MENU No. 2.

A recipe for Clear Gravy Soup may not be unnecessary. A pound of gravy beef, and a small knuckle-bone of veal; simmer these in a glazed earthenware vessel, that will hold about two quarts of water, for several hours, but never allow the liquor to boil. When about half cooked add to it a whole carrot cut in four, two or three onions and a bunch of savoury herbs, but no turnip. Strain off the liquor when done enough so that the fat may settle on the top, and then carefully remove it all. When about to re-heat it, pour it into a fresh vessel and season it to taste, then add a teaspoonful of cornflour wet with water, and a teaspoonful of Liebig's Extract of Meat, to give a little more "body" to the stock. Any special flavouring liked may be added at this time, but if the liquor has been properly cooked its flavour will be sufficiently good.

When we speak of "boiled" fish of any kind, it must be remembered that it should never by any means actually "boil," but only simmer gently until done. To boil anything is to spoil it, although, as a cookery term, we speak of it so.

Of the sauces, it may be needful to mention one in detail, namely, the Genoise sauce.

For this take half a pint of milk and put it into a saucepan with a few strips of thin rind of fresh lemon; when it boils pour it on to a spoonful of cornflour previously dissolved in a little cold milk, add this to the yolks of two eggs, an ounce of butter, pepper and salt, and stir these carefully over the fire. When the mixture boils, withdraw it, and add gradually the juice of half a fresh lemon. This sauce should be a clear bright yellow and of the consistency of good cream.

It is usual to stuff a turkey with sausage-meat at the breast end and put a veal stuffing in the body of the bird, or a mixture of boiled chestnuts, breadcrumbs and forcemeat is very good, but somewhat rich. The time the bird will take to roast depends entirely upon its weight, a quarter of an hour to a pound is the correct proportion to allow. Keep well basted, and shield it from the fierce heat.

If intended for eating cold a turkey is never so nice as when "braised," if only a vessel can be found large enough to contain it and keep it covered. A few slices of fat bacon should be put with it, and plenty of good dripping, and rather more time allowed than for roasting; moreover, the cover should be kept tightly closed to keep in the steam. Drain away all the fat, but leave the bird to get cold in the pan. Garnish with its gravy when that has set to a jelly.

The sauce for a salmi should be prepared first, and the joints of the birds just allowed to simmer in it for a little while. Make the gravy from very good strong stock, adding a thickening that shall be transparent, and whatever drops of gravy can be gathered together. A little beef essence may be needed to enrich the stock, also plenty of seasoning. Chopped mushrooms should be added whenever possible, not many will be required. Serve fried potato chips with a salmi, but no other vegetable.

Almost everyone has a recipe for plum pudding; it is one of those possessions about which every woman is more or less conceited, so we will not take up space by giving another here. Neapolitan Pudding may, however, be new to some of our readers, and it is one that is well worth being known by all. For it a few macaroons, some sponge cakes, a little apricot jam and a pint or more of rich well-flavoured custard will be needed. Half an ounce of dissolved isinglass should be stirred into the custard, and this should be flavoured with some essence. Arrange the macaroons at the bottom and round the sides of a buttered mould. Spread the sponge cakes with jam, and fit them in, pouring a little juice over all. Pour in the custard while it is hot, and cover the mould tightly, setting it aside to become cold and stiff. When it is turned out, heap some bright jelly around the base and garnish the top with preserved cherries and greengages cut small.