by a string is necessary. - Let the cook, before she puts her meat down to the fire, pass a strong skewer through each end of the joint: by this means, when it is about hail done, she can with ease turn the bottom upwards; the gravy will then flow to the part which has been uppermost, and the whole joint cut and eat most delicately.

Equally on each part of it; therefore be provided with balancing skewers.

All your attention in roasting will be thrown away if you do not take care that your meat has been kept long enough to be tender*. The only way to make sure of this, is to have it home, and hang it up in your own larder. If you have not a good airy place for this purpose, bespeak your meat and poultry three or four days before you wish to dress it. Examine it, before you spit it, that it is properly jointed. The cook as often loses her credit by meat being dressed too fresh, as by fish that is too stale. Dr. Franklin, in his philosophical experiments, tells us, that game or poultry, etc. killed by electricity, may be dressed immediately, and will be deliciously tender.

Make up the fire in time, and let it be proportioned to the dinner to be dressed, and about four inches longer at each end than the thing to be roasted. The chemists talk of their several degrees of heat, and be cook must be as particular to proportion her fire to the business she has to do.

* The time meat should hang depends entirely on the degree of heat and humidity of the air: if not kept long enough, it is hard and tough; if too long, it loses its flavour: it should hang where it will have a thorough air, and dry it well with a cloth night and morning, to keep it from growing damp and musty. When you dress it, pare off the outsides,, as they sometimes get a bad taste.

The fire that is but just sufficient to receive the noble sirloin, will parch up a lighter joint Proportion the solidity of your fire to the size of your joint; and from half an hour to an hour before it is necessary to put it down to roast, prepare the fire by putting a few coals on, which will be sufficiently burnt by the time you wish to make use of your fire; rake out the bottom, and press it down so as to make the fire solid and good; between the bars and on the top put small round coal or large round coals, according to the bulk of the joint, and the time the fire is required to be strong; after which, throw all your cinders (wetted) at the back. Never put your meat down to a burnt-up fire if you can possibly avoid it; but should it be so, that having a large dinner to cook the fire is become fierce, be sure to place the spit at a considerable distance, and allow your meat a little more time. Always preserve the fat by covering it with paper; keep by you, for this purpose, paper called "kitchen paper," and fine twine to tie it on: pins and skewers can by no means be allowed, as they are so many taps to let out the gravy of your meat; besides, the paper with the heat of the fire often starts from them and catches light, to the great injury of the meat.

If the thing to be roasted be thin and tender, the fire should be little and brisk; and when you have a large joint to roast, make up a sound, strong fire; it must be equally good in every part of the grate, especially at the ends, or your meat cannot be equally roasted, nor have that uniform colour on every part of it, which constitutes the beauty of good roasting.

Give the fire a good stirring before you lay the joint down, examine it every quarter of an hour while the spit is going round; keep it clear at the bottom, and take care there are no smoky coals in the front of it, which will spoil the look and taste of the meat, and hinder it from roasting evenly. When the joint to be roasted is thicker at one end than the other, place the spit slanting, so that the whole time the thickest part is nearest the fire, and also the thinnest by this means is preserved from being overmuch roasted.