you approve, put the pig's feet round the outside when boned, or the thin parts of 2 cow-heels. Put it into a cloth, bind with a broad tape, and boil it till quite tender; then put a good weight upon it, and do not take off the covering till cold.

If you choose it to be more like brawn, salt it longer, let the proportion of saltpetre be greater, and put in also some pieces of lean pork; and then cover it with cow-heel to look like the horn.

This may be kept either in or out of pickle of salt and water boiled, with vinegar; and is a very convenient thing to have in the house.

If likely to spoil, slice and fry it either with or without butter.

A MARINADE FOR COLLARED MEATS.

492. Make thin water-gruel of oatmeal; season it well with salt; add pint of white wine and spoonful of white pepper; boil it all together for an hour; allow it to become cold before the collar is put into it.

CHAPTER XXI.

ITALIAN PASTES, RICE, EGGS, OMELETTES, CHEESE, PANCAKES, AND FRITTERS.

ITALIAN PASTES.

493.-MACARONI is coming much more into use in this country than formerly, and large quantities of it are now made in London. The Italian is, however, of a superior quality, as the flour of which it is made comes from a peculiar species of wheat, only grown in some parts of Italy, and much harder than the grain raised in England; the consequence of which is, that the English macaroni when boiled acquires a floury taste, while the Italian, though quite as tender, is more crisp and firm on the palate, as well as more transparent in appearance, and should be always preferred, not only from what we have already said, but from the better mode in which it is there manufactured. The Geonese and Neapolitan are thought the best, but there are different opinions on the subject of their value; the Neapolitan being only 1s., while the Genoese is 1s. 4d. per lb. The Genoese, being closer made than that of Naples, and appearing to be more delicate, bears the higher price; but the Neapolitan being more easily dressed, cooks generally prefer it, though not so essentially good as the

former.

Besides macaroni, there are vermicelli, semolina, a smaller sort called macaroncini, and various other pastes of the same nature, all made in Italy from the same kind of grain; nothing, therefore, can be more simply nutritive, nor, when well boiled, more easy of digestion. There are also two sorts of macaroni -the pipe and the tape the one hollow, and the other flat, but both made of the same material; the vermicelli being that most generally used in soup: each being severally used in various ways according to the following receipts :

MACARONI.

494.-Cooks are, in this country, very fond of boiling it in milk, and even of laying it in milk for an hour or two to swell and become tender, but boiling water is better. lb. will be sufficient for half a dozen people, and will not require more than 20 to 25 minutes to become tender, if boiled in water, but a few minutes longer if boiled in broth. Half the quantity of Parmesan cheese should be finely grated and sprinkled over it in layers, to mix it thoroughly; a small plateful of grated macaroni is also put on the table for each person to add it at their pleasure. It should be served quite hot, as the least chill soddens it. In England it is usually eaten with mustard, and, if wished to be made very savoury, beef gravy may be used with a truffle stewed in it.

As to using any other cheese with it than Parmesan, or perhaps Gruyère, or both, it is decidedly objectionable; we have tried it repeatedly with Cheshire and other English and Dutch sorts, but nothing but Parmesan will give it the true flavour.

To brown Macaroni is the common practice of our English cooks; though, in fact, the browning, while giving a pretty appearance to the macaroni, not only hardens the top of the cheese into a crust, but gives a taste of rancidity, and we strongly recommend the old way of merely stewing, and putting it on the table just as it comes from the stewpan. If, however, appearance be preferred to flavour, it can be done with crumbs of bread, thus:

Wash the macaroni, then simmer it in a little broth, with a little pounded mace and salt. When quite tender, take it out of the liquor, lay it in a dish, grate a good deal of cheese over, then cover that with bread grated fine. Warm some butter without oiling, and pour it from a boat through a little earthen colander all over the crumbs, then put the dish in a Dutch oven to brown the bread of a fine colour.

NEAPOLITAN MACARONI.

