thick slice of the ice from the top carefully, and without breaking, so that it may be replaced on the ice. Scoop out a large portion of the ice which may be mixed with the gooseberry cream, and fill the hollow with it. Cover the shape with the piece that was removed and serve. This is an elegant dish, the ice should be prepared in a round mould–brown-bread ice is particularly well adapted to a Juditha.
* * * * *
TOURTE A LA CREME.
This is a fashionable and delicate description of tart. A couple of round cutters about the size of a pie plate are required for it, one of the cutters must be about two inches smaller than the other, if they are fluted the tourte will have a better appearance.
Roll out some very rich puff paste to the thickness of one inch, and cut two pieces with the larger tin cutter, then press the smaller cutter through one of these pieces, and remove the border which will be formed round it; this must be laid very evenly upon the other piece of paste, and slightly pressed to make it adhere; place the tourte in an oven to bake for about twenty minutes, then let it become cool, but not cold, and fill it with a fine custard or with any rich preserves; if the latter, a well whipped cream may be laid lightly over; the pastry may be glazed if approved.
* * * * *
THE GROSVENOR PUDDING.
Beat half a pound of butter with the same quantity of white sugar until it is like cream, then beat up five eggs and add them with half a pound of flour, a quarter of a pound of currants, two ounces of candied orange and lemon peel cut in thin slices, and a few drops of lemon essence; when these ingredients are well mixed and beaten, butter a pudding tin, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderately quick oven.
* * * * *
CITRON PUDDING.
Cut in slices two ounces of citron, the same quantity of candied orange and lemon peel, add to them four ounces of loaf sugar, and four of fresh butter; line a dish with fine puff paste, and beat up to a froth the yolks of four eggs and the whites of two, fill the dish with these ingredients and bake half an hour. The dish should be shallow.
* * * * *
STEWED PEARS.
Peel, core, and quarter a dozen fine large baking pears, put them into a stewpan with half a pound of white sugar and sufficient cold water to cover them; with a small quantity of the peelings, a few cloves, and a little cochineal tied up in a muslin bag, let them stew gently, and closely covered until tender.
* * * * *
BAKED PEARS.
Peel them and stick a couple of cloves in each pear, place them in a deep dish, with half a pound of brown sugar and a little water, let them bake till quite tender.
* * * * *
STEWED PIPPINS.
Peel the pippins and stew them gently with a little water, white sugar, and a little lemon peel; preserve is usually used to ornament the top of each apple; they should, when done, look white and rather transparent.
* * * * *
SIESTA CAKE.
Take one pound of butter, warm it over the fire with a little milk, put it into a pan with a pound of flour, six eggs, a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds finely pounded, and two table-spoonsful of yeast; beat these ingredients well together into a light paste, and set it before the fire to rise, butter the inside of a pan, and fill it with alternate layers of the paste, and of pounded almonds, sugar, citron, and cinnamon; when baked, and while hot, make holes through the siesta with a small silver skewer, taking care not to break it, and pour over clarified sugar till it is perfectly soaked through.
* * * * *
A PLAIN BOLA.
Take three quarters of a pound of white sugar, three quarters of a pound of fresh butter, two eggs, one pound and a half of flour, three spoonsful of yeast, a little milk, and two ounces of citron cut thin, and mix into a light paste; bake in a tin, and strew powdered sugar and cinnamon over it before baking.
The above ingredients are often baked in small tins or cups.
* * * * *
ALMOND TEA-CAKES.
Take half-a-pound of flour, three ounces of which are to be put aside for rolling out the cakes, the other five ounces, with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, are to be set before the fire for a few minutes; after which mix with it half a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, chopped fine, and a couple of eggs; make these ingredients into thin cakes, and strew over them ground almonds and white sugar, and bake in a brisk oven.
* * * * *
OIL TWIST.
Take half a quartern of dough, one gill of the best Florence oil, half a pound of currants, half a pound of moist sugar, and a little cinnamon; mix all well together, make it up in the form of a twist, and bake it.
* * * * *
CINNAMON CAKES.
Rub half a pound of fresh butter into a pound of flour; work it well together, then add half a pound of sifted sugar, and a tea-spoonful of pounded cinnamon, and make it into a paste, with three eggs; roll it, and cut into small cakes, with tin cutters.
* * * * *
RICH PLUM CAKE.
Beat to a cream one pound of butter, to which add the same quantity of sifted loaf sugar and of fine flour, the whites of ten eggs beaten to a froth, and the yolks of the same also beaten till quite smooth and thin, and half a nutmeg grated; lastly, work in one pound of well-washed currants, half a pound of mixed candied peels, cut small, and a glass of brandy; bake for two hours.
* * * * *
DIET-BREAD CAKE.
Beat together five eggs and half a pound of white sugar, then add six ounces of flour well dried and sifted, a little lemon-juice and grated lemon-peel; bake in a moderate oven.
* * * * *
DROP CAKES.
Mix one pound of flour with the same quantity of butter, sugar, and currants; make these into a paste with a couple of eggs, add a little orange flower-water and a little white wine; if the paste is likely to be too thin when two eggs are used, omit the white of one; drop the mixture when ready on a tin plate, and bake.
* * * * *
A COMMON CAKE.
Rub in with one pound of flour six ounces of butter, and two tea-spoonsful of yeast, to a paste; set it to rise, then mix in five eggs, half a pound of sugar, and a quarter of a pint of milk; add currants or carraways, and beat well together. If required to be richer, put more butter and eggs, and add candied citron and lemon-peel.
* * * * *
A SODA CAKE.
Mix with the above ingredients one drachm of soda, which should be rubbed in with the flour. This is reckoned a wholesome cake, and half the quantity of eggs are required, or it may be rendered a fine rich cake by increasing the quantity of eggs, butter, and fruit.
* * * * *
A PLAIN CAKE.
Work into two pounds of dough a quarter of a pound of sugar, the same of butter; add a couple of eggs, and bake in a tin.
* * * * *
A POUND CAKE.
Beat to cream a pound of butter and a pound of sifted loaf sugar; add eight beaten eggs, stir in lightly three quarters of a pound of flour, beat well together, and bake for one hour in a brisk oven; currants may be added if, approved.
* * * * *
BUTTER CAKES.
Take equal quantities of butter and sugar, say half a pound of each, grate the rind of a lemon, add a little cinnamon, and as much flour as will form it into a paste, with spice and eggs; roll it out, cut it into two small cakes, and bake. A piece of candied orange or lemon-peel may be put on the top of each cake.
* * * * *
LITTLE SHORT CAKES.
Rub into a pound of flour four ounces of butter, four ounces of white powdered sugar, and two eggs; make it into a paste, roll it thin, and cut into small cakes with tin cutters. A little orange flower-water or sweet wine improve the flavour of these cakes.
* * * * *
MATSO CAKES.
Make a stiff paste with biscuit powder and milk and water; add a little butter, the yolk of an egg, and a little white sugar; cut into pieces, and mould with the hand, and bake in a brisk oven. These cakes should not be too thin.
* * * * *
ANOTHER SORT.
Warm a quarter of a pint of water flavoured with a little salt, in which mix four beaten eggs; then mix half a pound of matso flour, and a couple of lumps of white sugar, and half a teacup of milk; mix all well together, and bake in a tin.
* * * * *
FRIED MATSOS.
Soak some of the thickest matsos in milk, taking care they do not break; then fry in boiling fresh butter. This is a very nice method of preparing them for breakfast or tea.
* * * * *
MATSO DIET BREAD.
Simmer one pound of white sugar in a quarter of a pint of water, which pour hot upon eight well-beaten eggs; beat till cold, when add one pound of matso flour, a little grated lemon-peel, and bake in a papered tin, or in small tins; the cake must be removed while hot.
* * * * *
A CAKE WITHOUT BUTTER.
Beat well five eggs, to which add six ounces of flour; flavour with beaten almonds, and add, if liked, thin slices of citron; bake in a mould in a moderate oven.
* * * * *
SPONGE CAKES.
