ounces of senna, one ounce of fennel seed, one of coriander, half an
ounce of cochineal, half an ounce of saffron, half an ounce of stick
liquorice, and half a pound of rhubarb: infuse them all in two gallons
of brandy, and let it stand for ten days. Stir it occasionally, then
strain it off, and bottle it. Take a small wine-glass full, when the
gout is in the head or stomach; and if the pain be not removed, take two
large spoonfuls more.--Or take six drams of opium, half an ounce of soap
of tartar, half an ounce of castile soap, one dram of grated nutmeg,
three drams of camphor, two scruples of saffron, and nine ounces of
sweet spirit of sal-ammoniac. Put them all into a wine flask in a
sand-heat for ten days, shaking it occasionally till the last day or
two: then pour it off clear, and keep it stopped up close for use. Take
thirty or forty drops in a glass of peppermint two hours after eating;
it may also be taken two or three times in the day or night if required.
GRANARIES. These depositaries are very liable to be infested with
weasels, and various kinds of insects. To prevent their depredations,
the floors of granaries should be laid with poplars of Lombardy.
GRAPES. To preserve this valuable fruit, prepare a cask or barrel, by
carefully closing up its crevices to prevent access of the external air.
Place a layer of bran, which has been well dried in an oven; upon this
place a layer of bunches of grapes, well cleaned, and gathered in the
afternoon of a dry day, before they are perfectly ripe. Proceed then
with alternate layers of bran and grapes till the barrel is full, taking
care that the bunches of grapes do not touch each other, and to let the
last layer be of bran; then close the barrel so that the air may not be
able to penetrate. Grapes thus packed will keep for a twelvemonth. To
restore their freshness, cut the end of each bunch, and put that of
white grapes into white wine, and that of black grapes into red wine, as
flowers are put into water to keep them fresh. It is customary in France
to pack grapes for the London market in saw dust, but it must be
carefully dried with a gentle heat, or the turpentine and other odours
of the wood will not fail to injure the fruit. Oak saw dust will answer
the purpose best.
GRAPE WINE. To every gallon of ripe grapes put a gallon of soft water,
bruise the grapes, let them stand a week without stirring, and draw the
liquor off fine. To every gallon of liquor allow three pounds of lump
sugar, put the whole into a vessel, but do not stop it till it has done
hissing; then stop it close, and in six months it will be fit for
bottling.--A better wine, though smaller in quantity, will be made by
leaving out the water, and diminishing the quantity of sugar. Water is
necessary only where the juice is so scanty, or so thick, as in cowslip,
balm, or black currant wine, that it could not be used without it.
GRAVEL. The gout or rheumatism has a tendency to produce this disorder;
it is also promoted by the use of sour liquor, indigestible food,
especially cheese, and by a sedentary life. Perspiration should be
assisted by gentle means, particularly by rubbing with a warm flannel;
the diet regulated by the strictest temperance, and moderate exercise is
not to be neglected. For medicine, take the juice of a horseradish, made
into a thin syrup by mixing it with sugar; a spoonful or two to be taken
every three or four hours.
GRAVEL WALKS. To preserve garden walks from moss and weeds, water them
frequently with brine, or salt and water, both in the spring and in
autumn. Worms may be destroyed by an infusion of walnut-tree leaves, or
by pouring into the holes a ley made of wood ashes and lime. If fruit
trees are sprinkled with it, the ravages of insects will be greatly
prevented.
