Much attention should be paid to this branch of cookery. The recovery of many sick people depends, to a great extent, on their being able to take a proper amount of nourishment. This they will not be likely to do, unless the food is well cooked, and nicely served.

Everything, for an invalid, should be dressed plainly, and well cooked. Highly seasoned meat, rich gravies, sauces, puddings, &c., should be avoided. The digestive organs are weakened by illness, and should not be unduly taxed. All meals should be served punctually; carelessness in this respect has often been the cause of great exhaustion. A good nurse ought to watch her patients carefully, and never allow their strength to sink for want of nourishment at the right time.

It is not wise to prepare too large a quantity of anything at one time; an invalid's appetite is generally very variable.

All fat should be carefully removed from beef-tea and broth before they are served. This can be best done when they are cold.

Great care should be taken to make everything look as tempting as possible. The tray-cloths used, glass, silver, &c., should be spotlessly clean, and bright-looking.

Raw-beef Tea.

• Ingredients—Equal quantities in weight of beef and
• cold water.

Method.—Scrape the beef very finely, and remove the fat.

Soak the beef in the water for about half an hour, moving it occasionally with a fork.

When the juices of the meat are drawn into the water, and it has become a deep-red colour, it is ready for use and should be strained.

This tea is better made from rump or beef steak.

Do not make too much at one time. In hot weather two ounces or a quarter of a pound of meat will be quite sufficient.

Be careful that the meat is perfectly sweet and good.

Beef Tea.

• Ingredients—1lb. of rump or beef steak.
• 1½ pint of cold water.

Method.—Cut the steak into small pieces, and put them into a jar with the water; tie a piece of paper over the top.

Put the jar to stand in a saucepan of boiling water for four hours.

Pour the tea from the beef, and remove the fat when cold; salt can be added to taste.

Mutton Broth.

• Ingredients—1lb. of scrag end of neck of mutton.
• 2 pints of water.
• 1 tablespoonful of rice.
• Salt to taste.

Method.—Cut up the mutton, and put it into a saucepan with the water.

Simmer gently for four hours.

Then strain away from the meat, and set on one side to cool.

When quite cold carefully remove the fat, and put the broth into a clean saucepan. Put it on the fire to boil, and, when boiling, throw in the rice, which should have been well washed.

As soon as the rice is cooked, the broth is ready.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Clear Barley-water.

• Ingredients—2oz. of pearl barley.
• A little thin lemon peel.
• 1 pint of boiling water.
• Sugar to taste.

Method.—Wash the barley, and put it into a jug with the lemon peel.

Pour the boiling water over it, and add the sugar.

Let it stand until cold, and then strain it.

Thick Barley-water.

• Ingredients—2oz. of pearl barley.
• 1 quart of water.
• A little thin lemon peel.
• Sugar to taste.

Method.—Wash the barley, and put it into a saucepan With cold water.

Boil for ten minutes.

Then throw the water away, and wash the barley. This is to blanch it. If this were not done the barley water would have a dark-coloured, unpleasant appearance.

Put it into a saucepan, with the quart of water, and boil gently for two hours.

Sweeten to taste, and then strain it.

Rice Water.

• Ingredients—2oz. of rice.
• 3 pints of water.
• 1 inch of cinnamon.
• Sugar to taste.

Method.—Wash the rice well, and throw it into three pints of boiling water, with the cinnamon.

Boil gently for two hours.

Sweeten to taste, and strain.

Apple Water.

• Ingredients—2 large apples.
• A little thin lemon peel.
• 1 pint of boiling water.
• Sugar to taste.

Method.—Peel and cut up the apples.

Put them into a jug with the lemon peel and sugar.

Pour over the boiling water, and cover close until cold; then strain it.

Lemonade.

• Ingredients—2 lemons.
• 4 lumps of sugar.
• 1 pint of boiling water.

Method.—Take the yellow part of the lemon peel, cut very thinly, from one of the lemons.

Then remove the skin completely from them both.

Cut them into slices, and remove the pips.

Put the sliced lemon, thin peel, and sugar, into a jug; pour over the boiling water.

Cover, until cold, and then strain.

A Cup of Arrowroot.

• Ingredients—½ pint of milk.
• 1 dessertspoonful of arrowroot.
• Castor sugar.

Method.—Put the milk into a saucepan on the fire to boil.

Mix the arrowroot very smoothly with a little cold milk; when the milk boils pour in the arrowroot, and stir until the milk has thickened.

Add sugar to taste.

For water arrowroot, substitute water for milk.

Arrowroot Pudding.

• Ingredients—Cup of arrowroot, made as in foregoing recipe.
• 1 or 2 eggs.
• A little vanilla, or other flavouring.

Method.—Beat the yolks one by one into the arrowroot, and add flavouring to taste.

Beat the whites up stiffly, and stir them in lightly.

Pour the mixture into a greased pie-dish.

Bake for a few minutes, and serve as quickly as possible.

Treacle Posset.