Mix six eggs, half the whites, half a pound of lump sugar, half a pound of flour, and a quarter of a pint of water, which should be strongly flavoured by lemon peel having been in it for some hours; the sugar and water should boil up together, and poured over the eggs after they have been well whisked, which must be continued while the liquid is being poured over them, and until they become quite thick and white, then stir in the flour, which must be warm and dry. Pour the mixture into a couple of cake tins, and bake in a gentle oven.
* * * * *
A NICE BREAKFAST CAKE.
Make a paste of half a pound of flour, one ounce of butter, a very little salt, two eggs, and a table-spoonful of milk, roll it out, but first set it to rise before the fire; cut it into cakes the size of small cheese plates, sprinkle with flour, and bake on a tin in a brisk oven, or they may be fried in a clean frying pan; they should be cut in half, buttered hot, and served quickly.
* * * * *
ICING FOR CAKES.
Whisk half a pound of sifted white sugar, with one wine glass of orange flower-water, and the whites of two eggs, well beaten and strained; it must be whisked until it is quite thick and white; and when the cake is almost cold, dip a soft camel’s hair brush into it, and cover the cake well, and set it in a cool oven to harden.
* * * * *
TO CLARIFY SUGAR.
Take the proportion of one pound of sugar to half a pint of water, with the whites of a couple of eggs; boil it up twice, then set it by for the impurities to rise to the top, and skim it carefully.
CHAPTER VIII.
Preserving and Bottling.
Attention and a little practice will ensure excellence in such preserves as are in general use in private families; and it will always be found a more economical plan to purchase the more rare and uncommon articles of preserved fruits than to have them made at home.
The more sugar that is added to fruit the less boiling it requires.
If jellies be over-boiled, much of the sugar will become candied, and leave the jelly thin.
Every thing used for the purpose of preserving should be clean and very dry, particularly bottles for bottled fruit.
Fruit should boil rapidly _before_ the sugar is added, and quietly afterwards–when preserves seem likely to become mouldy, it is generally a sign they have not been sufficiently boiled, and it will be requisite to boil them up again–fruit for bottling should not be too ripe, and should be perfectly fresh; there are various methods adopted by different cooks: the fruit may be placed in the bottles, and set in a moderate oven until considerably shrunken, when the bottles should be removed and closely corked; or the bottles may be set in a pan with cold water up to the necks, placed over the fire; when the fruit begins to sink remove them, and when cold fill up each bottle with cold spring water, cork the bottles, and lay them on their sides in a dry place.
To bottle red currants–pick them carefully from the stalk, and add, as the currants are put in, sifted white sugar; let the bottles be well filled and rosin the corks, and keep them with their necks downwards.
* * * * *
BRANDIED CHERRIES.
Put into a large wide mouthed bottle very ripe black cherries, add to them two pounds of loaf sugar, a quart of brandy, and a few cloves, then bruise a few more cherries, and simmer with sugar, strain and add the juice to the cherries in the bottle, cork closely, and keep in a warm dry place.
* * * * *
QUINCE MARMALADE.
Peel, cut into quarters, and core two pounds of sharp apples, and the same quantity of quinces; put them into a jar, with one pound of white sugar powdered and sprinkled over them; cover them with half a pint of water, and put in also a little bruised cochineal tied in a muslin. Set them in a slack oven till tender, take out the cochineal, and pulp the fruit to a marmalade.
Some cooks prefer boiling the sugar and water first and scalding the fruit till tender, and then adding them to the syrup.
* * * * *
DAMSON MARMALADE.
Is made in the same manner as quince, as also apricot marmalade, which is very fine; the fruit must be stoned, and some of the kernels put in with the fruit, which are peeled, and apricots are cut in pieces; they should be carefully pulped through a clean sieve.
* * * * *
PRESERVED APRICOTS.
Halve and pare ripe apricots, or if not quite ripe, boil them till the skin can easily be removed. Lay them in a dish hollow downwards, sift over them their own weight of white sugar, let them lay for some hours, then put the fruit, with the sugar and juice into a preserving pan, and simmer till the fruit is clear, take it out, put it carefully into pots, and pour over the syrup.
This receipt will serve as a guide for preserved nectarines, peaches, plums, gages, &c. A few of the kernels should always be put in with the fruit, as they improve the flavor of the preserve.
* * * * *
STRAWBERRIES PRESERVED WHOLE.
Weigh an equal quantity of fruit and white sugar powdered, sift all the sugar over the fruit, so that half of it shall equally be covered, let it lay till the next day, when boil the remainder with red currant juice, in which simmer the strawberries until the jelly hangs about them. Put the strawberries into pots, taking care not to break them, and pour over the syrup.
This receipt will serve for raspberries and cherries, which make a fine preserve.
* * * * *
STRAWBERRY JAM.
Bruise gently, with the back of a wooden spoon, six pounds of fine fresh fruit, and boil them with very little water for twenty minutes, stirring until the fruit and juice are well mixed; then put in powdered loaf sugar of equal weight to the fruit, and simmer half an hour longer. If the preserve is not required to be very rich, half the weight of sugar in proportion to the quantity of fruit may be used; but more boiling will be requisite. By this recipe also are made raspberry, currant, gooseberry, apricot, and other jams.
* * * * *
RED CURRANT JELLY.
Strip carefully from the stems some quite ripe currants, put them into a preserving pan, stir them gently over a clear fire until the juice flows freely from them, then squeeze the currants and strain the juice through a folded muslin or jelly bag; pour it into a preserving pan, adding, as it boils, white sugar, in the proportion of one pound of sugar to one pint of juice.
If made with less sugar, more boiling will be required, by which much juice and flavour are lost. A little dissolved isinglass is used by confectioners, but it is much better without. Jams and jellies should be poured into pots when in a boiling state.
Jellies should be continually skimmed till the scum ceases to rise, so that they may be clear and fine. White currant jelly and black are made in the same manner as red. By this receipt can be made raspberry jelly, strawberry jelly, and all other kinds.
* * * * *
APPLE JELLY.
Pare, core, and cut small any kind of fine baking apples–say six pounds in weight; put them in a preserving pan with one quart of water; boil gently till the apples are very soft and broken, then pass the juice through a jelly bag; when, to each pint, add half a pound of loaf sugar, set it on the fire to boil twenty minutes, skimming it as the scum rises; it must not be over boiled, or the colour will be too dark.
* * * * *
PEAR-SYRUP OR JELLY.
This preparation, although little known in England, forms an important article of economy in many parts of the Continent. The pears are first heated in a saucepan over the fire until the pulp, skins, &c., have separated from the juice, which is then strained, and boiled with coarse brown sugar to the thickness of treacle; but it has a far more agreeable flavour. It is cheaper than butter or treacle, and is excellent spread upon bread for children.
* * * * *
PLUM JAM.
This is a useful and cheap preserve. Choose the large long black plum; to each gallon of which add three pounds of good moist sugar; bake them till they begin to crack, when, put them in pots, of a size for once using, as the air is apt to spoil the jam.
CHAPTER IX.
Pickling.
The best vinegar should always be used for pickling; in all cases it should be boiled and strained.
The articles to be pickled should first be parboiled or soaked in brine, which should have about six ounces of salt to one quart of water.
The spices used for pickling are whole pepper, long peppers, allspice, mace, mustard-seed, and ginger, the last being first bruised.
The following is a good proportion of spice: to one quart of vinegar put half an ounce of ginger, the same quantity of whole-pepper and allspice, and one ounce of mustard-seed; four shalots, and one clove of garlic.
Pickles should be kept secure from the air, or they soon become soft; the least quantity of water, or a wet spoon, put into a jar of pickles, will spoil the contents.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE GHERKINS AND FRENCH BEANS.
These are, of all vegetables, the most difficult to pickle, so that their green colour and freshness may be preserved. Choose some fine fresh gherkins, and set them to soak in brine for a week; then drain them, and pour over boiling vinegar, prepared with the usual spices, first having covered them with fresh vine leaves. If they do not appear to be of a fine green, pour off the vinegar, boil it up again, cover the gherkins with fresh green vine leaves, and pour over the vinegar again. French beans are pickled exactly the same.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE CAULIFLOWERS.
