Enquire Within Upon Everything Part 7

Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, doe venison.

iii. Poultry and Game.

Chickens, dotterel, ducks, fowls, _geese, grouse, hares_, larks, partridges, pheasants, pigeons, rabbits, _snipes, teal_, turkey, wheat-ears, widgeon, wild ducks, _wood-c.o.c.ks_.

iv. Vegetables.

Jerusalem artichokes, beet root, borecole, broccoli, cabbages, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, coleworts, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, onions, parsnips, potatoes, salad, Savoys, scorzonera, skirrets, shalots, spinach, tomatoes, turnips.

v. Fruit.

Almonds. Apples: Holland pippin, golden pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain, Wheeler's russets. Bullace, chestnuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, filberts, grapes, medlars. Pears: Bergamot, Chaumontel, Bon Chretien.

[WITH ECONOMY, FEW NEED BE POOR.]

42. In Season in December.

i. Fish.

Barbel, brill, turbot, carp, c.o.c.kles, _cod_, crabs, dab, _dory_, eels, gudgeon, gurnets, haddocks, bake, halibut, herrings, _ling_, lobsters, mackerel, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, ruffe, salmon, shrimps, _skate_, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, _tench_, whitings.

ii. Meat.

Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, doe venison.

iii. Poultry and Game.

Capons, chickens, ducks, fowls, geese, grouse, guinea-fowl, hares, larks, partridges, pea-fowl, pheasants, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, teal, turkeys, wheat-ears, widgeon, wild ducks, woodc.o.c.ks.

iv. Vegetables.

Jerusalem artichokes, beet root, borecole, white and purple broccoli, cabbages, cardoons, carrots, celery, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, onions, parsnips, potatoes, salad, Savoys, scorzonera, skirrets, shalots, spinach, truffles, turnips, _forced_ asparagus.

v. Fruit.

Almonds. Apples: Golden pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain, golden russet. Chestnuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, filberts, Almeria grapes, medlars, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, beurre d'hiver.

43. Drying Herbs.

Fresh herbs are preferable to dried ones, but as they cannot always be obtained, it is most important to dry herbs at the proper seasons:

Basil is in a fit state for drying about the middle of August, Burnet in June, July, and August, Chervil in May, June, and July.

Elder Flowers in May, June, and July.

Fennel in May, June, and July.

Knotted Marjoram during July.

Lemon Thyme end of July and through August.

Mint, end of June and July.

Orange Flowers, May, June, ard July.

Parsley, May, June, and July.

Sage, August and September.

Summer Savoury, end of July and August.

Tarragon, June, July, and August.

Thyme, end of July and August.

Winter Savoury, end of July and August.

These herbs always at hand will be a great aid to the cook. Herbs should be gathered on a dry day; they should be immediately well cleansed, and dried by the heat of a stove or Dutch oven. The leaves should then be picked off, pounded and sifted, put into stoppered bottles, labelled, and put away for use. Those who are unable or may not care to take the trouble to dry herbs, can obtain them prepared for use in bottles at the green-grocer's.

44. Dr. Kitchiner's Rules for Marketing.

The best rule for marketing is to pay ready money for everything, _and to deal with the most respectable tradesmen_ in your neighbourhood. If you leave it to their integrity to supply you with a good article at the fair market price, you will be supplied with better provisions, and at as reasonable a rate as those bargain-hunters who trot "_around, around, around about_" a market till they are trapped to buy some _unchewable_ old poultry, _tough_ tup-mutton, _stringy_ cow-beef, or _stale_ fish, at a very little less than the price of prime and proper food. With _savings_ like these they toddle home in triumph, cackling all the way, like a goose that has got ankle-deep into good luck. All the skill of the most accomplished cook will avail nothing unless she is furnished with prime provisions. The best way to procure these is to deal with shops of established character: you may appear to pay, perhaps, ten _per cent._ more than you would were you to deal with those who pretend to sell cheap, but you would be much more than in that proportion better served. Every trade has its tricks and deceptions; those who follow them can deceive you if they please, and they are too apt to do so if you provoke the exercise of their over-reaching talent. Challenge them to a game at "_Catch who can_,"

by entirely relying on your own judgment, and you will soon find nothing but very long experience can make you equal to the combat of marketing to the utmost advantage. If you think a tradesman has imposed upon you, never use a second word, if the first will not do, nor drop the least hint of an imposition; the only method to induce him to make an abatement is the hope of future favours; pay the demand, and deal with the gentleman no more; but do not let him see that you are displeased, or as soon as you are out of sight your reputation will suffer as much as your pocket has. Before you go to market, look over your larder, and consider well what things are wanting--especially on a Sat.u.r.day. No well-regulated family can suffer a disorderly caterer to be jumping in and out to make purchases on a Sunday morning. You will be enabled to manage much better if you will make out a bill of fare for the week on the Sat.u.r.day before; for example, for a family of half a dozen:

Sunday Roast beef and pudding.

Monday Fowl, what was left of pudding fried, or warmed in the Dutch oven.

Tuesday Calf's head, apple pie.

Wednesday Leg of mutton.

Thursday Ditto broiled or hashed, and pancakes.

Friday Fish, pudding.

Sat.u.r.day Fish, or eggs and bacon.

It is an excellent plan to have certain things on certain days. When your butcher or poulterer knows what you will want, he has a better chance of doing his best for you; and never think of ordering beef for roasting except for Sunday. When you order meat, poultry, or fish, tell the tradesman when you intend to dress it: he will then have it in his power to serve you with provision that will do him credit, which the finest meat, &c., in the world will never do, unless it has been kept a proper time to be ripe and tendar.

(Kitchiner's Cook's Oracle 56th Thousand. 5s. Houlsion & Sons.)

[DO GOOD TO YOUR ENEMY, THAT HE MAY BECOME YOUR FRIEND.]

45. The Family Circle