DECEMBER 253 



milk makes them heavy, and spoils them. Another way 

 is to put in a stew-pan some potatoes and two or 

 three sliced onions, to boil, with only enough water to 

 cover them. When they are done, beat them well with 

 a fork, have ready some boiling milk and a piece of 

 butter, stir these in by degrees as you beat, till the 

 potatoes are like a thick puree. ' Dainty Dishes ' has 

 several recipes for cooking potatoes. 



A seaweed called Laver is a delicious, wholesome, and 

 uncommon vegetable in London in November and 

 December. It is to be bought at any of the really good 

 grocers', not greengrocers'. The London supply, I be- 

 lieve, comes from Devonshire, prepared and cooked, and 

 requires nothing beyond a little stock and butter to 

 moisten it when it is warmed up. It should be served 

 in a small copper saucepan with a lamp under it, as it is 

 not good unless very hot indeed. For helping it a small 

 wooden spoon is better than a silver one ; at least, so it 

 used to be served in old days in the North, when I 

 remember it as a child. Half a lemon is sent up with it. 

 A good many people do not like it, I am bound to 

 confess; but those who do, find it a treat they look 

 forward to and it is good either by itself or with any 

 roast meat, especially mutton. 



The same little copper saucepan is useful for a wild 

 duck sauce which I always make on the table. The 

 saucepan, on a spirit-lamp, comes up with some gravy in 

 it ; I then squeeze in half or all of a lemon, according to 

 quantity required, and add a little red wine Port is the 

 best and some Cayenne pepper. When warm, I pour it 

 over the slices of wild duck on each plate. Wild duck 

 should be very lightly roasted. 



Eice plays a large part in our cooking all the year 

 round ; Patna is nearly always the best. Eisotto a la 

 Milanese is an original Italian recipe : Cut up four onions 



