A clove of garlic will give a very delicate and tasty flavour to many soups and other dishes. For soups it is only necessary to rub the tureen with the cut clove before the soup is poured in. For savoury dishes and stews one small clove may be boiled (after being peeled) in the stewpan for five minutes.

To remove the skins from tomatoes place them in boiling water for about two minutes.

Turnips taste much better if a little cream is added to them after being mashed.

Any cold green vegetable can be used to make a soufflÉ. It should be rubbed through a sieve, and then 1 or 2 well-beaten eggs should be added. A few drops of Tarragon vinegar may be used to change the flavour. (See Recipe 97).

Cheese should be crumbly, as it is then more easily digestible. It is a good plan to test it in the following manner:—First buy a small piece and melt a portion with milk in a double saucepan; if it has a granulated appearance it is safe to buy some more of the same cheese; if, on the contrary, it is tough and stringy, it should be avoided, as it will be found lacking in nutriment and will be very liable to cause digestive troubles.

Butter should be made to look dainty and appetising by being prepared for the table with butter pats. Small pieces can be twisted round to form the shape of a hollow shell. It may also be rolled into marbles and be garnished with parsley.

Parsley can be made a brilliant green by placing it in a cloth (after chopping), dipping it in cold water, and wringing it tightly in the hands, squeezing it with the fingers. For garnishing savoury puddings or fried potatoes, etc., this is worth knowing.

Parsley which has been used for garnishing, or which is in danger of going to seed, can be preserved green for seasoning purposes by placing it in the oven on a sheet of paper, and drying it slowly in such a manner that it does not burn; it should then be rubbed through a sieve and put into a bottle.

All boiled puddings should be allowed room to swell, or they may prove heavy when served.

Instead of chopping onions, a coarse nutmeg grater should be kept for the purpose, and the onion should be grated like lemon rind. This saves much time and labour and answers better for flavouring soups, gravies, or savouries of any kind.

The addition of some bicarbonate of soda to the water in which onions are boiled will neutralize the strong flavour of the oil contained in them, and prevent it from becoming troublesome to those with whom it disagrees.

Freshly cut vegetables are more digestible and wholesome than those which have been lying about in crates or shop windows. They also cook more quickly. The water in which vegetables have been boiled should be saved for stock for soups and gravies (except in the case of potatoes).

To prevent hard-boiled eggs from becoming discoloured, they should be plunged into cold water as soon as they are removed from the saucepan.

Those of my readers who wish to use unfermented and saltless breads and cakes can obtain the same from the Wallace P. R. Bakery. The purity of goods supplied from this factory can be depended upon.

When it is difficult to obtain pineapples for making fruit salads, the same enhanced flavour can be secured by adding some of Dole's Hawaiian Pineapple Juice.

To prevent the odour of boiled cabbage pervading the house, place a piece of bread in the saucepan.

Flaked nuts, if sprinkled over puddings, custards, trifles or jellies, greatly improve the flavour and appearance.

In the preparation of soups, stews, &c., the preliminary frying of the vegetables improves the flavour and dispenses with any insipidity. The oil should be fried until it is brown.