Stilton Cheese

This is the king of English cheeses, and, therefore, as it commands a large price, subject to worthless imitations. Although Stilton takes its name from a town of that name in Huntingdon, it is chiefly manufactured near Melton Mowbray, in other parts of Leicestershire, and in Nottinghamshire. It is made in the shape of a cylinder, twice as long as broad, weighing about twelve pounds, and having a very rough, irregular whitish rind. When it is cut, the substance should be white, friable, yet mellow, and marked with greenish blue veins. According to the prevalence of these, the cheese will be judged; but as Stilton takes from three to six months to ripen, many experiments have been tried to give it the appearance of age, though the cheese itself may be young. Rich new milk, to which a proportion of cream is added, the quality varying in proportion to the skill used in its manufacture. The milk is set at ninety degrees Fahrenheit, the curd is broken down in about an hour, and removed into large strainer cloths, from which the whey gradually escapes. As the curd becomes firm, it is broken up and aired until it is sufficiently acid for salting and placing in vats. The vats, hoops or moulds, are filled by hand, and turned regularly until the cheese can be removed, and it is then covered with a clean binder every day until the crust commences to form, when it goes into the curing-room, and there it ripens better when the temperature is well maintained at from fifty-three to fifty-five degrees.

"Strohl" Cheese

Rub together six ounces of butter and six ounces of flour, and add six ounces of grated Parmesan cheese and a small quantity of cayenne, and after this is well mixed, add the yolks of three eggs and one tablespoonful of raw cream, working all together well. Roll the paste out thin, divide it into strips about five inches long, put these on a baking-sheet, and bake in a brisk oven. When they are done, put them on a dish with a folded napkin on it, and serve.

Almonds And Raisins For Dessert

The finest quality of Valencia raisins, in good bunches, with a purple bloom on the fruit, are requisite for this purpose. Pile up the bunches on the dish in the form of a pyramid upon a lace-pattern dessert paper, and strew well-blanched almonds over and between the bunches.

Salted And "Deviled" Almonds

Blanch and dry in a cloth as many Jordan almonds as may be required, put them into a fryingpan with a little butter and fry them until they are of a delicate fawn color. Then pour them into a colander and sprinkle them over immediately with fine table salt, tossing them as they are sprinkled. Serve hot or cold in little trays with cheese. To devil them, mix with the salt twice the quantity of cayenne pepper and sprinkle as before.

Boiled Chestnuts

Wash thoroughly two or three pounds of chestnuts, make two cuts through the stem end of the shells, crossing each other so that the shells can be easily stripped off; tie the nuts in a napkin and boil in salted water until tender. Take them up, turn them into a fresh napkin laid in a salad-bowl and serve hot with fresh butter and salt. Claret wine should go with them.