purposely for carrying a dinner. It was about the size of a three quart tin billy, made in the same shape—but in two parts—which fitted together in the middle. The bottom held meat and vegetables, the top pudding, &c. The day I saw it the woman had in the bottom tray a slice of cheese, which was frizzling away with a slice of toast laid over it. In the top she had meat and vegetables. At the bottom of the tin there was a hollow for a red hot iron. This it was that made her cheese cook. The idea was so simple and yet so convenient, that I could not resist stopping to inquire all about it. Her husband had been a tinsmith himself, and he had made it. But I should not think one would cost more than a couple or three shillings to make.
For a simple dinner cut some cold meat into small pieces, salt and pepper it, and dredge a little flour over it while on the board. Slice a small onion or two or three eschalots. Put this on to stew in a small saucepan with a cup of water. Let it simmer gently. Peel two or three potatoes, cut them into halves or quarters, if large perhaps one will be enough; add them to the stew an hour before it is needed, and cut a small cabbage into quarters, remove the outer leaves from one leaving only the white heart, place this on top of the meat, &c., with a little pinch of salt, and let all cook till time to remove; add water or gravy as required. In this way the meat and vegetables are kept separate, yet all cooked together.
| Cabbage is a favorite vegetable with the poorer classes, particularly with the Irish. One of their ways of cooking it is with bacon or pickled pork. Cut a few slices of bacon—let them be pretty thick. Put them into a stewpan with some water. Wash and cut up a small cabbage, put about a quarter in with the bacon, and let both stew together. When nearly done pour two tablespoonsful of vinegar over the cabbage.
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of meat and vegetables in the hot weather; then thick soups are a change, and easily made. First make some good stock by boiling down some meat or bones. The bones of a roast of beef or a leg of mutton, if broken up, make excellent stock. Do not put too much water on; it will be too weak. Slice up three or four potatoes, an onion, and any other vegetable you choose. Flavour with pepper and salt, toast a slice of bread very brown, without burning, and lay it on the top. Let all boil together till the potatoes are dissolved; then remove the bones. Strain, or rather press, the soup through the collander, put on to boil for another minute, and it is ready to serve. I need not give any recipes for these; they can be varied according to the circumstances of the cook. Almost anything can be introduced—rice, sago, barley, &c., &c.
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