... COD, being considered the least delect able of fishes, was allowed for Lent and fasting; yet the monks of old who were masterly cooks would have produced more palatable fish even for Lent than the wet, insipid cod we are all familiar with. Even if cod is to be served unadorned one can steam, not boil, it, and keep the flesh firm and dry and accompany it with well- seasoned white sauce with ...

... LITTLE pastries, sweet and savoury make a very good nucleus for a party spread or buffet. They have the great virtue that they can be prepared ahead and warmed up on the day and filled and trimmed in so many ways that great variety is obtained, without great trouble. It is preferable of course to have more than one kind of pastry on these occasions and I suggest preparing three or four kinds; ...

... TINNED HERRING TART Make a usual puff pastry with ½ lb. of flour, 4 oz. of lard, a pinch of salt, and a little cold water. Roll out three times. Line a tart tin with the pastry and bake in a medium oven until crisp and of a golden colour. Remove, and cover the bottom with very thin slices of cheese. Place the herrings on top of the cheese and leave in a hot oven for a further 10 minutes. BEEF ...

... By Harriet Nuir The word vegetable has assumed new significance in the kitchen to-day. We used to think it not particularly interesting, just a supplementary background to the important part f the dish. As such, it was often dull and without nutriment because of indifferent cooking. Now that vegetables frequently have to be the main dish, the English have learnt how to cook them so that their ...

... GXUubT a jjinni# t By HARRIOT HIJIR Entertaining is a tricky affair these days, yet not so tricky that we need forgo it entirely. Let's see what we can do for guests without sacrificing the week's meat ration or mortgaging the family's eggs for the rest of the year. v Ukl! Pick your dinner menu out of the three groups in which the j j aB&fc recipes are arranged. They take up few of your ...

... (cckia and mM (ah? THE tea table is always more tempting if variety can be achieved in the foods served. This is done most easily by making a number of small eatables rather than one cake. It need not mean much trouble and it is not so hard on the rations. One egg will produce about two dozen little fluffy cakes in paper cases, where a good-sized sponge reallv needs two eggs. There are also ...

... JUGGED PEAS The first peas are such a luxury on the wartime menu that they should be cooked with extra care and served, preferably, as a course by themselves. 1 lb. green peas; 1 teaspoonful sugar; 1 tablespoonful fat; salt c^p and pepper. Have ready a jar with a well-fitting lid. Put the peas, shelled, into the jar with the sugar, fat and seasoning. (A sprig of mint can be added if you like, ...

... 11^ W if \}m PHffi^Pi n ge r s Qood pastry is made by light hands and keeping to the rules TO make good pastry you must have plenty of time and a light hand. I do not mean that all pastry is specially difficult to make for everyday wear, so to speak, a quickly made, homely paste is quite suitable. A friend of mine in Devonshire had a very good cook who, whenever her mistress asked if she could ...

... NOW that meat is shorter than ever it has become increasingly difficult to think of tasty dishes requiring only a very little meat. This is hard enough in the case of adults but here at least we can fall back on a bulk of vegetable and strong flavours such as onion, curry, chutneys, sauces, spices and so on. It is when we are trying to prepare a meal for a family, specially where there are ...

... Specially For The Children MILK SOUP Take potatoes and onions in equal proportions-- about 11b. for 4 portions of soup. Peel, wash and cut them up into small pieces and cook them in a saucepan for a few minutes with a tiny piece of margarine. Add salt and pepper and three portions of boiling water. Simmer gently for 1 hr. and pour the soup through a strainer into a clean saucepan, mashing the ...

... So Be Served Cold ICED POLISH SOUP Take for each person a handful of spinach or sorrel. Wash, remove the ribs and chop roughly. Have in a saucepan sufficient boiling salted water. That is to say, if you are making soup for four people, have six parts of water, which will evaporate to the right amount during cooking. Put in the leaves, a small piece of garlic very finely chopped, and pepper to ...

... *-- X y Y y y Batter is the great stand-by for present-day cooks. If milk v is short, it can be made without and used in the form of fritters. y 5 When eggs are short it can be made without these too and is v y pleasant used for meat in fritters; as a coating or as a baked x batter with fruit. If you have to omit egg, spare a little more Y y fat for frying than usual. v The important factor in ...