If the fresh or dried vegetables are not at hand, seeds, such as celery, carrot-seed, etc., can be substituted for a flavoring.
Never use the white part of the peel of a lemon for flavoring. It is bitter. The little globules of oil in the surface of the rind contain all the pleasant flavor of the peel. It may be thinly pared off, avoiding the white pulp. Professional cooks, however, rub loaf-sugar over the surface. The friction breaks the oil-ducts, and the sugar absorbs the oil. It is called zest. The sugar is afterward pounded fine for certain dishes, such as creams, _meringues_, etc.; or it can be simply melted in custards and beverages.
THE COOK’S TABLE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
1 quart of sifted flour = 1 pound. 1 quart of powdered sugar = 1 pound and 7 ounces. 1 quart of granulated sugar = 1 pound and 9 ounces. 1 pint of closely packed butter = 1 pound. Butter, size of an egg = about 2 ounces. 10 eggs = 1 pound. 3 cupfuls of sugar = 1 pound. 5 cupfuls of sifted flour = 1 pound. 1 heaping table-spoonful = ⅙th of a gill. 4 gills = 1 pint; 2 pints = 1 quart; 4 quarts = 1 gallon.
In my receipts, I prefer, generally, the use of terms of measure to those of weight, because the former are more convenient for the majority of housekeepers.
Sprinkle flour over it while chopping, which will prevent the pieces from adhering.
To 1 quart of flour, use 2½ tea-spoonfuls of baking-powder; or,
To 1 quart of flour, use 1 tea-spoonful of soda, and 2 tea-spoonfuls of cream of tartar; or,
To 1 quart of flour, use 1 cupful of sour milk, and 1 tea-spoonful of soda.
A _roux_ is a mixture of butter and flour _cooked_. It is generally added, uncooked, to thicken a sauce or a soup; but the flavor is much better if it is first cooked, and the sauce or soup is added to _it_. Professional French cooks always manage it in this way. When the butter is first brought to the boiling-point, in a small stew-pan or cup, the sifted flour is sprinkled in, and both are mixed well together over the fire with an egg-whisk, until the flour is well cooked; a part of the sauce or soup is then stirred in until it becomes smooth and thin enough to add to the main sauce or soup. If the _roux_ is intended for a white sauce, it is not allowed to color; if for a brown sauce, it may color a little, or browned flour may be used.