Cowslip Wine

This is a nice substitute for sherry, etc., in making tipsy-cake for children.

How To Dress Cucumber

Cucumbers are never nice when stale, but can be kept fresh by the stalk end being kept in water, just as flowers may be preserved for a time by similar means. To dress cucumber, first peel it very finely, or as much of it as is likely to be required; then cut it into very fine, thin slices, the thinner the better. Place these slices in a dish, with some good salad oil and a pinch of salt, and mix thoroughly with the oil, till every piece of cucumber is oiled; then pepper the slices, and mix again, and add a very little vinegar at the last. Proportion of oil to vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of oil to half a tablespoonful of vinegar. It is essential that the oil be perfectly fresh and pure. Some people like a few slices of onion served with the cucumber.

Currant Dumpling

Proceed exactly as in making suet dumplings (see Suet Dumplings), with the exception of mixing a quarter of a pound of dried currants to every half pound of flour. Pick the currants free from the stalks.

Currants For Dessert

Red, black, and white currants for dessert can be crystallised as follows: - Moisten the currants in a little weak gum - one lump of gum arabic dissolved in a wineglassful of water, or one white of an egg beaten up in a wine-glassful of water; then cover the currants with powdered sugar, and let them dry on paper. The effect is very pretty. The currants can be strung or crystallised in the bunch. If you string the currants, after they are crystallised place them on a dessert dish as follows: First, some clean green leaves, such as vine leaves; then the red currants spread out; next, a pile of white currants on the top of the red, leaving a red border; next, a small heap of black currants on the top, to complete the pyramid.

Custard

Take a pint of milk, boil it and sweeten it; thicken it with four, or still better five, eggs well beaten up. (See No. 14.) Custard can be flavoured by boiling bay-leaves in the milk, or by adding essence of vanilla, or of almonds. The sugar may be rubbed on lemon-peel. A little brandy may be added, and a little grated nutmeg on the top in any case, whatever the flavouring.

Boiled And Baked Custard Pudding

Instead of thickening as above, the mixture can be boiled in a basin (see 24), or baked in the oven. In this case the mixture will set, and not be liquid.

Dabs

Dabs are small flat fish caught near the sea. They are best fried quite plain (see No. 6), or boiled, and sent to table in the water in which they were boiled. (See Flounders, Souchet).

To Devil

To devil anything is to make it very hot by means of cayenne pepper, ordinary pepper, mustard, etc., as well as by fire. Cold meat is devilled by sprinkling it with mixed cayenne, black pepper, and salt; then rubbing the meat with French mustard, and making it hot through over a gridiron. Sometimes the pepper, etc, is mixed with butter, the meat sliced in gashes, and the mixture inserted in the gashes; then grilled.

Drumsticks of fowls should be cut in gashes longways, the mixture inserted - say, French mustard and cayenne - then buttered, and grilled.