243 KITCHEN AND OOOKCRY smelling foods, and sometimes a special gam3 larder, though often birds are hung with the meat. If lack of space forbids all these com- partments, it is often possible to fix up a small portable meat-safe for fish or game outside the larder. Where there is only one larder for every- thing, it is essential that either the milk, butter, and delicately flavoured foods should be kept elsewhere, or that fish, especially herrings and such oily varieties, apples, onions, strongly flavoured cheese, celery, leeks, etc., should be banished. If this is not done the result will be disastrous, and even dan- gerous, if there is an invalid or infant depending for nourishment on a supply of wholesome milk. TEMPERATURE Endeavours should be made to keep the temperature down to about 50° Fahr. in summer and up to about 38° Fahr. in winter. In hot weather, wet, coarse garden matting hung over the windows often is most useful. The larder should be inspected daily with a view to ascertaining what foods must be used at once, and what can be kept with safety. Hot food must never be placed in the larder, nor food on dirty dishes or plates. Jugs of milk, bowls of soup, etc., should be placed under wire covers, thin muslin, or even paper in which small holes have been pricked. PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS The Fruitarian Pudding— Non-Alcoholic Pudding— Vegetarian Pudding— Mincemeat- Christmas Cake In Mid-November housewives should turn their thoughts to Christmas and all the extra preparations that this festive season entails. Many readers will agree that from every point of view it is best to make the Christmas puddings at home, because it is then possible to study the particular likes and dislikes of the family and to select a recipe from which to work accordingly. Believers in fruitarian diet will naturally demand a pudding minu? suet, while advocates of temperance will eschew all puddings containing alcohol in any form. Doubtless, many people use their own pet recipe, and others again have not yet found one to suit, and yearly experiment with a different one. Result — an absolute uncertainty regarding the success or other- wise of the pudding. Recipes are given herewith to suit all purses and all tastes. If you want a rich pudding, make it as soon as possible, so that with keeping it may ripen and develop flavour. STUDY THE FOLLOWING HINTS 1. When ordering fruit for Christmas puddings, mincemeat, and cake, select that of best quality, for if cheap it will probably be stale and dry, and consequently the imdding or cake will be less rich. 2. Purchase the fruits, suet, etc., as soon as possible, as they will become dearer nearer Christmas. 3. Use only beef suet; "prepared beef suet " is easiest to chop, and may be used for puddings, but ordinary beef suet is best for mincemeat. 4. Raisins can now be bought ready stoned, and currants cleaned but not stalked. 5. When washing currants for puddings or cakes remember that if left at all damp they cause heaviness ; if they are dried quickly their flavour is spoilt. 6. Muscatel raisins will give the puddings a richer colour and flavour, and can be bought loose for sixpence or eightpence a pound, but they will be much dearer if purchased in bunches. 7. Before chopping candied peel, remove the sugar from the centre, but save it, for it will do excellently to put in milk pudddings or gingerbread. 8. Well butter all moulds or basins, and scald and flour all pudding cloths. 9. Pack the moulds or basins full of the mixture or the water will get in and spoil the puddings. 10. Put the puddings in a pan of fast- boiling water, and let it boil steadily all the time. If the water boils away, replenish with water that is boiling, so as not to check the cooking. 11. Plum - puddings, if made properly, and hung up in a cool, dry place, will keep for a year or longer. But after twelve months their flavour deteriorates. 12. After taking puddings from the water in which they were boiled, do not put on a clean cloth before hanging them up, for the one in which they were cooked provides an air-tight covering which would not be the case with a clean one. TWELVE RECIPES FOR CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING Required : One pound each of beef suet, currants, sultanas, mi.xed peel, and Demerara sugar. Half a pound each of breadcrumbs, flour, glac6 cherries, muscatels, and Valencia raisins. Quarter of a pound of sweet almonds. One ounce each of citron, bitter almonds, pistachio nuts, and baking-powder. The rinds of two oranges and lemons. One level teaspoonful of salt. Ten eggs. Quarter of a pint of brandy. Quarter of a pint of port wine.