Remove the stalks and leaves, break the flower into pieces, parboil them in brine, then drain them, and lay them in a jar, and pour over boiling spiced vinegar.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE MELON MANGOES.
Cut the melons in half, remove the pulpy part and the seeds, soak the halves for a week in strong brine, then fill them with the usual spices, mustard-seed and garlic, and tie them together with packthread; put them in jars, and pour over boiling spiced vinegar. Large cucumbers may be pickled in the same way.
* * * * *
PICCALILI.
Pickle gherkins, French beans, and cauliflower, separately, as already directed; the other vegetables used are carrots, onions, capsicums, white cabbage, celery, and, indeed almost any kind may be put into this pickle, except walnuts and red cabbage. They must be cut in small pieces, and soaked in brine, the carrots only, requiring to be boiled in it to make them tender; then prepare a liquor as follows: into half a gallon of vinegar put two ounces of ginger, one of whole black pepper, one of whole allspice, and one of bruised chillies, three ounces of shalots, and one ounce of garlic; boil together nearly twenty minutes; mix a little of it in a basin, with two ounces of flour of mustard and one ounce of turmeric, and stir it in gradually with the rest; then pour the liquor over the vegetables.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE MUSHROOMS.
Choose small button mushrooms, clean and wipe them, and throw them into cold water, then put into a stewpan with a little salt, and cover them with distilled vinegar, and simmer a few minutes. Put them in bottles with a couple of blades or so of mace, and when cold, cork them closely.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ONIONS.
Choose all of a size and soak in boiling brine, when cold, drain them and put them in bottles, and fill up with hot distilled vinegar; if they are to be _white_, use white wine vinegar; if they are to be _brown_, use the best distilled vinegar, adding, in both cases, a little mace, ginger, and whole pepper.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE WHITE AND RED CABBAGE.
Take off the outside leaves, cut out the stalk, and shred the cabbage into a cullender, sprinkle with salt, let it remain for twenty-four hours, then drain it. Put it into jars, and fill up with boiling vinegar, prepared with the usual spices; if the cabbage is red, a little cochineal powdered, or a slice or two of beet-root is necessary to make the pickle a fine colour; if it is white cabbage, add instead, a little turmeric powder.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE WALNUTS.
Soak in brine for a week, prick them, and simmer in brine, then let them lay on a sieve to drain, and to turn black, after which place them in jars, and pour over boiling spiced vinegar.
* * * * *
AN OLD WAY OF PICKLING CUCUMBERS.
Cut the cucumbers in small pieces, length ways, with the peel left on; lay them in salt for twenty-four hours, then dry the pieces with a cloth, lay them in a deep dish, and pour over the following mixture: some vinegar boiled with cayenne pepper, whole ginger, a little whole pepper, and mustard seed, a few West India pickles are by some considered an improvement. This mixture should stand till nearly cold before covering the cucumbers, which should then be bottled. This pickle is fit for eating a few days after it is made, and will also keep good in a dry place as long as may be required.
CHAPTER X.
Receipts for Invalids.
BEEF TEA.
Cut one pound of fleshy beef in dice, or thin slices, simmer for a short time without water, to extract the juices, then add, by degrees, one quart of water, a little salt, a piece of lemon peel, and a sprig of parsley, are the only necessary seasonings; if the broth is required to be stronger put less water.
* * * * *
CHICKEN PANADA.
Boil a chicken till rather more than half done in a quart of water, take of the skin, cut off the white parts when cold, and pound it to a paste in a mortar, with a small quantity of the liquor it was boiled in, season with salt, a little nutmeg, and the least piece of lemon peel; boil it gently, and make it with the liquor in which the fowl has been boiled of the required consistency. It should be rather thicker than cream.
* * * * *
CHICKEN BROTH.
After the white parts have been removed for the panada, return the rest of the chicken to the saucepan, with the liquid, add one blade of mace, one slice only of onion, a little salt, and a piece of lemon peel; carefully remove every particle of fat. Vermicelli is very well adapted for this broth.
* * * * *
RESTORATIVE JELLIES.
There are various kinds of simple restorative jellies suited to an invalid, among the best are the following:–
* * * * *
HARTSHORN JELLY.
Boil half a pound of hartshorn shavings in two quarts of water over a gentle fire until it becomes thick enough to hang about a spoon, then strain it into a clean saucepan and add half a pint of sherry wine, and a quarter of a pound of white sugar, clear it by stirring in the whites of a couple of eggs, whisked to a froth; boil it for about four or five minutes, add the juice of three lemons, and stir all together, when it is well curdled, strain it and pour into the mould, if the color is required to be deeper than the wine will make it, a little saffron may be boiled in it.
* * * * *
BARLEY JELLY.
Boil in an iron saucepan, one tea-cup full of pearl barley, with one quart of cold water, pour off the water when it boils, and add another quart, let it simmer very gently for three hours over or near a slow fire, stirring it frequently with a wooden spoon, strain it, and sweeten with white sugar, add the juice of a lemon, a little white wine, and a quarter of an ounce of isinglass dissolved in a little water, and pour it into a mould. This is a very nourishing jelly.
* * * * *
CAUDLE.
Make a fine smooth gruel of grits, with a few spices boiled in it, strain it carefully and warm as required, adding white wine and a little brandy, nutmeg, lemon peel, and sugar, according to taste, some persons put the yolk of an egg.
* * * * *
RICE CAUDLE.
Boil half a pint of milk, add a spoonful of ground rice mixed with a little milk till quite smooth, stir it into the boiling milk, let it simmer till it thickens, carefully straining it, and sweeten with white sugar.
* * * * *
BARLEY MILK.
Boil half a pound of pearl barley in one quart of new milk, taking care to parboil it first in water, which must be poured off, sweeten with white sugar. This is better made with pearl barley than the prepared barley.
* * * * *
RESTORATIVE MILK.
Boil a quarter of an ounce of isinglass in a pint of new milk till reduced to half, and sweeten with sugar candy.
* * * * *
MILK PORRIDGE.
Make a fine gruel with new milk without adding any water, strain it when sufficiently thick, and sweeten with white sugar. This is extremely nutritive and fattening.
* * * * *
WINE WHEY.
Set on the fire in a saucepan a pint of milk, when it boils, pour in as much white wine as will turn it into curds, boil it up, let the curds settle, strain off, and add a little boiling water, and sweeten to taste.
* * * * *
TAMARIND WHEY.
Boil three ounces of tamarinds in two pints of milk, strain off the curds, and let it cool. This is a very refreshing drink.
* * * * *
PLAIN WHEY.
Put into boiling milk as much lemon juice or vinegar as will turn it, and make the milk clear, strain, add hot water, and sweeten.
* * * * *
ORGEAT.
Beat three ounces of almonds with a table-spoonful of orange-flour water, and one bitter almond; then pour one pint of new milk, and one pint of water to the paste, and sweeten with sifted white sugar; half an ounce of gum-arabic is a good addition for those who have a tender chest.
* * * * *
IRISH MOSS.
Boil half an ounce of carrageen or Irish moss, in a pint and a half of water or milk till it is reduced to a pint; it is a most excellent drink for delicate persons or weakly children.
* * * * *
A FINE SOFT DRINK FOR A COUGH.
Add to a quarter of a pint of new milk warmed, a beaten new laid egg, with a spoonful of capillaire, and the same of rose water.
* * * * *
A REFRESHING DRINK.
Cut four large apples in slices, and pour over a quart of boiling water, let them stand till cold, strain the liquor, and sweeten with white sugar; a little lemon peel put with the apples improves the flavour.
* * * * *
A VERY FINE EMMOLIENT DRINK.
Wash and rinse extremely well one ounce of pearl barley, then put to it one ounce of sweet almonds beaten fine, and a piece of lemon peel, boil together till the liquor is of the thickness of cream and perfectly smooth, then put in a little syrup of lemon and capillaire.
* * * * *
A COOLING DRINK IN FEVER.
