ITALIAN SOUP

* 2 oz.  Macaroni—­1 1/2d. * * 2 quarts Water or Pot Boilings * * 2 Tomatoes * * 1 oz.  Butter * * 2 oz.  Cheese Rind—­1 1/2d. * * Total Cost—­3 d. * * Time—­Half an Hour. * Put the water or stock on to boil, and when it boils put in the macaroni and boil from twenty-five to thirty minutes.  While it is boiling grate up a dry piece of cheese.  Put the tomatoes into boiling water and remove the skin, slice them up and put them into a saucepan with the butter and some pepper and salt, and cook them for a few minutes.  When the macaroni is soft, cut it into pieces one inch long, put a layer of tomatoes at the bottom of the soup tureen, then a layer of grated cheese, then one of macaroni; repeat this until all the materials are used up, pour over it boiling the liquor in which the macaroni has been cooked, cover down for a few minutes, and serve.

POT-AU-FEU

* 3 lbs.  Leg of Beef—­6d. * * 2 quarts Water * * 1 fagot of Herbs * * Salt and Pepper * * 2 Onions * * 2 Carrots * * 2 Turnips * * 1 doz.  Peppercorns—­1 1/2d. * * Total Cost—­7 1/2 d. * * Time—­Five Hours * Pot-au-feu is the national dish of France; it is cheap, nourishing and palatable, and very simple to make.  The slower it is cooked the better it is; in fact, in this lies the whole secret of success, for if it boils instead of simmering it is spoilt.  Tie the meat up into a nice shape with a piece of tape, put it into cold water, bring slowly to the boil, and very carefully remove the scum; peel and slice up the vegetables, and put them in with the fagot of herbs and the peppercorns tied in a piece of muslin; bring to simmering point, and keep it so for five hours.  The liquor can then be served as a soup with part of the vegetables and some sippets of toast.  Take the tapes off the meat, and serve with the rest of the vegetables round the dish as a border or garnish.  The remains of the beef can be pressed between heavy weights till cold, or put into a brawn tin and served cold with a salad.

VERMICELLI SOUP

* 1 oz.  Vermicelli—­1d. * * Vegetables and Saffron * * 2 quarts Bone Stock—­1d. * * Total Cost—­2 d. * * Time—­One Hour * The stock for this soup should be good and in a strong jelly when cold.  Put it into a saucepan with three or four threads of saffron, an onion or leek stuck with six cloves, 1 dozen white peppercorns and some salt, and boil all together for half an hour; then strain out the vegetables and put it back into the saucepan.  It should be of a bright straw colour; if it is not, a thread more saffron may be added before straining.  Put in the vermicelli broken small, and simmer for twenty minutes; it is then ready to serve.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP