To Choose Articles of Food. #0223

--Nothing is more important in the affairs of housekeeping than the choice of wholesome food. Apropos of this is an amusing conundrum which is as follows :- ''A man went to market and bought two fish. When he reached home he found he had three! How was this?'' The answer is - ''He had two mackerel, and one smelt!'' Those who envy him his bargain need not care about the following rules; but to others they will be valuable :-
--1. Mackerel must be perfectly fresh, or it is a very indifferent fish; it will neither bear carriage, not being kept many hours out of the water. The firmness of the flesh, the clearness of the eyes, and the general brightness of its appearance, must be the criteria of fresh mackerel, as they are of all other fish. If the gills are not red the fish is stale. Mackerel are very good when prepared as a breakfast relish in the same manner as herring.
--2. Turbot, and all flat white fish, is rigid and firm when fresh; the under side should be of a rich cream colour. When out of season, or too long kept, this becomes a bluish white, and the flesh is soft and David.
--3. Cod is known to be fresh by the rigidity of the muscles (or flesh), the redness of the gills, and clearness of the eyes. Crimping (i.e. cutting into sections immediately on being caught, and boiling rapidly) much improves this fish. Haddocks are judged in the sane way as cod.
--4. Salmon.- The flavour and excellence of this fish depend upon its freshness and the shortness of time since it was caught; for no method can completely preserve the delicate flavour that salmon has when just taken out of the water. When perfectly fresh there is a creamy substance between the flakes. A great deal of what is brought to London has been packed in ice, and though perfectly fresh, is not quite equal to salmon from the famous streams in England, Scotland and Ireland, which are the best. Trout may be selected in the sane way as salmon.
--5. Herrings and Sprats should be eaten when very fresh; and, like mackerel, will not remain good many hours after they are caught. But they are excellent, especially for breakfast relishes, either salted, split, dried, and peppered, or pickled.
--6. Fresh-Water Fish.- The remarks as to firmness and clear fresh eyes apply to this variety of fish, if which there are carp, tench, pike, perch, &c.
--7. Lobsters, recently caught, have always some remains if muscular action in the claws, which may be excited by pressing the eyes with the finger; when this cannot be produced, the lobster must have been too long kept. When boiled, the tail preserves it's elasticity if fresh, but loses it as soon as it becomes stale. The heaviest lobsters are the best; when light they are watery and poor. Hen lobsters may generally be known by the spawn, or by the breadth of the ''flap.''
--8. Crabs and Crayfish must be chosen by observations similar to those given above in the choice of lobsters. Crabs have an agreeable smell when fresh. When buying shell-fish, care should be taken that their weight is not due to waterbeds.
--9. Prawns and Shrimps, when fresh are firm and crisp.
--10. Oysters.- If fresh, the shell is firmly closed; when the shells are open, the oysters are dead, and unfit for food. The flesh should be quite firm and white or if a delicate cream colour. The beard should be of a light brown or sandy colour although in some localities it is green. The best size for oysters is 3 and a half or 3 and 3 qtr inches in diameter. English oysters are famous for their good qualities, those from Whitstable, Colchester and Brightlingsea being well-known varieties. The oyster-beds at Inversely and Ballantrae in Scotland, and at Willow and Queens town in Ireland produce oysters of excellent quality.
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''Guard The Foot, And The Head Will Seldom Harm.''