Put a little tea-sage, and a couple of sprigs of balm into a jug, with a lemon thinly sliced, and the peel cut into strips, pour over a quart of boiling water, sweeten and let it cool.
APPENDIX.
FRENCH METHOD OF MAKING COFFEE.
Take in the proportion of one ounce of the berries to half a pint of water, and grind them at the instant of using them. Put the powder into a coffee biggin, press it down closely, and pour over a little water sufficient to moisten it, and then add the remainder by degrees; the water must be perfectly boiling all the time; let it run quite through before the top of the percolator is taken off, it must be served with an equal quantity of boiling milk. Coffee made in this manner is much clearer and better flavored than when boiled, and it is a much more economical method than boiling it.
* * * * *
A FRENCH RECEIPT FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE.
Take one ounce of chocolate, cut it in small pieces, and boil it about six or seven minutes with a small teacup full of water; stir it till smooth, then add nearly a pint of good milk, give it another boil, stirring or milling it well, and serve directly. If required very thick, a larger proportion of chocolate must be used.
* * * * *
EGG WINE.
Beat a fresh egg, and add it to a tumbler of white wine and water, sweetened and spiced; set it on the fire, stir it gently one way until it thickens; this, with toast, forms a light nutritive supper.
* * * * *
MULLED WINE.
Boil a little spice, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, in water, till the flavor is gained, then add wine, as much as may be approved, sugar and nutmeg; a strip or two of orange rind cut thin will be found a great improvement.
* * * * *
TO MAKE PUNCH.
To make one quart, provide two fine fresh lemons, and rub off the outer peel upon a few lumps of sugar; put the sugar into a bowl with four ounces of powdered sugar, upon which press the juice of the lemons, and pour over one pint and a half of very hot water that _has not boiled_, then add a quarter of a pint of rum, and the same quantity of brandy; stir well together and strain it, and let it stand a few minutes before it is drank.
Whiskey punch is made after the same method; the juice and thin peel of a Seville orange add variety of flavor to punch, particularly of whiskey punch.
* * * * *
MILK PUNCH.
Put into a quart of new milk the thinly pared rind of a lemon, and four ounces of lump sugar; let it boil slowly, remove the peel, and stir in the yolks of two eggs, previously mixed with a little cold milk; add by degrees a tea-cup full of rum, the same of brandy; mill the punch to a fine froth, and serve immediately in quite warm glasses. The punch must not be allowed to boil after the eggs have been added.
* * * * *
A FRENCH PLUM PIE.
Stew one pound of fine dried French plums until tender, in water, rather more than enough to cover, with one glass of port wine, and four ounces of white sugar, which must however not be added until the plums are quite tender, then pour them with the liquor into a pie-dish, and cover with a rich puff paste, and bake.
* * * * *
ROASTED CHESTNUTS FOR DESSERTS.
Chestnuts are so frequently sent to table uneatable, that we will give the French receipt for them. They should be first boiled for five minutes, and then finish them in a pan over the fire; they will after the boiling require exactly fifteen minutes roasting; the skin must be slightly cut before they are cooked.
* * * * *
TO ROAST PARTRIDGES AND PHEASANTS.
They may be either _pique_ or not; partridges require roasting rather more than half an hour, pheasants three-quarters, if small, otherwise an hour; they are served with bread sauce.
Partridges may be stewed as pigeons.
* * * * *
TO ROAST VENISON.
Wipe the venison dry, sprinkle with salt, and cover with writing paper rubbed with clarified fat; cover this with a thick paste made of flour and water, round which, tie with packthread white kitchen paper, so as to prevent the paste coming off; set the venison before a strong fire, and baste it directly and continue until it is nearly done, then remove the paper, paste, &c.; draw the venison nearer the fire, dredge it with flour, and continue basting; it should only take a light brown, and should be rather under than over-done; a large haunch requires from three to four hours roasting, a small one not above three. Serve with the knuckle, garnished with a fringe of white paper, and with gravy and red currant jelly, either cold or melted, in port wine, and served hot.
* * * * *
A VENISON PASTY.
Having baked or boiled two hours in broth, with a little seasoning, any part selected, cut the meat in pieces, season with cayenne pepper, salt, pounded mace, and a little allspice, place it into a deep dish; lay over thin slices of mutton fat, and pour a little strong beef gravy flavored with port wine into the dish; cover with a thick puff paste, and bake.
* * * * *
SALMON PIE.
Cut two pounds of fine fresh salmon in slices about three quarters of an inch thick, and set them aside on a dish, clean and scrape five or six anchovies and halve them, then chop a small pottle of mushrooms, a handful of fresh parsley, a couple of shalots, and a little green thyme. Put these together into a saucepan, with three ounces of butter, a little pepper, salt, nutmeg, and tarragon; add the juice of a lemon, and half a pint of good brown gravy, and let the whole simmer, gently stirring it all the time; also slice six eggs boiled hard, then line a pie-dish with good short paste, and fill it with alternate layers of the slices of salmon, hard eggs, and fillets of anchovies, spreading between each layer the herb sauce, then cover the dish with the paste, and bake in a moderately heated oven.
* * * * *
CHICKEN PUDDING.
Line a basin with a good beef-suet paste, and fill it with chicken, prepared in the following way: cut up a small chicken, lightly fry the pieces, then place them in a stew-pan, with thin slices of _chorissa_, or, if at hand, slices of smoked veal, add enough good beef gravy to cover them; season with mushroom essence or powder, pepper, salt, and a very small quantity of nutmeg, and mace; simmer gently for a quarter of an hour, and fill the pudding; pour over part of the gravy and keep the rest to be poured over the pudding when served in the dish. The pudding, when filled, must be covered closely with the paste, the ends of which should be wetted with a paste brush to make it adhere closely.
* * * * *
A FINE BEEFSTEAK PIE.
Cut two pounds of beef steaks into large collops, fry them quickly over a brisk fire, then place them in a dish in two or three layers, strewing between each, salt, pepper, and mushroom powder; pour over a pint of strong broth, and a couple of table-spoonsful of Harvey-sauce; cover with a good beef suet paste, and bake for a couple of hours.
The most delicate manner of preparing suet for pastry is to clarify it, and use it as butter; this will be found a very superior method for meat pastry.
* * * * *
AN EASY RECEIPT FOR A CHARLOTTE RUSSE.
Trim straitly about six ounces of savoy biscuits, so that they may fit closely to each other; line the bottom and sides of a plain mould with them, then fill it with a fine cream made in the following manner: put into a stewpan three ounces of ratafias, six of sugar, the grated rind of half an orange, the same quantity of the rind of a lemon, a small piece of cinnamon, a wine-glass full of good maraschino, or fine noyeau, one pint of cream, and the well beaten yolks of six eggs; stir this mixture for a few minutes over a stove fire, and then strain it, and add half a pint more cream, whipped, and one ounce of dissolved isinglass. Mix the whole well together, and set it in a basin imbedded in rough ice; when it has remained a short time in the ice fill the mould with it, and then place the mould in ice, or in a cool place, till ready to serve.
* * * * *
ANOTHER EXCELLENT RECEIPT FOR A FRUIT CHARLOTTE.
Line a jelly mould with fine picked strawberries, which must first be just dipped into some liquid jelly, to make them adhere closely, then fill the mould with some strawberry cream, prepared as follows: take a pottle of scarlet strawberries, mix them with half a pound of white sugar, rub this through a sieve, and add to it a pint of whipped cream, and one ounce and a half of dissolved isinglass; pour it into the mould, which must be immersed in ice until ready to serve, and then carefully turned out on the dish, and garnished according to fancy.
* * * * *
ICED PUDDING.
Parboil three quarters of a pound of Jordan almonds, and one quarter of bitter almonds, remove the skins and beat them up to a paste, with three quarters of a pound of white pounded sugar, add to this six yolks of beaten eggs, and one quart of boiled cream, stir the whole for a few minutes over a stove fire, strain it, and pour it into a freezing pot, used for making ices; it should be worked with a scraper, as it becomes set by freezing; when frozen sufficiently firm, fill a mould with it, cover it with the lid, and let it remain immersed in rough ice until the time for serving.
