Page:Peterson's Magazine 1862.pdf/505

 RECEIPTS

FOR FISH AND VEGETABLES.

To Blacken the Fronts of Stone Chimney-Pieces.- Mix oil-varnish with lamp-black, and a little spirit of turpentine to thin it to the consistency of paint. Wash the stone with soap and water very clean ; then sponge it with clear water; and when perfectly dry brush it over twice with this color, letting it dry between the times. The lampblack must be sifted first. Delicious Saline Draughts.- Take twenty grains of carbonate of soda, and an equal quantity of white sugar. twenty-five grains of either lemon or tartaric acid; mix this in two glasses of water as usual. If you substitute half a lemon for the acid, it will be a still more delicious draught, and very refreshing in hot weather, or when feverish. Dandelion Beer.-Take of dandelion roots, well washed, two ounces ; boil them in six quarts of water for thirty minutes; strain, and add one pound of molasses, and half an ounce of yeast : to be put in a bottle and left to ferment for twelve hours. To be drank night and morning.

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RECEIPTS FOR VEGETABLES. To Boil, or rather Simmer, as gently as possible, the seed of the Dwarf Scarlet Runner.-Boil in soft water, for, should the water be hard, they will take four hours; and, unless they are stewed gently, they will break and be spoiled. Put an onion shred fine into a stewpan, with a piece ofbutter rolled in flour ; let it stew until tender, then add the beans to it, with a little hot water ; stir it until it simmers together for a few minutes ; then add a little salt, a tea or dessertspoonful of vinegar, a few chives or a chalot minced fine, and a sufficient quantity of parsley to give it a green color. Serve up the beans very hot, either in a covered dish or under roast mutton. Scarlet Runners, though less delicate, are by many preferred to French beans. They are boiled in the same manmer for quarter of an hour or twenty minutes ; and when tender, a good homely way of preparing them for the table is to place them for some short time in the dripping-pan under any meat that is roasting; add pepper and salt; or, when boiled, mince and stew them in beef gravy. French Beans.-Cut off the ends and stalks ; divide in half, or shred them, according to fancy; lay them in salt and water, and, when the saucepan boils, put them in with some salt. As soon as they are done, serve them immediately, to preserve the green color. Or:-When half- done, drain the water off, put them into two spoonfuls of broth strained, and add a little cream, butter, and flour ; stew gently till tender. Cabbages are of various sorts and differently dressed, but the most common mode is plainly boiled. If the cabbage be large and old, or strongly-flavored, it will take an hour to boil. It should be boiled in two waters, removing the first when the cabbage is half-done, and replacing it with an equal quantity boiling hot. The water should also be frequently skimmed. All green vegetables should be boiled uncovered. Brussels Sprouts are a small species of cabbage, not larger than a walnut, and growing upon a tall single stalk. They are boiled in a few minutes, and may be served up either plain or covered with white sauce. To Mash Parsnips.-Boil them tender; rub the skin off; then mash them into a stewpan with a little cream, a good piece of butter, pepper and salt. Sprouts, or Greens, will be done in fifteen to twenty minutes, but do not require skimming. www

RECEIPTS FOR FISH. Fish-Cutlets.-Chop a considerable quantity of herbs with a small piece of onion, season it with pepper and salt, and put it into a stewpan with two ounces of butter; as the butter is melting add a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies. Do not allow the butter to more than melt, and mix the whole well together ; then cut any kind of white fish, dressed or raw, into handsome cutlets, and, when the herb seasoning is nearly cold, spread it on the fish thickly with a knife; dredge the fish with breadcrumbs, and cook them on butter-pans in an oven, or before the fire. Stew a few silver button-onions, or a chopped onion, with any green vegetables in season, cut it into dice in a little broth, add nasturtiums and a little of the pickle; keep them in the middle of a dish, and lay the cutlets round. Or:-Take any fish previously dressed, pull it in pieces, and mix it with a little good stock, and any fish sauce which may have been left from table ; spread it on a flat dish, brush it with egg and sprinkle thick with breadcrumbs, cut it out in cutlets, and fry brown. Fish Cake.-Cut the meat from the bones, put them, the head and the fins, over the fire to stew for gravy, with a pint of water, an onion, herbs, pepper, and salt. Mince the meat, put to it one-third part of crumbs of bread, a little minced onion, parsley, pepper, salt, and a very small bit of mace : mix well, and make it into a cake with white of egg FASHIONS FOR JUNE. and a little melted butter ; cover it with raspings, and fry FIG. 1.-OUT-DOOR DRESS OF BUFF PIQUE, OR MARSEILLES, it a pale brown, keeping a plate on the top while doing. Then lay it in a stewpan, with the fish gravy, and stew it for the country. It is trimmed with five rows of black gently quarter of an hour ; turn it twice, but with great velvet ribbons, and with black velvet buttons. The straw care not to break it : cover it closely while stewing. Cake hat is trimmed with latticed work of black velvet around of dressed meat, done in the same way, is remarkably good.the brim, and with buff and black feathers. Curried Cod.-Take two slices of large cod, or the reFIG. II.- HOUSE DRESS OF PEARL-COLORED GRENADINE.mains of any cold fish ; three ounces of butter, one onion, The skirt is trimmed with flounces. Above the lower four sliced, a teacupful of white stock, thickening of butter and is a quilling of mauve ribbon ; then there are three more flour, one tablespoonful of curry-powder, quarter of a pint flounces with another quilling of ribbon above them. The of cream, salt and cayenne to taste. Flake the fish, and body is low in the neck, with short sleeves, and over it is fry it of a nice brown color with the butter and onions; worn a white body, embroidered and trimmed with quillput this in a stewpan, add the stock and thickening, andings of mauve ribbon. The sash is also trimmed to corressimmer for ten minutes. Stir the curry-powder into the pond with the body. FIG. III.- HOUSE DRESS OF BLACK SILK.-The skirt is cream ; put it, with the seasoning, to the other ingredients; braided around the bottom and up the front in a Greek give one boil, and serve. Potted Salmon.-Skin the salmon, and clean it thoroughly border put on in white braid ; on each side of this braiding by wiping with a cloth (water would spoil it), cut it into there is a black lace insertion over white silk. The ornasquare pieces, which rub with salt. Let them remain till ments down the front of the dress are of black lace, edged thoroughly drained, and lay them in a dish with the other with white lace. A pointed Marie de Medici waist, which, ingredients, and bake. When quite done, drain them from as well as the small Zouave jacket, is also braided in white. the gravy, press into pots for use, let the salmon remain An under-body of white plaited muslin has a small ruffle till cold, then pour over it clarified butter. Cook rather around the neck. A dress of this kind braided in purple, more than half an hour. or green, is very beautiful.