VARIOUS DISHES. 463 



^vith butter and sugar, or these to be creamed together, half as much butter as 

 sugar, if prefered. The Chinese, or East India cooks, you will see by referring 

 to the remarks following Chicken Currie, boil their rice in a large amount of 

 water, drain it off to use as starch, then put the rice back into the kettle and 

 put over the fire again, to dry off the steam, or surplus water. Sec next recipe 

 for the old way of cooking rice in the south, which is much the same as the 

 India plan, above referred to. Using so much water to boil it in, then pouring 

 it off, would seem to me, at least, to take away much of its nourishment; but 

 still as they use this water in place of starch, like the India washerman, they 

 may have the best of us after all, as the southern ladies are very much in favor 

 •of stiff dress skirts, judging by the rustle of those who staid this summer in 

 the north. This is, probably, as cheap a way as they can get their starch, as 

 they raise the rice in the south. 



Rice, Southern Mode of Cooking.— Pick over the rice and wash it 

 in cold water; to 1 pt. of rice put 3 qts. of boiling water and f^ tea-spoonful of 

 salt; boil it just 17 minutes from the time it begins to boil; turn off all the 

 water; set it over a moderate fire with the cover off, to steam 15 minutes. Take 

 care and be accurate The rice water first poured off is good to stiffen muslins. 



Rice Merange, Baked.— Rice, 1 cup; milk, 1 qt.; 4 eggs; 2 lemons; 

 powdered sugar, as below. Directions — Boil the rice 10 or 15 minutes, in the 

 milk in a rice kettle, or tin pail, as mentioned before, and pour into a buttered 

 pudding dish; grate in the yellow of the lemons; add the yolks of the eggs, 

 ■beaten slightly, with 5 table-spoonfuls of the sugar, and place in tlie oven to 

 bake, % ^^ % of ^^ hour. To make the merange, or meringue, beat the whites 

 with 7 table-spoonfuls of sugar, and tlie juice of 1 lemon. Place this upon the 

 top to brown nicely, just before serving. May be served with butter, 1 spoon- 

 ful, to 3 of sugar, rubbed together; or cream sauce, as preferred. The juice 

 of the other lemon will make a nice lemonade. 



Rice Muffins.— To 1 qt. of sour milk 3 well beaten eggs, a little salt, 1 

 tea-spoonful of soda and enough of rice flour (or cold mashed rice) to thicken 

 to a stiff batter. Bake in rings. 



Rice Snow. — Five table-spoonfuls of rice flour; 1 qt. milk; 4 eggs — the 

 whites only — whipped light; 1 table-spoonful of butter; 1 cup powdered sugar; 

 -a pinch of cinnamon and same of nutmeg, vanilla or other extracts for flavor- 

 ing; a little salt. Directions— "Wet up the flour with cold water and add to 

 the milk when the latter is scalding hot; boil until it begins to thicken; put in 

 the sugar and add spice; simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly, and turn into a 

 a bowl before beating in the butter; let it get cold before flavoring it; then whip 

 a spoonful at a time, into the beaten eggs; set to form in a wet mold; put sweet 

 •cream around it. This is delicate and wholesome fare for invalids; if you wish 

 to have it especially nice, add % pt. of cream, whipped light and beaten in at 

 the last. 



Rice Custard.— Into 1 qt. of boiling water stir 2 table-spoonfuls of rice 

 flour, dissolved in a little cold milk; add 3 well beaten eggs to boiling mixture; 

 .sjweeten and flavor to taste. 