* * * * *
ITALIAN SALAD.
Cut up the white parts of a cold fowl, and mix it with mustard and cress, and a lettuce chopped finely, and pour over a fine salad mixture, composed of equal quantities of vinegar and the finest salad oil, salt, mustard, and the yolks of hard boiled eggs, and the yolk of one raw egg, mixed smoothly together; a little tarragon vinegar is then added, and the mixture is poured over the salad; the whites of the eggs are mixed, and serve to garnish the dish, arranged in small heaps alternately with heaps of grated smoked beef; two or three hard boiled eggs are cut up with the chicken in small pieces and mixed with the salad; this is a delicate and refreshing _entree_; the appearance of this salad may be varied by piling the fowl in the centre of the dish, then pour over the salad mixture, and make a wall of any dressed salad, laying the whites of the eggs (after the yolks have been removed for the mixture), cut in rings on the top like a chain.
THE TOILETTE.
CHAPTER I.
The Complexion.
The various cosmetics sold by perfumers, assuming such miraculous powers of beautifying the complexion, all contain, in different proportions, preparations of mercury, alcohol, acids, and other deleterious substances, which are highly injurious to the skin; and their continual application will be found to tarnish it, and produce furrows and wrinkles far more unsightly than those of age, beside which they are frequently absorbed by the vessels of the skin, enter the system, and seriously disturb the general health.
A fine fresh complexion is best ensured by the habitual use of soft water, a careful avoidance of all irritants, such as harsh winds, dust, smoke, a scorching sun, and fire heat; a strict attention to diet, regular ablutions, followed by friction, frequent bathing, and daily exercise, active enough to promote perspiration, which, by carrying off the vicious secretions, purifies the system, and perceptibly heightens the brilliancy of the skin.
These are the simple and rational means pursued by the females of the east to obtain a smooth and perfect skin, which is there made an object of great care and consideration. And it is a plan attended, invariably, with the most complete success.
Cosmetic baths, composed of milk, combined with various emollient substances are also in frequent use among the higher classes in the East; and we have been informed that they are gradually gaining favour in France and England. We shall give the receipt for one, as we received it from the confidential attendant of an English lady, who is in the habit of using it every week, and we can confidently recommend it to the notice of our readers.
The luxurious ladies of ancient Rome, who sacrificed so much time and attention to the adornment of their persons, always superintended the preparation of their cosmetics, which were of the most innocent and simple description–the first receipt we subjoin was one in general use with them, and will be found efficacious in removing roughness, or coarseness, arising from accidental causes, and imparting that polished smoothness so essential to beauty.
* * * * *
AN OLD ROMAN RECEIPT FOR IMPROVING THE SKIN.
Boil a dessert spoonful of the best wheaten flour with half a pint of fresh asses milk; when boiling, stir in a table-spoonful of the best honey, and a tea-spoonful of rose water, then mix smoothly, place in small pots, and use a little of it after washing; it is better not to make much at a time, as when stale it is liable to irritate the skin.
* * * * *
A VALUABLE RECEIPT FOR THE SKIN.
Boil in half a pint of new milk a thick slice of stale bread, and a tea-spoonful of gum arabic; when boiled, set it at a little distance from the fire to simmer almost to a jelly, then pass it through a folded muslin, and stir in a spoonful of oil of almonds, and the same quantity of honey, with a pinch of common salt; when cold it will be a stiff jelly. A little of this mixture warmed and spread upon the skin, about the thickness of a crown piece, and left on till it cools, will remove, like magic, all appearance of the dry scurf to which some of the finest skins are subject.
* * * * *
AN EMOLLIENT PASTE.
Blanch half a pound of sweet almonds, and two ounces of bitter almonds, and pound them in a mortar, then make them into a paste with rose water; this paste is a fine emollient.
* * * * *
A SUPERIOR OINTMENT FOR CHAPS, ROUGHNESS, ETC.
Mix with a gill of fresh cream a spoonful of beaten almonds; when perfectly smooth put it in toilette pots, and use as ointment for chaps, &c.; it will keep for a week if a little spirit of camphor is added to it.
* * * * *
WASH FOR PIMPLES.
Dissolve half a dram of salt of tartar in three ounces of spirit of wine, and apply with soft linen; this is an excellent wash for pimples, but, as these are in general the result of some derangement of the system, it will be wiser to discover and remedy the cause, than merely attending to the result.
* * * * *
LOTION FOR REMOVING FRECKLES.
Mix one dram of spirit of salts, half a pint of rain water, and half a tea-spoonful of spirit of lavender, and bottle for use. This lotion will often be efficacious in removing freckles.
* * * * *
COLD CREAM.
Warm gently together four ounces of oil of almonds, and one ounce of white wax, gradually adding four ounces of rose water; this is one of the best receipts for making cold cream.
* * * * *
A FINE SOAP.
Blanch and beat to a paste two ounces of bitter almonds, with a small piece of camphor, and one ounce and a half of tincture of Benjamin; add one pound of curd soap in shavings, and beat and melt well together, and pour into moulds to get cool; the above is a very fine soap.
* * * * *
LIP SALVE.
Mix together one ounce of white wax, the same of beef marrow, with a small piece of alkanet root tied up in muslin; perfume it according to fancy, strain, and pot while hot; the above is a fine salve for chapped lips.
* * * * *
CHESNUT PASTE FOR RENDERING THE HANDS WHITE AND SOFT.
Boil a dozen fine large chesnuts, peeled and skinned, in milk; when soft beat them till perfectly smooth with rose water; a tea-spoonful of this mixture thrown into the water before washing the hands renders them beautifully white and soft.
* * * * *
SUPERIOR MILK OF ROSES.
Boil fresh rose leaves in asses milk, and bottle it off for immediate use; it will be found far more efficacious than the milk of roses sold by perfumers.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT RECEIPT FOR LIP SALVE.
Melt one ounce of spermacetti, soften sufficiently with oil of almonds, color it with two or three grains of powdered cochineal, and pour while warm into small toilet pots. We mention the cochineal to colour the salve, it being usual to make lip salve of a pale rose colour, but we should consider it far more healing in its effects without it.
* * * * *
A COSMETIC BATH.
Boil slowly one pound of starwort in two quarts of water, with half a pound of linseed, six ounces of the roots of the water lily, and one pound of bean meal; when these have boiled for two hours, strain the liquor, and add to it two quarts of milk, one pint of rose water, and a wine glass of spirits of camphor; stir this mixture into a bath of about ninety-eight degrees.
* * * * *
SUPERIOR COLD CREAM.
Melt together one drachm of spermacetti, the same quantity of white wax, and two fluid ounces of oil of almond; while these are still warm, beat up with them as much rose water as they will absorb. This is a very healing kind of cold cream. The usual cold cream sold by perfumers is nothing more than lard, beat up with rose-water, which is heating and irritating to the skin.
* * * * *
PASTE FOR RENDERING THE SKIN SUPPLE AND SMOOTH (AN ENGLISH RECEIPT).
Mix half a pound of mutton or goose fat well boiled down and beaten up well with two eggs, previously whisked with a glass of rose-water; add a table-spoonful of honey, and as much oatmeal as will make it into a paste. Constant use of this paste will keep the skin delicately soft and smooth.
* * * * *
TO REMOVE TAN.
Cut a cucumber into pieces after having peeled it, and let the juice drain from it for twelve hours, pour it off, and add to it an equal quantity of orange flower-water, with a small piece of camphor dissolved in a wine-glass of soft water, bottle the mixture, and wash the parts that have been exposed to the sun two or three times in the twenty-four hours.
* * * * *
EAU DE COLOGNE.
Mix together one ounce of essence of bergamot, the same quantity of essence of lemon, lavender, and orange flower-water, two ounces of rosemary and honey-water, with one pint of spirits of wine; let the mixture stand a fortnight, after which put it into a glass retort, the body of which immerse in boiling water contained in a vessel placed over a lamp (a coffee lamp will answer the purpose), while the beak of the retort is introduced into a large decanter; keep the water boiling while the mixture distils into the decanter, which should be covered with cold wet cloths, in this manner excellent Eau de Cologne may be obtained at a very small expense.