• Ingredients—½ pint of milk.
• ¼ pint of treacle.

Method.—Put the milk into a saucepan on the fire to boil.

When boiling, pour in the treacle.

This will curdle the milk.

Let it boil up again, and then strain it.

White-wine Whey.

• Ingredients—½ pint of milk.
• 1 wineglass of sherry.
• Sugar to taste.

Method.—The same as in foregoing recipe. Sweeten to taste.

Orangeade.

• Ingredients—2 oranges.
• 1 pint of boiling water.
• 3 lumps of sugar.

Method.—Take the rind thinly from half an orange.

Put it into a jug.

Peel the oranges, and slice them, removing the pips.

Put them into the jug.

Pour the boiling water over, add the sugar, and cover closely until cold; then strain.

Toast and Water.

• Ingredients—Toasted bread.
• Water.

Method.—Toast a piece of crust of bread nicely, being careful not to burn it.

Plunge it into a jug of cold water, and let it stand for thirty minutes.

Then strain the water from it.

Method.—Wash the sago, and let it soak in the water for thirty minutes.

Then simmer for about thirty minutes.

Add the sugar, and it is ready.

Prune Drink.

• Ingredients—2½oz. of prunes.
• 1 quart of water.
• 1oz. of sugar.

Method.—Cut the prunes in two.

Boil them with the sugar in the water for one hour.

Strain, and cover until cold.

Rice Milk.

• Ingredients—1oz. of rice.
• 1 pint of milk.
• Sugar to taste.

Method.—Wash the rice, and simmer in the milk, with the sugar, for one hour.

Tapioca milk may be made in the same way. The crushed tapioca is the best.

Suet and Milk.

• Ingredients—1 pint of milk.
• 1oz. of suet.

Method.—Chop the suet finely.

Tie it loosely in muslin, and simmer in the milk for three-quarters of an hour; then strain.

Invalids' Soup.

• Ingredients—1 pint of beef tea.
• 1oz. of crushed tapioca, semolina, or sago.
• The yolks of 2 eggs.

Method.—Put the beef-tea into a saucepan on the fire.

When it boils, sprinkle in the tapioca; stir, and boil for about fifteen minutes.

Then add the yolks of the eggs; stir until they thicken, but do not let the soup boil after the yolks of the eggs are in it, as that would curdle them.

Gruel.

• Ingredients—1 pint of water.
• 2 dessertspoonfuls of fine oatmeal.

Method.—Put the water on the fire to boil.

Mix the oatmeal smoothly with cold water.

When the water in the saucepan boils, pour in the oatmeal, and stir well until it thickens.

Then put it by the side of the fire, and stir occasionally, cooking it for quite half an hour.

Bran Tea.

• Ingredients—3 tablespoonfuls of good bran.
• 1 quart of water.
• 1oz. of gum arabic.
• 1 tablespoonful of honey.

Method.—Boil the bran in the water for ten minutes.

Dissolve the gum and honey in it, and strain it through muslin.

Linseed Tea.

• Ingredients—4 tablespoonfuls of linseed.
• 1 quart of boiling water.
• 6 lumps of sugar.
• 1 lemon.

Method.—Put the linseed and sugar into a jug, with the thin rind and juice of the lemon.

Pour boiling water over.

Let it stand, and then strain.

If the tea is preferred thick, two tablespoonfuls of the linseed may be boiled in the water.

Boiled Apple-water.

• Ingredients—3 good sized apples.
• 2oz. of sugar.
• 1 quart of water.
• A little thin lemon-rind.

Method.—Wash the apples, and slice them.

Put them, with the sugar and lemon rind, into the water.

Boil gently for one hour.

Then strain, and cover close until cold.

Sole for an Invalid.

Grease a baking-sheet with butter.

Lay the sole on it.

Cover with greased kitchen paper, and put it into a moderate oven for fifteen or twenty minutes, according to the size of the sole.

If properly cooked, the sole will be as white and delicate as if it had been boiled. It may be served with or without a plain white sauce.

Whiting, plaice, smelts, &c., may be cooked in the same way.

Chicken Fillets for an Invalid.

Cut some nice little fillets from the breast of a chicken, and cook them according to the directions in preceding recipe.

Sweetbreads plainly boiled.

Soak the sweetbreads in cold water for two hours.

Then put them in boiling water for six minutes.

Soak them again in cold water for twenty minutes.

Put them into boiling water or broth, and simmer them gently for thirty minutes or more, until quite tender.

Serve with or without a plain white sauce.

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Other dishes suitable for the convalescent will found under the following headings:—

• Sole À la BÉchamel.
• Sole À la MaÎtre d'HÔtel.
• Whiting Boiled.
• Boiled Chicken.
• Sweetbread À la BÉchamel.
• Mutton Chop.
• Rice Pudding.
• Cornflower Pudding.
• Blancmange.
• Tapioca Pudding.
• Sago Pudding.
• Haricot Soup.
• Tapioca Soup.
• Tapioca Cream.
• Oyster Soup.