Note.—As a general rule where Parmesan cheese is mentioned, any well-dried and finely-grated cheese serves the purpose.
Slice down some good, rich cheese rather thinly, into a delicately clean stewpan, with some morsels of butter, and 2 or 3 spoonsful of porter, good ale, or new milk as you please, according to the quantity of the cheese; flavour to taste with freshly-ground black pepper and English mustard. Stir it all till thoroughly melted, pour it over hot buttered toast, browning the surface if you like with a hot shovel, and serve at once.
This requires careful watching, because if it be in the least over-cooked it will be leathery.
Irish Rarebit (Hot)
Add a few drops of vinegar and a finely-minced pickled gherkin to cheese treated as above, and serve very hot.
Baked Cheese Sandwiches (Hot)
Cut some slices of good, rich cheese about a third of an inch thick, season lightly with freshly-ground black pepper, and a drop or two of tarragon vinegar; then place them between two slices of brown bread and butter; trim these neatly, and set them in the oven, serving them directly the bread is toasted.
Parmesan Puffs (Hot)
Mix 4½ oz. of breadcrumbs, 4 oz. of Parmesan cheese, 2 oz. of butter, ½ a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper and salt, and 2 eggs; pound these all thoroughly in a mortar, bind them with a well-beaten egg, shape into balls about the size of a walnut, egg and breadcrumb them, and fry a golden brown in plenty of boiling fat. Drain well, and serve at once very hot, garnished with parsley.