* * * * *
TRANSPARENT SOAP.
Put into a bottle, windsor soap in shavings, half fill it with spirits of wine, set it near the fire till the soap is dissolved, when, pour it into moulds to cool.
* * * * *
MILK OF ROSES.
Put into a bottle one pint of rose-water, one ounce of oil of almonds; shake well together, then add fifty drops of oil of tartar.
* * * * *
HUNGARY WATER.
Put into a bottle one pint of spirits of wine, one gill of water, and half an ounce of oil of rosemary; shake well together.
* * * * *
LAVENDER WATER.
Take three drachms of English oil of lavender, spirits of wine one pint; shake in a quart bottle, then add one ounce of orange flower-water, one ounce of rose-water, and four ounces of distilled water; those who approve of the musky odour which lavender water sometimes has, may add three drachms of essence of ambergris or musk.
* * * * *
ESSENCE OF ROSES.
Put into a bottle the petals of the common rose, and pour upon them spirits of wine, cork the bottle closely, and let it stand for three months, it will then be little inferior to otto of roses.
* * * * *
ESSENCE OF LAVENDER.
Is prepared according to the above recipe, the lavender being substituted for the roses.
* * * * *
SCENT BAGS.
Small bags filled with iris root diffuses a delicate perfume over drawers, &c. A good receipt for a scent-bag is as follows: two pounds of roses, half a pound of cyprus powder, and half a drachm of essence of roses; the roses must be pounded, and with the powder put into silk bags, the essence may be dropped on the outside.
* * * * *
ESSENCE OF MUSK.
Mix one dram of musk with the same quantity of pounded loaf sugar; add six ounces of spirits of wine; shake together and pour off for use.
* * * * *
OIL OF ROSES.
A few drops of otto of roses dissolved in spirits of wine forms the _esprit de rose_ of the perfumers–the same quantity dropped in sweet oil forms their _huile antique a la rose_.
CHAPTER II.
The Hair.
All stimulating lotions are injurious to the hair; it should be cut every two months: to clean it, there is nothing better than an egg beaten up to a froth, to be rubbed in the hair, and afterwards washed off with elder flower-water; but clear soft water answers every purpose of cleanliness, and is far better for the hair than is usually imagined.
One tea-spoonful of honey, one of spirits of wine, one of rosemary, mixed in half a pint of rose-water, or elder flower-water, and the same quantity of soft water, forms an excellent lotion for keeping the hair clean and glossy.
A fine pomatum is made by melting down equal quantities of mutton suet and marrow, uncooked, and adding a little sweet oil to make it of a proper consistency, to which any perfume may be added. If essence of rosemary is the perfume used, it will be found to promote the growth of the hair. Rum and oil of almonds will be of use for the same purpose. A warm cloth to rub the hair after brushing imparts a fine shiny smoothness.
As a bandoline to make the hair set close, the following will be found useful and cheap: take a cupful of linseed, pour over it sufficient boiling water to over, let it stand some hours, and then pour over three table spoonsful of rose-water; stir the seeds well about, and strain it off into a bottle and it will be ready for use; or take a tea-spoonful of gum arabic with a little Irish moss, boil them in half a pint of water till half is boiled away; strain and perfume.
To remove superfluous hairs, the following receipt will be found effectual, although requiring time and perseverance: mix one ounce of finely powdered pumice-stone with one ounce of powdered quick-lime, and rub the mixture on the part from which the hair is to be removed, twice in twenty-four hours; this will destroy the hair, and is an innocent application. In the East, a depilatory is in use, which we subjoin, but which requires great care in employing, as the ingredients are likely to injure the skin if applied too frequently, or suffered to remain on too long: mix with one ounce of quick-lime, one ounce of orpiment; put the powder in a bottle with a glass stopper; when required for use, mix it into a paste with barley-water; apply this over the part, and let it remain some minutes, then gently take it off with a silver knife, and the hairs will be found perfectly removed; the part should then be fomented to prevent any of the powder being absorbed by the skin, and a little sweet oil or cold cream should be wiped over the surface with a feather.
CHAPTER III.
Teeth.
Water is not always sufficient to clean the teeth, but great caution should be used as to the dentifrices employed.
Charcoal, reduced to an impalpable powder, and mixed with an equal quantity of magnesia, renders the teeth white, and stops putrefaction.
Also two ounces of prepared chalk, mixed with half the quantity of powdered myrrh, may be used with confidence.
Or, one ounce of finely powdered charcoal, one ounce of red kino, and a table spoonful of the leaves of sage, dried and powdered.
A most excellent dentifrice, which cleans and preserves the teeth, is made by mixing together two ounces of brown rappee snuff, one of powder of bark, and one ounce and a half of powder of myrrh. When the gums are inclined to shrink from the teeth, cold water should be used frequently to rinse the mouth; a little alum, dissolved in a pint of water, a tea-cup full of sherry wine, and a little tincture of myrrh or bark, will be found extremely beneficial in restoring the gums to a firm and healthy state. This receipt was given verbally by one of our first dentists.
Every precaution should be used to prevent the accumulation of tartar upon the teeth; this is best done by a regular attention to cleanliness, especially during and after illness. “Prevention is always better than cure,” and the operation of scaling often leaves the teeth weak and liable to decay.
Acids of all sorts are injurious to the teeth, and very hot or cold liquids discolour them.
The best toothpick is a finely-pointed stick of cedar. Toothbrushes should not be too hard, and should be used, not only to the teeth, but to the gums, as friction is highly salutary to them. To polish the front teeth, it is better to use a piece of flannel than a brush.
Toothache is a very painful malady, and the sufferer often flies to the most powerful spirits to obtain relief; but they afford only temporary ease, and lay the foundation for increased pain. A poultice laid on the gum not too hot takes off inflammation, or laudanum and spirits of camphor applied to the cheek externally; or mix with spirits of camphor an equal quantity of myrrh, dilute it with warm water, and hold it in the mouth; also a few drops of laudanum and oil of cloves applied to decayed teeth often affords instantaneous relief.
Powdered cloves and powdered alum, rubbed on the gum and put in the diseased tooth will sometimes lessen the pain.
Toothache often proceeds from some irritation in the digestive organs or the nervous system: in such cases pain can only be removed by proper medical treatment.
CHAPTER IV.
Hands.
Nothing contributes more to the elegance and refinement of a lady’s appearance than delicate hands; and it is surprising how much it is in the power of all, by proper care and attention, to improve them. Gloves should be worn at every opportunity, and these should invariably be of kid; silk gloves and mittens, although pretty and tasteful, are far from fulfilling the same object. The hands should be regularly washed in tepid water, as cold water hardens, and renders them liable to chap, while hot water wrinkles them. All stains of ink, &c., should be immediately removed with lemon-juice and salt: every lady should have a bottle of this mixture on her toilette ready prepared for the purpose. The receipts which we have already given as emollients for the skin are suitable for softening the hands and rendering them smooth and delicate. The nails require daily attention: they should be cut every two or three days in an oval form. A piece of flannel is better than a nail-brush to clean them with, as it does not separate the nail from the finger.
When dried, a little pummice-stone, finely powdered, with powdered orris-root, in the proportion of a quarter of a tea-spoonful to a tea-spoonful of the former, mixed together, and rubbed on the nails gently, gives them a fine polish, and removes all inequalities.
A piece of sponge, dipped in oil of roses and emery, may be used for the same purpose.
When the nails are disposed to break, a little oil or cold cream should be applied at night.
Sand-balls are excellent for removing hardness of the hands. Palm soap, Castille soap, and those which are the least perfumed, should always be preferred. Night-gloves are considered to make the hands white and soft, but they are attended with inconvenience, besides being very unwholesome; and the hands may be rendered as white as the nature of the complexion will allow, by constantly wearing gloves in the day-time, and using any of the emollients we have recommended for softening and improving the skin.
CHAPTER V.
Dress.