GRAVIES. A few general observations are necessary on the subject of
soups and gravies. When there is any fear of gravy meat being spoiled
before it be wanted, it should be well seasoned, and lightly fried, in
order to its keeping a day or two longer; but the gravy is best when the
juices are fresh. When soups or gravies are to be put by, let them be
changed every day into fresh scalded pans. Whatever liquor has
vegetables boiled in it, is apt to turn sour much sooner than the juices
of meat, and gravy should never be kept in any kind of metal. When fat
remains on any soup, a tea-cupful of flour and water mixed quite smooth,
and boiled in, will take it off. If richness or greater consistence be
required, a good lump of butter mixed with flour, and boiled in the soup
or gravy, will impart either of these qualities. Long boiling is
necessary to obtain the full flavour; and gravies and soups are best
made the day before they are wanted. They are also much better when the
meat is laid in the bottom of the pan, and stewed with herbs, roots, and
butter, than when water is put to the meat at first; and the gravy that
is drawn from the meat, should almost be dried up before the water is
added. The sediment of gravies that have stood to be cold, should not be
used in cooking. When onions are strong, boil a turnip with them, if for
sauce; and this will make them mild and pleasant. If soups or gravies
are too weak, do not cover them in boiling, that the watery particles
may evaporate. A clear jelly of cow heels is very useful to keep in the
house, being a great improvement to soups and gravies. Truffles and
morels thicken soups and sauces, and give them a fine flavour. The way
is to wash half an ounce of each carefully, then simmer them a few
minutes in water, and add them with the liquor to boil in the sauce till
quite tender. As to the materials of which gravy is to be made, beef
skirts will make as good as any other meat. Beef kidney, or milt, cut
into small pieces, will answer the purpose very well; and so will the
shank end of mutton that has been dressed, if much be wanted. The shank
bones of mutton, if well soaked and cleaned, are a great improvement to
the richness of the gravy. Taragon gives the flavour of French cookery,
and in high gravies it is a great improvement; but it should be added
only a short time before serving. To draw gravy that will keep for a
week, cut some lean beef thin, put it into a fryingpan without any
butter, cover it up, and set it on the fire, taking care that it does
not burn. Keep it on the fire till all the gravy that comes out of the
meat is absorbed, then add as much water as will cover the meat, and
keep it stewing. Put in some herbs, onions, spice, and a piece of lean
ham. Let it simmer till it is quite rich, and keep it in a cool place;
but do not remove the fat till the gravy is to be used.
GRAVY FOR FOWL. When there is no meat to make gravy of, wash the feet of
the fowl nicely, and cut them and the neck small. Simmer them with a
little bread browned, a slice of onion, a sprig of parsley and thyme,
some salt and pepper, and the liver and gizzard, in a quarter of a pint
of water, till half wasted. Take out the liver, bruise it, and strain
the liquor to it. Then thicken it with flour and butter, and a
tea-spoonful of mushroom ketchup will make the gravy very good.
GRAVY FOR WILD FOWL. Set on a saucepan with half a pint of veal gravy,
adding half a dozen leaves of basil, a small onion, and a roll of orange
or lemon peel. Let it boil up for a few minutes, and strain it off. Put
to the clear gravy the juice of a Seville orange, half a teaspoonful of
salt, the same of pepper, and a glass of red wine. Shalot and cayenne
may be added. This is an excellent sauce for all kinds of wild
water-fowl, and should be sent up hot in a boat, as some persons like
wild fowl very little done, and without any sauce. The common way of
gashing the breast, and squeezing in a lemon, cools and hardens the
flesh, and compels every one to eat it that way, whether they approve of
it or not.
GRAVY FOR MUTTON. To make mutton taste like venison, provide for it the
following gravy. Pick a very stale woodcock or snipe, and cut it to
pieces, after having removed the bag from the entrails. Simmer it in
some meat gravy, without seasoning; then strain it, and serve it with
the mutton.
GRAVY SOUP. Wash and soak a leg of beef; break the bone, and set it on
the fire with a gallon of water, a large bunch of sweet herbs, two large
onions sliced and fried to a fine brown, but not burnt; add two blades
of mace, three cloves, twenty berries of allspice, and forty black
peppers. Stew the soup till it is rich, and then take out the meat,
which may be eaten at the kitchen table, with a little of the gravy.
Next day take off the fat, which will serve for basting, or for common
pie crust. Slice some carrots, turnips, and celery, and simmer them till
tender. If not approved, they can be taken out before the soup is sent
to table, but the flavour will be a considerable addition. Boil
vermicelli a quarter of an hour, and add to it a large spoonful of soy,
and one of mushroom ketchup. A French roll should be made hot, then
soaked in the soup, and served in the tureen.
GRAVY WITHOUT MEAT. Put into a bason a glass of small beer, a glass of
water, some pepper and salt, grated lemon peel, a bruised clove or two,
and a spoonful of walnut pickle, or mushroom ketchup. Slice an onion,
flour and fry it in a piece of butter till it is brown. Then turn all
the above into a small tosser, with the onion, and simmer it covered for
twenty minutes. Strain it off for use, and when cold take off the fat.
GRAYLINE. Having scaled and washed the fish, then dry them. Dust them
over with flour, and lay them separately on a board before the fire. Fry
them of a fine colour with fresh dripping; serve them with crimp
parsley, and plain butter. Perch and tench may be done the same way.
