Pintail

Name of one of our common wild ducks, is good stuffed and roasted, and in a salmi.

Piquante

Name of a sauce made with an equal number of chopped shallots and green gherkins, boiled till shallots are done in caper vinegar, then is added some capers, bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme, boiled again till vinegar is reduced to one third of its original volume; remove the bay leaf and thyme, add enough good Espagnole sauce and a little chicken broth, till of the proper sauce consistency.

Pistachio

Name of a pea green nut of almond flavor, used by pastry cooks and confectioners.

Absinthe

A liqueur made principally from wormwood, anise, angelica, coriander seeds and alcohol, sometimes adulterated with aromatic resins and dangerous colorings; its uses are chiefly as a drink diluted with water, and in making many of the American mixed drinks.

Acetic Acid

The foundation of all vinegars; used by confectioners when making icing from whites of eggs, to facilitate the beating.

Aerated Waters

Such as Vichy, Apolli-naris, Carlsbad water, Friedrichshall bitter, etc., are obtained from the springs of nature and recommended for the relief and cure of different complaints of the human system. Imitation aerated waters mostly contain sugar, and are sold as pop, such as ginger ale, sarsaparilla, etc. The artificial waters are simply pure waters sweetened, flavored and charged with carbonic acid gas. In Paris oyster shells are washed, and broken into small pieces, and, under the action of vitriol, yield the carbonic acid gas.

Albumen

An opaque fluid found plentifully in eggs, meats, fish and succulent vegetables, especially asparagus. It is the most nourishing substance known; used in its raw state from whites of eggs by cooks chiefly in clarifying purposes.

Alcohol

A colorless liquid obtained from fermenting sugar; is found in all wines and spirits and is the intoxicating quality of them. It is largely used in making flavoring extracts, by diluting the oil of the flavor required with the alcohol. Wood alcohol obtained at any drug store is the best and cleanest material to be used in singeing poultry and game.

Alligator Pear

A fruit found in the West Indies and Mexico, but can be bought at most of the fruit stores in season; the large green ones are the best; they are served the same as canteloupes, or sliced into a salad seasoned with pepper, salt and the juice of a lime.

It is either eaten raw with salt and pepper; or sliced and dressed with French dressing; served on a bed of shredded endive.

Allspice

The product of the pimento shrub, used as a food flavoring. When ground it has a graining of a ruby coloring; purchased in its ground state, is often adulterated with mustard husks.

Almonds

The best for culinary purposes is the Jordan; it is about an inch long, flat with a clear brown skin, sweet and rather tough. In making almond soup seven-eighths sweet and one-eighth bitter almonds should be used.

Salted Almonds

Made by blanching, skinning, and frying them in butter oil till nicely browned, then dusting with salt; make a nice appetizer, or hors d'oeuvre.

Devilled Almonds

Made like salted almonds, but after salting, well dusted with cayenne pepper.