The Bain Marie.—This is an open vessel, to be kept at the back of the range or in some warm place, to be filled with hot (not boiling) water. Several stew-pans, or large tin cups with covers and handles, are fitted in, which are intended to hold all those cooked dishes desired to be kept hot. If there are delays in serving the dinner, there is no better means of preserving the flavor of dishes. The bain marie is especially convenient at any time for keeping sauces, or vegetables for garnish, which can not always be prepared at the last minute.

The Braising-pan.—The use of this pan will be found by referring to the article on “braising.”

The Fish-kettle.—The fish is placed on the perforated tin sheet, which is then put into the kettle of water. The fish is thus taken out of the water at will, without breaking. When done, it is placed for a minute over an empty iron kettle on the fire, to drain well and steam. It is then carefully slipped on a napkin in the hot platter in which it is to be served.

The Custard-kettle.—This is an iron utensil, the inside kettle being lined with block-tin. Although there are cheaper custard-kettles made of tin, it is better economy to purchase those of iron, which are more durable. The inside kettle containing the custard is placed in the larger one, which is partly filled with boiling water.

The SautÉ-pan.—This pan may either be used for sautÉing, or for an omelet pan.

Sieve for PurÉes.—This is a substantial arrangement, the sides being made of tin. It is invaluable for bean, pea, or any of the purÉe soups, which should be forced through the sieve. It is also used for bread or cracker crumbs—in fact, for any thing which requires sifting.

The Steaming-kettle.—The article to be cooked is placed in the pan perforated with holes. It is put in the long kettle, which is partly filled with boiling water, then covered with the close-fitting cover. This is an invaluable kettle for cooking vegetables, puddings, and, in fact, almost any thing that is usually immersed in boiling water. A cabbage, with salt sprinkled among the leaves, is cooked much quicker in this way than when immersed, and is much more delicate. It is especially nice for plum-puddings, which then can not become water-soaked. Cooks generally manage to let the water stop boiling for some minutes when boiling puddings, which is just long enough to ruin them. This kettle is no less valuable for cooking chickens or rice.

The Saratoga Potato-cutter.—The screws at the sides adjust a sharp knife, so that, by rubbing the potato over the plane, it may be cut as fine or as coarse as may be desired. The plane is also used for cutting cabbage, or for onions to serve with cucumbers. Cabbage, however, should not be cut too thin, as it is thereby less crisp. Cost, 50 cents.

The Can-opener.—This is the best and cheapest pattern. The handle, knife, and square piece are all made together of pressed iron. Cost, 25 cents.

The Cream-whipper.—The handle A is placed inside the tube B. The tube is dipped into a bowl of sweetened and flavored cream. By churning and pressing it through the perforated holes, the cream becomes a light froth, which is skimmed off the top, and put on a sieve, as soon as a few table-spoonfuls of it are formed. Cost, 25 cents.

The Wire-basket, for Frying.—Articles to be fried are placed in the basket, which is immersed in boiling fat. It facilitates frying, as the articles are all cooked, lifted out, and well drained at the same time. It is especially nice for frying smelts or for boiling eggs.

The Egg-poacher.—The eggs are carefully broken into the little cups, and placed in the stand. The stand is then dipped into well-salted water, which is merely simmering. When done, each cup (formed like a shell) is taken out from the stand, and carefully tipped over a piece of buttered toast, leaving the egg with the pretty form of the cup on top.

The Fish-stand.—Fried smelts are hung by catching them to the sharp points of the stand. The intervening places are filled with parsley or leaves, and the whole served in form of a pyramid.

The Butter-roller.—The wooden squares are dipped into cold water. A small piece of butter (enough for one person at table) is placed on one square, then rolled around with the other one held in the other hand. A little ball is formed with a net-work surface. A number of balls are thus formed of the same size, and piled on the butter-dish, as in cut.

Butter or Mashed-potato Syringe.—The butter is placed in the tube, and pressed through the round holes in the end on to the butter-dishes. It forms a pretty effect of fillets of butter, resembling vermicelli. Potatoes boiled, seasoned, and mashed may also be pressed through the tube around beef, venison, or almost any meat or fish dish, making a pretty decoration.

French Vegetable-cutters.—The little cups of figures A and B are pressed into potatoes, or any bulbous vegetable, then turned around. The cutter A will make little potato-balls, say an inch in diameter, which are fried, and called “potatoes À la Parisienne.” The figure B will cut oblong forms. Smaller-sized cutters are preferable for cutting potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc., for garnishing À la jardiniÈre.