In dress, simplicity should be preferred to magnificence: it is surely more gratifying to be admired for a refined taste, than for an elaborate and dazzling splendour;–the former always produces pleasing impressions, while the latter generally only provokes criticism.
Too costly an attire forms a sort of fortification around a woman which wards off the admiration she might otherwise attract. The true art of dress is to make it harmonize so perfectly with the style of countenance and figure as to identify it, as it were, with the character of the wearer.
All ornaments and trimmings should be adopted sparingly; trinkets and jewellery should seldom appear to be worn merely for display; they should be so selected and arranged as to seem necessary, either for the proper adjustment of some part of the dress, or worn for the sake of pleasing associations.
Fashion should never be followed too closely, still less should a singularity of style be affected; the prevailing mode should be modified and adapted to suit individual peculiarity. The different effect of colours and the various forms of dress should be duly considered by every lady, as a refined taste in dress indicates a correct judgment.
A short stout figure should avoid the loose flowing robes and ample drapery suitable for tall slight women; while these again should be cautious of adopting fashions which compress the figure, give formality, or display angles. The close-fitting corsage and tight sleeve, becoming to the short, plump female, should be modified with simple trimmings, to give fullness and width across the shoulders and bust, and a rounded contour to the arms. Flounces and tucks, which rise high in the skirt, are not suitable to short persons; they cut the figure and destroy symetry. To tall women, on the contrary, they add grace and dignity. Dresses made half high are extremely unbecoming; they should either be cut close up to the throat or low. It is, however, in bad taste to wear them very low on the shoulders and bosom: in youth, it gives evidence of the absence of that modesty which is one of its greatest attractions; and in maturer years it is the indication of a depraved coquetry, which checks the admiration it invites.
It is always requisite for a lady to exert her own taste in the choice of form, colour, and style, and not leave it to the fancy of her dress-maker, as although the person she employs may be eminently qualified for her profession, a lady who possesses any discernment can best judge of what is suitable to her style of countenance and figure.
In dress there should be but one prevailing colour, to which all others should be adapted, either by harmonising with it, or by contrast; in the latter case the relieving color should be in small quantity, or it would overpower the other in effect, as a general rule, sombre negative colours show off a woman to the greatest advantage, just as the beauties of a painting are enhanced by being set in a dull frame; still, there are some occasions with which the gayer tints accord better, and as propriety and fitness are matters of high consideration, the woman of taste must be guided in the selection of her apparel by the knowledge of the purport for which it is intended, always endeavouring to fix on that shade of colour which best becomes her complexion.
CHAPTER VI.
Effect of Diet on Complexion.
As the color of the skin depends upon the secretions of the _rete mucuosum_, or skin, which lies immediately beneath the _epedirmis_, or scarf skin, and as diet is capable of greatly influencing the nature of these secretions, a few words respecting it may not be here entirely misplaced.
All that is likely to produce acrid humours, and an inflamatory or impoverished state of the blood, engenders vicious secretions, which nature struggles to free herself from by the natural outlet of the skin, for this organ is fitted equally, to _excrete and secrete_. Fermented and spirituous liquors, strong tea and coffee should be avoided, for they stimulate and exhaust the vital organs, and interrupt the digestive functions, thereby producing irritation of the internal linings of the stomach, with which the skin sympathises. Water, on the other hand, is the most wholesome of all beverages, it dilutes and corrects what is taken into the stomach, and contributes to the formation of a perfect chyle.
Milk is very nutritious, it produces a full habit of body, and promotes plumpness, restores vigour and freshness, besides possessing the property of calming the passions, and equalising the temper.
Eggs are, in general, considered bilious, except in a raw state, when they are precisely the reverse; this is a fact, now so universally acknowledged, that they are always recommended in cases of jaundice and other disorders of the bile.
Spices, and highly seasoned meats import a dryness to the skin, and render the body thin and meagre.
Animal food taken daily requires constant exercise, or it is apt to render the appearance coarse and gross. It should be combined with farinaceous and vegetable food, in order to correct the heating effects of a concentrated animal diet.
Excess as to quantity should be strictly guarded against. When the stomach is overloaded it distributes a badly digested mass throughout the system, which is sure to be followed by irritation and disease, and by undermining the constitution, is one of the most certain methods of destroying beauty.
CHAPTER VII.
Influence of the Mind as regards Beauty.
All passions give their corresponding expression to the countenance; if of frequent occurrence they mark it with lines as indelible as those of age, and far more unbecoming. To keep these under proper _control_ is, therefore, of high importance to beauty. Nature has ordained that passions shall be but passing acts of the mind, which, serving as natural stimulants, quicken the circulation of the blood, and increase the vital energies; consequently, when tempered and subdued by reason, they are rather conducive than otherwise, both to beauty and to health.
It is the _habitual frame of mind, the hourly range of thought_ which render the countenance pleasing or repulsive; we should not forget that “the face is the index of the mind.”
The exercise of the intellect and the development of noble sentiments is as essential for the perfection of the one, as of the other, fretful, envious, malicious, ill humoured feelings must never be indulged by those who value their personal appearance, for the existence of these chronic maladies of the mind, _cannot be concealed_.
“On peut tromper un autre, mais pas tous les autres.”
In the same way candour, benevolence, pity, and good temper, exert the most happy influence over the whole person;–shine forth in every look and every movement with a fascination which wins its way to all hearts.
Symmetry of form is a rare and exquisite gift, but there are other conditions quite as indispensable to beauty. Let a woman possess but a very moderate share of personal charms, if her countenance is expressive of intellect and kind feelings, her figure buoyant with health, and her attire distinguished by a tasteful simplicity, she cannot fail to be eminently attractive, while ill health–a silly or unamiable expression, and a vulgar taste–will mar the effect of form and features the most symetrical. A clever writer has said, “Beauty is but another name for that expression of the countenance which is indicative of sound health, intelligence, and good feeling.” If so, how much of beauty is attainable to all! Health, though often dependant upon circumstances beyond our control, can, in a great measure, be improved by a rational observance of the laws which nature has prescribed, to regulate the vital functions.
Over intellect we have still more power. It is capable of being so trained as to approach daily nearer and nearer to perfection. The thoughts are completely under our own guidance and must never be allowed to wander idly or sinfully; they should be encouraged to dwell on subjects which elevate the mind and shield it from the petty trivialities which irritate and degrade it.
Nothing is more likely to engender bitter thoughts than idleness and _ennui_. Occupations should be selected with a view to improve and amuse; they should be varied, to prevent the lassitude resulting from monotony; serious meditations and abstract studies should be relieved by the lighter branches of literature; music should be assiduously cultivated; nothing more refines and exalts the mind; not the mere performance of mechanical difficulties, either vocal or instrumental, for these, unless pursued with extreme caution, enlarge the hand and fatigue the chest, without imparting the advantages we allude to.
Drawing is highly calculated to enhance feminine beauty; the thoughts it excites are soothing and serene, the gentle enthusiasm that is felt during this delightful occupation not only dissipates melancholy and morbid sensibility, but by developing the judgment and feeling, imparts a higher tone of character to the expression of the countenance.
Indolent persons are apt to decide that they have “no taste” for such or such pursuits, forgetting that tastes may be acquired by the mind as well as by the palate, and only need a judicious direction.
Frivolous employment, and vitiated sentiments would spoil the finest face ever created. Body and mind are, in fact, so intimately connected, that it is futile, attempting to embellish the one, while neglecting the other, especially as the highest order of all beauty is _the intellectual._ Let those females, therefore, who are the most solicitous about their beauty, and the most eager to produce a favourable impression, cultivate the _moral, religious, and intellectual attributes_, and in this advice consists the recipe for the finest cosmetic in the world, viz.–CONTENT.
INDEX.
Almondegos soup, 11.
Almond pudding, 117.
rice, 126.
paste, 127.
tea-cakes, 152.
Amnastich, 83.
Apple charlotte, 139, 140.
jelly, 166.
sauce, 23.
Apricot jam, 165.
preserve, 164.
marmalade, 163.
Arrowroot pudding, 136.