GREASE EXTRACTED. The ashes of burnt bones finely powdered, or calcined
hartshorn, heated over the fire in a clean vessel, and laid on each side
of the grease spot, if on books or paper, with a weight laid upon it to
assist the effect, will completely remove it; or the powder may be
wrapped in thin muslin, and applied in the same manner. When prints get
foul and dirty, they may readily be cleaned in the same manner as linen
is bleached, by being exposed to the sun and air, and frequently wetted
with clean water. If this do not fully succeed, the print may be soaked
in hot water; and if pasted on canvas, it should first be taken off by
dipping it in boiling water, which will loosen it from the canvas. The
dirt occasioned by flies, may be gently taken off with a wet sponge,
after the print has been well soaked. Spots of white-wash may be removed
by spirit of sea salt diluted with water.--If grease spots appear in
leather, a different process must be pursued. A paste made of mealy
potatoes, dry mustard, and spirits of turpentine, mixed together, and
applied to the spot, will extract the grease from leather, if rubbed off
after it has been allowed sufficient time to dry. A little vinegar may
be added, to render the application more effectual.
GREEN FRUIT. Green peaches, plums, or other fruit, should be put into a
preserving pan of spring water, covered with vine leaves, and set over a
clear fire. When they begin to simmer take them off, and take the fruit
out carefully with a slice. Peel and preserve them as other fruit.
GREEN GAGES. In order to preserve them for pies and tarts, choose the
largest when they begin to soften. Split them without paring; and having
weighed an equal quantity of sugar, strew a part of it over the fruit.
Blanch the kernels with a small sharp knife. Next day pour the syrup
from the fruit, and boil it gently six or eight minutes with the other
sugar; skim it, and add the plums and kernels. Simmer it till clear,
taking off any scum that rises; put the fruit singly into small pots,
and pour the syrup and kernels to it. If the fruit is to be candied, the
syrup must not be added: for the sake of variety, it may be proper to
do some each way.
GREEN GOOSE PIE. Bone two young green geese, of a good size; but first
take away every plug, and singe them nicely. Wash them clean, and season
them well with salt, pepper, mace, and allspice. Put one inside the
other, and press them quite close, drawing the legs inward. Put a good
deal of butter over them, and bake them either with or without a crust:
if the latter, a cover to the dish must fit close to keep in the steam.
GREEN PEAS. Peas should not be shelled till they are wanted, nor boiled
in much water. Put them in when the water boils, with a little salt, and
a lump of sugar. When they begin to dent in the middle, they are done
enough. Strain them through a cullender, put a piece of butter in the
dish, and stir them till it is melted. Garnish with boiled mint.
GREEN PEAS PRESERVED. If it be wished to keep them for winter use, shell
the peas, and put them into a kettle of water when it boils. Warm them
well, without boiling, and pour them into a cullender. When the water
drains off, turn them out on a dresser covered with a cloth, and put
over another cloth to dry them perfectly. Deposit them in wide-mouth
bottles, leaving only room to pour clarified mutton suet upon them an
inch thick, and also for the cork. Rosin it down, and keep it in the
cellar or in the earth, the same as other green fruit. When the peas are
to be used, boil them tender, with a piece of butter, a spoonful of
sugar, and a little mint.--Another way. Shell the peas, scald and dry
them as above. Put them on tins or earthen dishes in a cool oven once or
twice to harden, and keep them in paper bags hung up in the kitchen.
When they are to be used, let them be an hour in water; then set them
on with cold water, a piece of butter, and a sprig of dried mint, and
boil them.
GREEN PEAS SOUP. In shelling the peas, divide the old from the young.
Stew the old ones to a pulp, with an ounce of butter, a pint of water, a
leaf or two of lettuce, two onions, pepper and salt. Put to the liquor
that stewed them some more water, the hearts and tender stalks of the
lettuces, the young peas, a handful of spinach cut small, salt and
pepper to relish, and boil them till quite soft. If the soup be too
thin, or not rich enough, add an ounce or two of butter, mixed with a
spoonful of rice or flour, and boil it half an hour longer. Before
serving, boil in the soup some green mint shred fine. When the peas
first come in, or are very young, the stock may be made of the shells
washed and boiled, till they are capable of being pulped. More
thickening will then be wanted.
