Blanch the almonds, dry them perfectly and pound them in a mortar with the sugar, adding gradually two thirds of the water; strain through linen, and wash the almonds on the strainer with the remainder of the water, and dissolve the sugar in the strained liquor by a gentle heat. Pour the syrup into an earthenware vessel, remove the scum, and, when nearly cold, add two ounces of orange-flower water. Put it into clean clear glass bottles, cork well, and seal effectually.
AN EXCELLENT CURRY-POWDER.
| Turmeric | 2 | oz. |
| Coriander seeds | 6 | oz. |
| Ginger | ½ | oz. |
| Cinnamon | 2 | drachms |
| Cayenne pepper | 6 | drachms |
| Black pepper | ½ | oz. |
| Mace | 1 | drachm |
| Fenugreek | 1½ | oz. |
| Pimento | 2 | drachms |
| Cloves | 1 | drachm |
| Nutmeg | ½ | oz. |
Pound all the above separately in a mortar, mix thoroughly for twenty minutes, then sift and again pound the returns, which, when in finest powder, mix with bulk; put into dry bottles, cork them well and seal. Some persons prefer more turmeric and less coriander. Others add two ounces of the best Durham mustard (scorched). Others, half an ounce of cardamoms or two ounces of cummin. The colour should be light yellow—brown, not bright yellow.
NOTES.
It has been incontestably proved by Baron Liebig and other Professors of Chemistry, that the albumen and gelatine constitute the leading nutritive ingredients in the different kinds of flesh and fish used as food; and I have arrived at the conclusion, that any mode of curing which deprives them of these valuable properties, is opposed to facts in science and to common-sense, and cannot therefore be tolerated.
On the nutritive properties of animal food, Professor Brande writes: “When the muscular parts of animals are washed repeatedly in cold water, the fibrinous matter which remains, consists chiefly of albumen, and is, in its chemical properties, analogous to the clot of blood.”
In mutton, the albumen or fibrin amounts to as much as twenty-two per cent., and of gelatine to seven per cent., giving a total of twenty-nine per cent. of nutritive matter. In beef, the albumen is twenty, and the gelatine six per cent., yielding a total of twenty-six per cent. of nutritive matter.
When a piece of meat is covered with salt, or immersed in brine, the salt penetrates the whole fibre of the flesh, and the juices contained within are drawn out, and mix with the brine; the salts of potass contained in it, are exchanged and superseded by those of soda, derived from the salt with which it has been cured; now, as a constant supply of potass is required in the system to renew the muscular fibre, it is quite clear that the want of it must be attended with some derangement of the health; and hence the benefit derived from the taking of vegetables, which by supplying potass, make up for the want of this alkali in the meat.
Albumen is coagulated by heat, and is drawn out by cold water; this fact is referred to in Note, No. 11.