Asparagus sauce, 28.
soup, 12.
Barley milk, 178.
jelly, 177.
soup, 14.
Batter pudding, 135.
Beans, French, to stew with oil, 93. _au beurre_, 96.
to pickle, 170.
Bechamel, 32.
Beef, rump, to stew, 53.
a la mode, or sour meat, 53, 54.
of, an olio, 52.
Beef, stewed with French beans, 54. with white dried peas and beans, and celery, 56. collops, 57.
cold roast, to warm, 57.
steak, with chesnuts, 58.
steak, stewed simply, 58.
hash of, 57.
brisket of, with vegetables, 59, 60. brisket, with onions and raisins, 59.
tea, 171.
ragout of, 60.
steak pie, 188.
to salt, 61.
to spice, 61.
to smoke, 62.
_Blanc_, 51.
Blanching, directions for, 57.
Blancmange, 147.
Blanquette of veal, 70, 71.
of chicken, 71.
Boiling, rules for, 49.
Bola d’Amor, 114.
Toliedo, 115, 116.
d’Hispaniola, 116.
Bola, plain, 152.
small do. 152.
Bottling fruit, rules for, 161.
Braising, directions for, 52.
Brandy cherries, 162.
Bread crumbs for frying, 36.
and butter pudding, 130.
fruit-tart, 128.
pudding, 135.
sauce, 22.
Brocali, stewed, 93.
Broiling, directions on, 50.
Broth, chicken, 176.
Browned bread crumbs, 30.
flour, for colouring and thickening soups, sauces, and gravies, 30. Butter cakes, 156.
melted, 25.
oiled, 24.
Cabbage and rice stewed, 94.
red, stewed, 96.
to pickle, 172.
Cakes, observations respecting, 113, 114. almond tea, 152.
rich plum, 153, 154.
siesta, 151.
sponge, 158.
pound, 156.
soda, 155.
diet bread, 154.
for Passover, 158.
a bola, 152.
a very plain, 155.
a plain lunch, without butter, 156. breakfast, 159.
drop, 154.
cinnamon, 153.
butter, 156.
short, 156.
_matso_, 157.
icing for, 159.
Calf’s head to stew, 64.
feet, stewed with Spanish sauce, 64. au fritur, 65.
stewed simply, 65, 66.
jelly, 145.
Caper sauce, 27, 19.
Carrots, _au beurre_, 95.
Carp, stewed, 41, 42.
Cassereet, a, 81.
Casserole au riz, 101.
Caudle, 178.
rice, 178.
Cauliflower, to pickle, 170.
Celery, stewed with mutton, 75
Celery sauce, 19.
Charlotte Russe, 189.
a fruit, 190.
apple, 139.
Chestnuts, stewed with steaks, 58.
to roast, 185.
Cheesecakes, 108.
savoury, 98.
Cherry batter pudding, 131.
preserved whole, 165.
Chejados, 119.
Chicken broth, 176.
pudding, 188.
panado, 175.
Chocolate, to make, 182.
Chorissa, 62.
omelette, 109.
stewed with rice and fowl, 83.
Cinnamon cakes, 153.
Citron pudding, 150.
Clarify to, suet, 52.
sugar, 160.
Cocoa nut pudding, 120.
doce, 120.
Coffee, French method of making, 120. Collard veal, 67.
Collops, beef, 57.
College pudding, 131.
Colouring for soups and sauces, 2, 3, 30, 31. Commeen, 55.
Consomme, 1, 2, 3.
Cooling, drink a, in fever, 94.
Creams, directions for making, 143, 189. Creme brun, 128.
Cressy soup, 7.
Croquettes, 100.
Cucumbers, to pickle, 173.
sauce, 29.
mango, 94.
Cumberland pudding, 131.
Currant jelly, 165, 166.
jam, 165.
Curried veal, 68.
chicken, 68.
Custard pudding, 135.
Custards, 144.
Cutlets, veal, 68.
a la Francaise, 69.
in white sauce, 69.
in brown sauce, 70.
mutton, 78, 79.
lamb, with cucumbers, 81.
Damson marmalade, 163.
Descaides, 89.
Devilled biscuits, 98.
Diet bread cake, 154.
for Passover, 158.
Doce, cocoa nut, 120.
Drink for a cough, 180.
an emollient, 181.
a cooling, in fever, 181.
a refreshing, 181.
Drop cakes, 154.
Duck stewed with peas, 85.
seasoning for, 27.
Dutch, stew of fish, 40.
Dutch toast, 87.
Edgings of Potatoes, 91.
of rice, 91.
Egg paste, 105.
wine, 183.
balls, 36.
marmalade, 121.
sauce, 18.
English, do., 28.
Eggs, scallopped, 98.
savoury, 98.
_See_ omelette.
Escobeche, 34.
Farcie, _see_ forcemeat.
Fish, directions for boiling and broiling, 37. fried in oil, 38.
in butter, 39.
a soup, 15.
sauce without butter, 21.
sauce to bottle, 22.
stewed white, 39,
brown, 41.
stewed in Dutch fashion, 40.
salad, 44, 40.
fritters, 47.
omelette, 47.
scallopped, 58.
baked haddocks, 43.
herrings, 43, 44.
mackarel, 44.
escobeche, 34.
stewed carp, 41, 42.
of, fillets, 42.
water souchy, 41.
impanado, 55.
white bait, 45, 46.
fricandelle, 46.
Fondeaux, 102.
Fondu, 102.
Forcemeat, directions for making, 33. for risoles, fritters, balls, &c., 33, 34. of fish for croquettes, &c., 35.
for dressing fish fillets, 35.
for dressing cutlets, 35, 36.
Fowls, a savoury way of roasting, 82. forced and boned, 82.
boiled, 83.
blanquette of, 85.
curried, 84.
stewed with rice, 83.
a nice way of dressing with sweetbread, 84. broiled with mushrooms, 86.
Fricandelle, Dutch, 46.
Fricandelles, 72.
Fricandeux, a, white, 62.
brown,63.
a, superior receipt, 67.
Fricassee of veal, 63.
of sweetbreads, 74.
Fritters of rice, 125.
of French roll, 123.
Fruit pies, 106.
Frying, directions for, 50.
Gateau de tours, 138.
de pomme, 139.
Geese, seasoning for, 27.
German puffs, 117.
Gherkins, to pickle, 170.
Giblet soup, 14.
stewed, 86.
pie, 108.
Glazing, directions for, 51.
Gloucester jelly, 177.
Gooseberry jam, 165.
Gravy soup, 3.
Gravy, a rich brown, 17.
for roast fowls, 18.
another for ditto, 18.
ditto, when there is no meat to make it with, 20. to draw strong, 24.
Green, colouring for soups, &c., 31. Grimstich, 122.
Grosvenor pudding, 149.
Haddocks, to roast or bake, 33.
Haman’s fritters, 123.
Harricot, a, 76.
Hartshorn jelly, 176.
Hash a, to make, 57.
Herbs, savoury, for seasoning soups, &c., 27. Herrings smoked, a nice way of dressing, 43.
Iced pudding, 190.
Iceing for cakes, 159.
Impanado, 45.
Irish stew, 77.
moss, 180.
Italian salad, 191.
Italian cream, 143.
Jams, to make, 165.
Jaumange, 138.
Jerusalem artichokes, 96.
Jelly, savoury, 20.
Jellies, calf’s-feet, 145.
orange, 146.
lemon, 146.
hartshorn, 176.
Jellies, Gloucester, 177.
punch, 146.
bread, 177.
noyeau, 146.
apple, 166.
barley, 177.
currant, 165.
Juditha, a, 148.
Julienne, soup a la, 5.
Kimmel meat, 54.
Kugel and commeen, 55.
Lamb, stewed with sprew, 79.
with peas, 80.
cutlets and cucumbers, 80, 81.
shoulder of, a nice receipt for, 81. Lamplich, 124.
Larding, 51.
Lemon tarts, 126.
jelly, 146.
Luction, 118.
Maccaroni with cheese, 99.
pudding, 136.