The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-28 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE DAILY Nun.

Ss,—With Mr.-Braesbridge and several Sisters of
Charity, I aocompanied Miss Nightingale to the
Crimea for the purpose of organising and, if re-
quisite, improving the hospitals there, in accordance
with those on the banks of the Bosphorus, and also
with the further intention of introducing my new diet,
already adopted at Constantinople, and of teaching
our brave brothers in arms to cook, if possible, as well
as they can fight. The latter they knew how to do,
while the former they had to learn.
Having returned, I can assure you that although
my new pupils are rather numerous, numbering
between 30,000 and 40,000, I do not despair of
being able to considerably ameliorate their present
system of cooking, with the ready assistance I re-
ceive from head-quarters and the superior officers
throughout the camp.
I am once more for a short time at Constantinople,
to see if the new diet is carefully carried out, and to
station a civilian cook who well understands his
basin/es in all the hospitals of Euless, and take
away with me the soldiers who formerly officiated in
those establishments as cooks. At Scutari lam now
eegaged in teaching them the rough art of bivouac
sookery, by making experiments out of 24 rations,
the daily provisions allowed to the troops, which were
delivered to me by the Commissariat in the Crimea,
upon my request at headquarters, and part of the
result of which I beg to forward you, in the shape of
a series of receipts, several of them being for some
time adopted in the camp, where I personally put
them into practice, having been printed for distribu-
tion. In a week or so my new staff of warrior-
seeks will be ready, and I shall start for the Crimea
the second time, to terminate my culinary campaign.
The receipts I send, in the hope that you may be able
to publish some of them, as I think they will be found
both useful and interesting to the public, especially
as they may be adapted to domestic purposes.
A. BOYER.
Barrack Hospital, Scutari, June 18.

BOYER'S BIVOUAC COOKERY.
Brower, SALT BRIT AND PORN.—(0111 Omer Paeha).—
A favourite dish in the comp.—Put into • ante= sauce-
p about 2 lb. et well rooked beef, cut into eight pieces;
lb. salt pork, divided into two, and sin soaked ; lb. of
ries, ter sin tablespoonful ;
brown lb. of onions, or four middle-
shedli rea sum, :led and sliced 2 on. of sugar, or two
; on. of pepper; and five pints of water.
liimmor sadly for three hours, remove the fat from the top,
sink serve. The first tints I made the above wee in Sir John
Oamphall's camp kitchen, situate on the top of his rocky
seem facing Sebastopol, near Cathcart's Hill; and
the die inguished pupils I bad upon the occasion
11111nlintail Windom, Sir John Campbell, and Dr. Hall,
lumistor.Ciensral of Hospitals in the Crimea, and other
siosn. This dish was mach approved of at dinner, and is
enengh for sin people, and, if the receipt be closely followed,
yen cannot fail to have a very good dish. A few hours will
eaten to soak the London salt meat, which I consider is only
piekltd, compared with the ration meat, which will require
at least from eight to ten hours.
PLAIN BOILID SALT Buse.—For six rations, pat in a
ninon saucepan 6 loos of well soaked beef, cat in two,
MIS a quarts of cold water. Simmer gently three hours,
MA serve. About a pound of either carrots, tutsi
parsnips, greens, or cabbages, or three ounces of
vegetable., or dumplings, may he boiled with it, iMen:l7.
When the beef is properly soaked, the vegetable will be
band very mineable.
For SALT Pont proceed the man, °sly boil from one
hour end • half to two boars. Split peas may be added in
the broth, tied in a sloth to form • plain pudding.
Marron SOIIP—Pat the rations of six into a pan. 61b.
of mutton eat into 4or 6 pines ; lb. mixed vegetables, or
N. of preserved, whin are usually daily given to the
troops ; 31 taaspoonsful of salt, 1 ditto sugar,
U
pepper, bandy; 6 on. of barley or rice, sr 6ta dal
of either; 8 pints of water. Let it simmer pa y for 2
hours sod • half, remove the fat, and serve.
PLAIN l'z• SOUP—Put in a pan 2 lbs. of pork, well
soaked, and cut into 8 pieces, and 6 pints of water,
us
lb.
of
. of
split peso, 1 teaspoonful of sugar, 1 ditto pepper;
fresh 'veva:ilea, or 2 on. of preserved, if handy. Let it
boil gently for 2 hours, or until the pose an tender.
When the perk is rather fat, as is generally the sass,
wash it only. lb of broken biscuit may be usd ear the
soup.
Salt beef, when rather fat and soaked, may be tied for
pea soup.
&rowan PL SOUP (a new way).—Cut Ms of pork,
soaked, or only well wean U rather fat, put it in a mains
saucepan with about half • pint of water, two tempoonsfel
of sugar, half awe pepper, if handy. Set your pan on the
fire. Stir it round now and then with either a spoon or •
piece of wood for about 20 minutia. Then add a table.
spoonful of doer, three quarts of water, half a pound of
peas. Let it simmer for from two to three hours, till the
peas ore tender. Take off the fat from the top and serve.
Four tuiddle•eized onions sliced, or about same quantity ei
fresh or dry vegetables, if handy, also • little mint, are a
valuable improvement.
Fasxca Bul? Sour, on POT AU Frtu (Cx FASHION)
—Put in the kettle Sibs. of fresh beef cut is two or three
pieces (bones included), lib. mined green vegetablsa,er
half • pound preserved in aka: four teasponsfulneolt,
one ditto of pepper, one ditto of sugar. throe ditto of abler
(if these last three are handy), eight pints of water. Let It
boil gently three !nun; remove some of the fat, and
serve. The addition of 14 lb. of bread cut into slices, or
one pound of broken biscuits well soaked, will make awry
nutritious soup. Skimming is not required.
Fow TO STIR FAWN BunD, POlll, MUTTON, AND
VRAL.—Cue or chop 2ilie. fresh beef iota 10 or 12 pints ; pot
these into a saucepan with 14 teaspoonful of salt, 1 do. of
sugar, do. of pepper, 2 mitidleoized onions Woad, pint
of water. Set oa the fire for 10 minutes, van forming •
thick gravy, odd • good tablespoonfol of flour, Mires the
fire for • few minutes, add a quart and • half of water. Let
the whole simmer until the meat is tender. Beef will take
from two-and-a-half to three hours, mutton and pork about
two boon, veal one hour and a quarter he one hour end
• half. Onion', sugar, and pepper, if not to be had,
must be omitted. It will even then
make a good dish.
lid( pond of sliced intakes, or two moos of preserved

potatoes. Ration vegetables may be used. The following
small dumplings may be adcad .—Put in a basin a quarter
of a pound of flour, one-quarter teaspoonful of Nat, two
pinehea of pepper, two emcees of chopped fat of pork, or
beef suet, tour tablespoensful of water; mix well, and it
will form a thick paste; roll it in • little flour into small
halls, then put it in the stew pan for 15 minutes, and serve.
The puts will make about eight balls. These may be made
four times larger, and boiled with the salt beef and pork.
Little chopped onions may be added.

A plainer way.—Put the same quantity of Sour, ult.
and a little more water; roll in come flour; make a dozes;
proceed u tke Fame.

COMIACKS PLUM PUDDING (a favourite enemy amongst
the troops).—Pat into a basin 1 lb. fl mu, 1 lb. raisins (which
may be stoned if time allows), t lb. the fat silk perk, well
washed, cut into small dies or chopped, 2 tablespoonsful of
sugar or treacle; add I pint of water, mix all together, put
into a cloth, tied firmly, boil for 4 hours, and . If time
will not admit, boil only 2 hours, though 4 hours are
preferable.