GREEN PEAS STEWED. Put into a stewpan a quart of peas, a lettuce and an
onion both sliced, and no more water than hangs about the lettuce from
washing. Add a piece of butter, a little pepper and salt, and stew them
very gently for two hours. When to be served, beat up an egg, and stir
it into them, or a bit of flour and butter. Chop a little mint, and stew
in them. Gravy may be added, or a tea-spoonful of white powdered sugar;
but the flavour of the peas themselves is much better.
GREEN SAUCE. Mix a quarter of a pint of sorrel juice, a glass of white
wine, and some scalded gooseberries. Add sugar, and a bit of butter, and
boil them up, to serve with green geese or ducklings.
GRIDIRON. The bars of a gridiron should be made concave, and terminate
in a trough to catch the gravy, and keep the fat from dropping into the
fire and making a smoke, which will spoil the broiling. Upright
gridirons are the best, as they can be used at any fire, without fear of
smoke, and the gravy is preserved in the trough under them. The business
of the gridiron may be done by a Dutch oven, when occasion requires.
GRIEF. In considering what is conducive to health or otherwise, it is
impossible to overlook this destructive passion, which like envy is 'the
rottenness of the bones.' Anger and fear are more violent, but this is
more fixed: it sinks deep into the mind, and often proves fatal. It may
generally be conquered at the beginning of any calamity; but when it has
gained strength, all attempts to remove it are ineffectual. Life may be
dragged out for a few years, but it is impossible that any one should
enjoy health, whose mind is bowed down with grief and trouble. In this
case some betake themselves to drinking, but here the remedy only
aggravates the disease. The best relief, besides what the consolations
of religion may afford, is to associate with the kind and cheerful, to
shift the scene as much as possible, to keep up a succession of new
ideas, apply to the study of some art or science, and to read and write
on such subjects as deeply engage the attention. These will sooner expel
grief than the most sprightly amusements, which only aggravate instead
of relieving the anguish of a wounded heart.
GRILL SAUCE. To half a pint of gravy add an ounce of fresh butter, and a
table-spoonful of flour, previously well rubbed together; the same of
mushroom or walnut ketchup, two tea-spoonfuls of lemon juice, one of
made mustard, one of caper, half a one of black pepper, a little lemon
peel grated fine, a tea-spoonful of essence of anchovies, a very small
piece of minced shalot, and a little chili vinegar, or a few grains of
cayenne. Simmer them all together for a few minutes, pour a little of
it over the grill, and send up the rest in a sauce tureen.
GRILLED MUTTON. Cut a breast of mutton into diamonds, rub it over with
egg, and strew on some crumbs of bread and chopped parsley. Broil it in
a Dutch oven, baste it with butter, and pour caper sauce or gravy into
the dish.
GROUND RICE MILK. Boil one spoonful of ground rice, rubbed down smooth,
with three half pints of milk, a little cinnamon, lemon peel, and
nutmeg. Sweeten it when nearly done.
GROUND RICE PUDDING. Boil a large spoonful of ground rice in a pint of
new milk, with lemon peel and cinnamon. When cold, add sugar, nutmeg,
and two eggs well beaten. Bake it with a crust round the dish. A pudding
of Russian seed is made in the same manner.
GROUSE. Twist the head under the wing, and roast them like fowls, but
they must not be overdone. Serve with a rich gravy in the dish, and
bread sauce. The sauce recommended for wild fowl, may be used instead of
gravy.
GRUBS. Various kinds of grubs or maggots, hatched from beetles, are
destructive of vegetation, and require to be exterminated. In a garden
they may be taken and destroyed by cutting a turf, and laying it near
the plant which is attacked, with the grass side downwards. But the most
effectual way is to visit these depredators at midnight, when they may
be easily found and destroyed.
GUDGEONS. These delicate fish are taken in running streams, where the
water is clear. They come in about midsummer, and are to be had for five
or six months. They require to be dressed much the same as smelts, being
considered as a species of fresh-water smelts.
GUINEA FOWL. Pea and guinea fowl eat much like pheasants, and require to
be dressed in the same way.
GUINEA HENS. These birds lay a great number of eggs; and if their nest
can be discovered, it is best to put them under common hens, which are
better nurses. They require great warmth, quiet, and careful feeding
with rice swelled in milk, or bread soaked in it. Put two peppercorns
down their throat when first hatched.
