and remove the pans, in full dress, without fear of spoiling her sleeves or dress, and may go out of the kitchen into the drawing-room without looking redder than if she had been in any other place.

There is a nice little charcoal apparatus used by poor people, which is extremely useful, being portable (see No. 3), but it supports only one pan.

A great many people object to the use of brass and copper pans, from the idea that they are dangerous: they are not dangerous if tinned inside and properly cleaned. The lady of the house must frequently inspect the copper pans, and have them tinned if required; brass preserve pans * must never

be tinned.

Tinning will last at least a year if servants do not use knives or sharp instruments to scrape it.

Copper pans are superior to all other kinds, because they do not burn easily.

For cooking French dishes it is very often necessary to have fire both at the top and bottom of the pan; No. 4 is perfectly adapted for this method of stewing.

It is also desirable to have some pans like No. 5 ; they close hermetically.

For everything au gratin, silver dishes should be used if possible; the fish or vegetables au gratin must be cooked and served in the same dish. In houses where there are no silver dishes, they use copper

* I have seen exactly the contrary recommendation in an English cookery book; but I speak from personal experience. If you use tinned pans for making preserves, your fruit will lose its beautiful colour.

ones (tinned); if they are properly cleaned, they will be bright and look very well.

For stews of any kind cast-iron pans, tinned inside, are the best (see No. 6).

For boiling fish see the fish-pan, No. 7, with the flat part coming out to slip the fish on the dish; the court-bouillon, or sauce, being allowed to run freely through the holes.

Several little contrivances have been invented, and are very nice for decorating dishes: such are No. 8, for curling potatoes; No. 9, for cutting vegetables in the shape of olives, &c.

No. 10, vide-pommes, to take out the inside of apples.

No. II, gaufrier, a cake-mould.

A number of graduated lardoires, No. 12, are also required for larding all sorts of stews and game.

I give a sketch of a French rotissoire and of a tourne-broche for roasting, without insisting upon their usefulness; they are very convenient, but the English roast so well that to give them any advice on the subject would be ridiculous. It is not the same for frying or cooking on the gridiron. As frying requires plenty of lard or oil, the operation, to be safe, must be made in a pan like No. 13.

As to the different merits of gridirons, there are so many that it is difficult to choose; the best, in my opinion, is No. 14. The charcoal being put in the middle, and the fish or meat to be fried upright, the fat does not drop on the charcoal, and so the smoky taste is avoided.

I also give a design of a French omelette-pan, or poêle as called in French, No. 15; it is different from the English frying-pan in the curve of its ring, which allows the omelette to be easily dished.

No. 16 is a very convenient little invention to mash any kind of vegetables in a minute, either for soups or purées; it is called moulin-à-légumes. It saves a great deal of time.

CHAPTER II.

ON DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS USED IN COOKING,

ON the quality of the ingredients used in cooking depends almost entirely the quality of the dishes.

I speak here more especially about seasoning ingredients, such as thyme, laurel, &c. It is almost impossible to obtain good cookery by using essences, even with the greatest moderation. Being in the Highlands for some time, I was obliged to use thyme, laurel, lemon, &c. in essences, and I found their flavour so different from that of the herbs themselves, that I consider such essences of little or no value. Use, then, laurel and thyme in the leaf, previously dried.

To vegetables and white sauces salted butter gives a rancid taste; use fresh butter.

For frying, olive oil is the best of all; but in England I found it most difficult to obtain it genuine. It must be tasted; and if not perfectly good, it would be preferable to use fresh lard.*

* Some people think that the French way of frying is a most extravagant one; but it is not so. For frying potatoes in moderate quantity, say for six people, about two pounds of lard are required; but when the potatoes (or anything else) have been fried, the lard is poured into an earthen jar, to be used again and again till the end; only, when it becomes too brown, some more fresh lard must be added to make up the requisite quantity.

For preserves, always give the preference to the finest sugar; there will be less scum and the preserves will look and keep far better.

I recommend the use of truffles where they are wanted; they are not so dear as people generally think, and I have always been greatly astonished at hearing that truffles were out of the reach of moderate purses. It would be true if they had to be bought in small bottles at ten shillings each; but if you take care to preserve them yourself, as I shall indicate, you need not be afraid of the expense. One truffle is often sufficient to flavour a dish, if it is of a good quality. The best truffles are purple and highly flavoured; another very good kind is large, black, and rough. These last present, when cut, a marbled appearance. White truffles are the worst.

Wine vinegar only is to be used.

Wheat flour is the best for sauces of every description. A great deal of attention must be paid to the choice of it, for if it is old it will taste like dust. It should be of a light cream colour; when the fingers are dipped into it, it should adhere to the skin.

Macaroni, vermicelli, &c. must be of the first quality, or they would thicken the soups and lose all shape.

I must say here, that I do not agree with Monsieur Soyer when he recommends his readers to season rather too much than too little; it is a great mistake: and the small quantity of mustard, ginger, garlic, nutmeg, &c. used now in French cookery is a sign of