Tin Cutters, for cutting Slices of Bread to fry for decorating Dishes (croÛtons), or to serve in Soups.—They may also be used for cutting slices of vegetables for decorations or for soups.

Potato, Carrot, or Turnip Cutter.—This simple little instrument cuts the vegetables mentioned into curls. When the curl is cut, the vegetable is afterward cut from the outside to meet it, when it easily slips out. The handle is separate from the iron wire, and has to be taken off in order to remove the curl. The curls can be boiled in salted water, if of carrots; if of turnips, they are better cooked after the French receipt given; if of potatoes, they are generally fried in boiling lard, and sprinkled with a little salt as soon as done. They make a pretty garnish, or may be served alone.

Fluted Knife, for cutting Vegetables into various fancy Forms for Decorations, or for Salads.—Some cut mushrooms with this knife, to give them a scolloped surface.

French Cook’s Knife.—Made of best steel. It can easily be kept very sharp, and made of almost constant use in preparing dishes. It is especially useful for boning. It costs seventy-five cents, yet, with proper care, should last a life-time. These knives are so light, sharp, and easily handled, that, when once used, a person would consider it very awkward to cook without one.

A Knife for Peeling.—The wire prevents the cutting of more than the skins of fruits or vegetables. The wire may be attached or detached at will, for cleaning it.

Wire Skewers (Fig. A).—They are about three inches long, and may be of silver or plain wire. Fig. B is a skewer run through three smelts, with thin slices of bacon between. They are fried in boiling lard, and one skewerful is served to each person at table. The fish dish is garnished with lemon slices, one of which is placed on the top of each skewerful of fish when on the plate (see page 112). Fig. C, a skewer of alternate slices of egged and bread-crumbed sweet-breads and bacon, managed in the same manner as the smelts (see page 155).

Knife for carving Poultry and Game.—Besides cutting the flesh, this knife disjoints or cuts the bones, which are often embarrassing, especially in ducks and geese.

Meat-squeezer, for pressing out the Juice of Beef for Invalids.—A piece of round-steak (which yields more juice than other cuts) is barely heated through, when it is cut, and the juice pressed out at the angle A into a warm cup, placed in a basin of hot water. The juice should be served immediately, and taken while still warm.

Pancake-lifter.—This form, having more breadth than the ordinary square lifter, has the advantage of turning the pancakes with greater facility.

Brush, for rubbing whites of eggs over rusks, crullers, etc., or for glazing meats with clear stock, reduced by boiling to a stiff jelly.

Larding-needles, Lardoons, and Manner of Larding.—See article on Larding, page 48.

Apple-corer.—The larger tube is for coring apples; the smaller one for coring Siberian crab-apples, for preserving.

Jelly-stand.—This is simply and cheaply made. Rings can be fastened to the ends of the cords, and slipped over the four top rounds, to hold the jelly-bag on the stand; or it may be tied. The jelly-bag should be made of flannel, or of Canton flannel. This arrangement is not only convenient for jellies, but for clear soups as well.

Meat-pie Mold.—Fig. A represents the mold closed, the wires at each end fastening the two sides together. It is here ready to be buttered, the crust to be laid in, and pressed into the decorations at the sides, filled, the top crust to be fitted over, and baked. Fig. B, the wire is drawn out one side, the mold opened, and removed from the pie. Fig. C, the pie ready to be served at table.

Paste-jagger.—Fig. A represents a paste-jagger, for cutting and ornamenting the edges of pie-crust. Fig. B is a plain circle of pie-crust cut with the jagger, to fit the pie-dish. Fig. C is part of a strip of pie-paste, which is cut with the jagger to lay around the edge of the pie. Fig. D, the strip laid around the edge. Fig. E, the pie placed upon a plate, ready to serve at table.

Glass or Tin Flower Forms.—These are flat forms for decorating the table with flowers. They are filled with water or wet sand. The flowers are placed in, and may, or may not, conceal the tin form.

Molds.—Fig. A, a circular tin mold for blanc-manges, jellies, etc. Fig. B, supposed to be a blanc-mange filled with strawberries. These centres may be filled with any kind of berries, compotes, fresh fruits, creams, etc., and make exceedingly pretty dishes. With a small mold of this kind one can prepare a very dainty-looking dish for an invalid. It may be filled with blanc-mange, tapioca jelly, Irish moss, wine, or chicken jellies, etc., and filled with a compote, a whipped cream, beaten eggs, or any allowable relish. Fig. C, a circular mold, of more elaborate pattern, yet quite as easy to manage as the simple one. Fig. D, wine jelly, filled with whipped cream. Fig. E, a casserole mold. Fig. F, a casserole of rice or mashed potatoes, filled with fried (sautÉd) spring chickens, with cream sauce, and surrounded with cauliflower blossoms. A pretty course for dinner, tea, or supper.

