Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon, a great name in the chronology of the table. He invented salads, was accused of eating grass, and like most originals was said to be mad.
NECTARINE is a smooth peach, and there are not a few who maintain that it is the best of all peaches. It is a curious fact that on a peach tree, not only may branches be found bearing the nectarine perfect in every way, but also on the same branch fruits will appear which are peach on one side and nectarine on the other. Botanists are unable to tell what makes the difference.
NESSELRODE PUDDING was invented many years ago by Mony, cook to the famous Count Nesselrode. When Carême heard of this, which is perhaps the most perfect of the iced puddings, he almost burst with envy. He could not but praise the pudding-but he declared that Mony took the idea of it from the chestnut pudding invented by himself. Moreover, he upbraided Mony for conferring the name of a foreigner upon so good a pudding. All the good cooks, he insisted, are French, and therefore all the good names should be French too. Carême, however skilful as a cook, was a blazing cox- Nesselrode Pudding comb; he gave the names of his physician and private friends to many of his dishes, and he fancied that the world would care enough for his decree to accept these names for ever. Surely if Mony had a right to accept service with Count Nesselrode, he had a perfect right to give his patron's name to the great work of art which he evolved under his roof. The following receipt is transcribed from Gouffé, who announces that he had it direct from his old friend Mony :- "Peel forty chestnuts; blanch them in boiling water for five minutes; peel off the second skin, and put them in a stewpan with a quart of syrup at 16°, and a stick of vanilla. Simmer gently till the chestnuts are done, drain and press them through a fine hair sieve. "Put eight yolks of egg in a stewpan with half a pound of pounded sugar and a quart of boiled cream. Stir over the fire without boiling till the egg begins to thicken. Add the chestnut purée, and press the whole through a tammy cloth into a basin, and add a gill of Maraschino. "Stone one quarter-pound of raisins and wash and pick one quarter-pound of currants. Cook both together in one half-gill of syrup at 30° and one gill of water; drain, and let them cool. "Put a freezing pot in the ice; pour in the chestnut cream and work it with the spatula; when it is partly frozen, add three gills of whipt cream, and continue working with the spatula until the cream is frozen; then add the currants and raisins, and put the pudding into an icemould; close it, and put some butter on the opening, to prevent any salt or water penetrating inside; embed the mould in ice, and let it remain there for two hours. "Make the sauce as follows: Put three gills of boiled cream in a stewpan, with eight yolks of egg and a quarterpound of pounded sugar; stir over the fire without boiling till the egg begins to thicken; take off the fire, and stir for three minutes more. Strain the custard through a Nowell tammy cloth and add half a gill of Maraschino. Put the sauce on the ice until it is very cold, without freezing. Turn the pudding out of the mould on to a napkin on a dish; and serve with the sauce in a boat."
This is the most insidious of puddings, and it was a matter of necessity to give it the name of some great diplomatist. The quantities as above rendered are large, but it is easy to take a half, a third, or a fourth.