495.-Boil it quickly in water with some salt; when tender strain it off, drain it thoroughly, and put it into a stewpan with a few bits of butter, and grated Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Toss it until the cheese is well mixed, and then put it into a dish, with the remainder, the larger portion, of the

grated cheese on the top. It is not to be browned, and will be found delicious.

Or :-When boiled put a layer at the bottom of the dish, seasoned with black pepper and salt, then a layer of Parmesan cheese. Make 2 or 3 layers, finish with the cheese on the top, then pour round a rich brown gravy.

Or:-Boil the macaroni in weak veal-broth until it is soft, adding salt for seasoning. When tender drain it, and put it on a dish, placing small bits of butter and grated cheese upon every layer. Put a larger quantity of grated cheese and butter on the top, and place the dish in a Dutch oven for hour, but do not allow the cheese to become hard.

COLD MACARONI,

496.-If already dressed, may be warmed in any kind of broth, letting it simmer gently upon a slow fire with the yolks of 2 eggs to thicken; after which it should be put into the oven in a mould covered with crumbs of bread: or, if undressed, it may be made by leaving it overnight in broth, and then proceeding with it as above.

MACARONI AU VIN.

497. Take a French roll hot out of the oven, rasp it, pour a pint of wine upon it, and cover it close up for an hour, to let it imbibe the wine; then have ready an ounce of macaroni, boiled until it is soft, and lay it upon a sieve to drain: after which put into it about the size of a walnut of butter, and as much thick cream as it will take. That done, scrape in as much Parmesan tossed into a pan with the macaroni until it becomes like a fine custard, and pour it hot upon the loaf; brown it with the salamander, and serve it up.

MACARONI À L'ITALIENNE.

498.-Take lb. of macaroni, boil it in water till tender; thicken pint of milk with flour and a small bit of butter; add 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, teaspoonful of mustard, a little white pepper, salt, and cayenne. Stir into this lb. of grated cheese; boil all together a few minutes; add the macaroni; make all quite hot, and serve. This is the mode adopted at

the best tables in Florence.

TIMBALE DE MACARONI.-E. R.

499.-Soften the macaroni by boiling it fast until it will cut easily without breaking, but do not let it be too soft; then cut it into pieces inch long, and with great exactness, that all should be of the same size; butter a mould, stick the macaroni quite close together all over it, so as to look like a honeycomb; then spread a thin layer of quenelle farce over the macaroni; fill up the mould with a mince of stewed ox palates cut into small pieces, and small button mushrooms, either pickled or fresh, moistened well with white sauce: close the mould, and boil it for of an hour; turn it out very carefully, and serve it with thick white sauce and mush

rooms.

Aux Truffes.-Have 6 small moulds the shape of coffee-cups, and not much larger; butter them, place at the small end a truffle; then encircle the truffle with macaroni, prepared and cut as in the foregoing receipt, sticking each piece regularly round till the whole of the mould is covered; fill it up with minced sweetbread and thick white sauce. These are very

beautiful and excellent dishes, but require great care and attention they are not, however, expensive; and as any kind of fowl, game, or cold fricassee may be employed, cooks are recommended to practise the method of placing the macaroni round the interior of the mould, in order to obtain the necessary proficiency when the dish appears before company. It is equally good when not quite exact, but not so pleasing to the eye.

A la Pontife.-Boil lb. of the longest and straightest tape macaroni in boiling water, with a little salt and butter; when nearly done, strain and dry it; then butter a mould, and lay the macaroni quite evenly over it; if oval, the pieces at their full length; if another shape, take care that the pieces shall meet and join; cover the macaroni with fine farce, then fill up the interior with larks boned, fillets of game, fowl, and small pieces of fat bacon, cut round, the size of a sixpence, small eggs made of the yolk pounded as for mock-turtle, and mushrooms or truffles; moisten it with a rich sauce, cover it, and let it simmer, without boiling, for an hour.