Little Silver-plated Chafing-dish.—It is about four and a half inches square, for serving Welsh rare-bits, or for small pieces of venison-steak, with currant jelly. One is served to each person at table. The lower part is a reservoir for boiling-hot water. I have seen them also made with little alcohol-lamps underneath, when the thin slices of venison-steak can be partly or entirely cooked at table, in the currant jelly. At least, the preparation served is kept nicely hot.

An Instrument for drawing Champagne, Soda, and other Effervescing Liquids at pleasure, leaving the last Glass as sparkling as the first.—The instrument D is driven through the cork in the bottle, the wire A is withdrawn, the button C turned, when the Champagne is drawn through the tube B. When enough is drawn, the button is again turned, and the wire replaced before the bottle is raised. The bottle should then be kept bottom side up. The instrument is a perfect success, and can be obtained of H. B. Platt & Co., 1211 Broadway, New York. It costs $1 85.

Paper Cases for SoufflÉs, Chickens À la Bechamel, or for any thing that can be served scolloped, or en coquille.—These cases are easily and quickly made. They furnish a pretty variety at table, filled with any of the materials described among the receipts for articles to be served in paper cases or in shells. To make the paper cases, choose writing-paper: fold and crease it at the dotted lines in Fig. A, then cut the paper at the dark lines in Fig. B. By turning the corner squares, so that they may lap over the sides, the box is formed. Sew the sides together, all around the box, hiding the stitches under the small piece of paper at the top, lapped over the outside. They should be buttered just before filling. Fig. D is a case filled with a rice soufflÉ. Figs. E and F are small cases made of round pieces of paper (four inches in diameter), creased with a penknife. The top may be left unturned, as Fig. F, or turned twice, as Fig. E. These cases may be purchased already made; however, it is a pleasant diversion to make them.

Paper Handles for Lamb-chops, Cutlets, etc.—A long strip of thin writing-paper is doubled, and cut half-way down with scissors, in as thin cuts as can be easily made (Fig. A, a fragment of the paper). One edge of the paper is then slipped a little distance farther than the corresponding edge, which gives the fine cuts a round shape, as in Fig. B. The edges can be held in this position, with the aid of a very little mucilage. Now roll the paper spirally over a little stick, about the size of a cutlet bone. Fasten the end with a little mucilage, and the paper handle is quite ready to slip over cutlet bones, just as they are about to be sent to the table. Larger-sized paper handles can be made in the same manner for boiled hams.

Silver-plated Scallop Shell, for any thing served en coquille.—Articles served en coquille make a pretty course for lunch or dinner. The shells in plated silver are quite expensive, costing sixty dollars a dozen at Tiffany’s. I imagine they could be made as well of block-tin, with a single coating of silver, and with the little feet riveted, so as to stand the heat of the oven.

A MÉringue Decorator.—The little tin tube A (one-third of an inch in diameter), or B, is put in the bottom of the bag. MÉringue (whipped whites of eggs, sweetened and flavored), or frosting for cakes, is put in the bag, and squeezed through the tube on puddings, lemon or mÉringue pies, or on cakes, forming any design that may suit the fancy. If it is squeezed through the tube A, the line of frosting will be round; if through tube B, it will be scalloped, when leaves and flowers can easily be formed. The lady-fingers are shaped by pressing the cake batter through a tube half an inch in diameter. The bag is easily made with tightly woven twilled cloth. The little tin tubes can be made at the tinsmith’s, or at home, with a piece of tin, a large pair of scissors, and a little solder. With this little convenience, the trouble of decorating dishes is very slight, and their appearance is very much improved.

Gravy and Sauce Strainer.—A sauce-strainer made of wire gauze of the form of cut presents so much surface for straining that the operation is much quicker accomplished than when using tin cups with a small circle of gauze or perforated holes at the bottom.

An Egg-whisk.—Decidedly the best form for an egg-whisk is the one given in the cut. It is equally useful for making roux and sauces. By holding the whisk perpendicularly, and vigorously passing it in the bottom of a saucepan, a small quantity of butter and flour or sauce can be thoroughly mixed.

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