GUNPOWDER. Reduce to powder separately, five drams of nitrate of potass,
one dram of sulphur, and one of new-burnt charcoal. Mix them together in
a mortar with a little water, so as to make the compound into a dough,
which roll out into round pieces of the thickness of a pin, upon a slab.
This must be done by moving a board backwards and forwards until the
dough is of a proper size. When three or four of these strings or pieces
are ready, put them together, and with a knife cut the whole off in
small grains. Place these grains on a sheet of paper in a warm place,
and they will soon dry. During granulation, the dough must be prevented
from sticking, by using a little of the dry compound powder. This mode
of granulation, though tedious, is the only one to be used for so small
a quantity, for the sake of experiment. In a large way, gunpowder is
granulated by passing the composition through sieves.
H.
HADDOCKS. These fish may be had the greater part of the year, but are
most in season during the first three months. In choosing, see that the
flesh is firm, the eyes bright, and the gills fresh and red. Clean them
well, dry them in a cloth, and rub them with vinegar to prevent the skin
from breaking. Dredge them with flour, rub the gridiron with suet, and
let it be hot when the fish is laid on. Turn them while broiling, and
serve them up with melted butter, or shrimp sauce.
HAIR. Frequent cutting of the hair is highly beneficial to the whole
body; and if the head be daily washed with cold water, rubbed dry, and
exposed to the air, it will be found an excellent preventive of
periodical headachs. Pomatums and general perfumery are very injurious;
but a mixture of olive oil and spirits of rosemary, with a few drops of
oil of nutmeg, may be used with safety. If a lead comb be sometimes
passed through the hair, it will assume a darker colour, but for health
it cannot be recommended.
HAIR POWDER. To know whether this article be adulterated with lime, as
is too frequently the case, put a little of the powder of sal-ammoniac
into it, and stir it up with warm water. If the hair powder has been
adulterated with lime, a strong smell of alkali will arise from the
mixture.
HAIR WATER. To thicken the hair, and prevent its falling off, an
excellent water may be prepared in the following manner. Put four pounds
of pure honey into a still, with twelve handfuls of the tendrils of
vines, and the same quantity of rosemary tops. Distil as cool and as
slowly as possible, and the liquor may be allowed to drop till it begins
to taste sour.
HAMS. When a ham is to be dressed, put it into water all night, if it
has hung long; and let it lie either in a hole dug in the earth, or on
damp stones sprinkled with water, two or three days, to mellow it. Wash
it well, and put it into a boiler with plenty of water; let it simmer
four, five, or six hours, according to the size. When done enough, if
before the time of serving, cover it with a clean cloth doubled, and
keep the dish hot over some boiling water. Take off the skin, and rasp
some bread over the ham. Preserve the skin as whole as possible, to
cover the ham when cold, in order to prevent its drying. Garnish the
dish with carrot when sent to table. If a dried ham is to be purchased,
judge of its goodness by sticking a sharp knife under the bone. If it
comes out with a pleasant smell, the ham is good: but if the knife be
daubed, and has a bad scent, do not buy it. Hams short in the hock are
best, and long-legged pigs are not fit to be pickled.
HAM SAUCE. When a ham is almost done with, pick all the meat clean from
the bone, leaving out any rusty part. Beat the meat and the bone to a
mash, put it into a saucepan with three spoonfuls of gravy, set it over
a slow fire, and stir it all the time, or it will stick to the bottom.
When it has been on some time, put to it a small bundle of sweet herbs,
some pepper, and half a pint of beef gravy. Cover it up, and let it stew
over a gentle fire. When it has a good flavour of the herbs, strain off
the gravy. A little of this sauce will be found an improvement to all
gravies.
HANDS. When the hands or feet are severely affected with the cold, they
should not immediately be exposed to the fire, but restored to their
usual tone and feeling, by immersing them in cold water, and afterwards
applying warmth in the most careful and gradual manner. Persons subject
to chopped hands in the winter time, should be careful to rub them quite
dry after every washing; and to prevent their being injured by the
weather, rub them with a mixture of fresh lard, honey, and the yolks of
eggs; or a little goose fat will answer the purpose.
HARD DUMPLINGS. Make a paste of flour and water, with a little salt, and
roll it into balls. Dust them with flour, and boil them nearly an hour.
They are best boiled with a good piece of meat, and for variety, a few
currants may be added.