VEGETABLES.

Green vegetables must look fresh, and have nothing rotten about them.

_To boil or blanch Green Vegetables._--Whatever they are, spinach, green

peas, asparagus, etc., put some cold water and a little salt on the

fire; clean the vegetable, wash it if necessary, then drop it in the

water at the first boil; keep boiling for a time or till done; drain,

and immediately drop it in cold water; drain again before using. It is

impossible to tell how long it takes to boil; it depends entirely on the

nature of the vegetable: for instance, spinach, as well as peas or any

other vegetable, according to how tender it is, may take from three to

twenty minutes to cook properly. Dry vegetables, such as beans, peas,

lentils, etc., are washed or soaked in cold water, drained, and then set

on the fire with cold water and no salt. Salt renders beans much harder

and retards their cooking. Other vegetables that are neither green nor

dry, such as carrots, turnips, etc., are generally set on the fire with

cold water and salt. If prepared in other ways, it is explained in the

receipts.

Potatoes are generally steamed; when they must be boiled, it is

explained. We recommend to drop the green vegetables in the water at the

first boil, because, in boiling, water evaporates its gases and alkali,

and is therefore inferior for cooking purposes. Green vegetables are

more acid here than in Europe, on account of the newness and richness of

the soil; so is some fruit.

_Artichokes_.--The artichoke we refer to here is the plant somewhat

resembling a thistle, having a large, scaly head, like the cone of the

pine-tree; the lower part of the leaves composing the head, with the

broad receptacle underneath, is the eatable part. It is a native of

Sicily, and is an excellent and delicate vegetable. It grows well here,

and the reason why it is not more generally known is because some

persons who are used to live on coarse food have underrated it--their

palates not being fit to appreciate its delicate flavor. We recommend

gardeners and farmers to cultivate it; they will find a ready market.

_How to eat them raw_.--Quarter them, take off the outer leaves and

choke, and serve with oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

_How to cook_.--Clean them and take off the outer leaves, throw them

into boiling water, with parsley, salt, and pepper (they are cooked when

the leaves come off easily), then take from the fire and drain, taking

care to put them upside down.

_The same, fried_.--When cooked as above, cut the upper part of the

leaves, and then cut them in eight pieces, take the choke off, dip each

piece in a thin paste made of flour, sweet-oil, beaten egg, vinegar,

salt, and pepper, and fry them with a little butter. Serve them with

sprigs of fried parsley around.

_The same, stewed_.--When cooked as directed above, cut them in four

pieces, and trim off the upper part of the leaves, take off the choke,

and lay them in a stewpan; cover them with broth and set on a moderate

fire; add then one ounce of butter for six artichokes, one sprig of

parsley, and two mushrooms cut in slices; boil ten minutes, take the

parsley off, and serve the artichokes with the mushrooms around; pour

the sauce on the whole.

_In Vinaigrette._--Cook, and serve with a _vinaigrette_. The Jerusalem

artichokes are dressed like potatoes.

_Asparagus._--This is thought to be a native of Asia. The white

asparagus sells dearer than the other kinds, but we cannot say that it

is on account of its better quality, it is most likely for being more

sightly when served. If it is kept for some time before boiling it,

place the bunch in about half an inch deep of cold water, the top

upward, and keep in a cool place. There are only four ways of preparing

asparagus without changing or destroying the natural taste of the plant.

The large ones, or what is called the first cut, is prepared in

_vinaigrette_, _white sauce_, and _fried_; the small one, or second cut,

is cooked _en petits pois_--like green peas. It is better and has more

taste when boiled rather underdone, that is, taken from the water when

still firm; if boiled till soft, it loses its taste and is not crisp.

_To boil._--Cut off some of the white part, so as to have the whole of

one length if possible; then scrape the white end a little, soak in cold

water for a few minutes, and drain. Tie it in small bunches of half a

dozen or a dozen, according to size, and drop them in boiling water and

a little salt, at the first boil of the water. Boil till rather

underdone, take off, drain and drop in cold water immediately. Drain

again, and it is ready to serve.

_En Petits Pois._--Cut small asparagus in pieces about half an inch

long, and blanch them for three minutes. Take off and drain; then put

them in a saucepan on the fire with two or three tablespoonfuls of

broth, stir now and then for about two minutes, add a teaspoonful of

flour; stir again, and as soon as mixed with the asparagus add also

about one ounce of butter, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, stir, and,

when the butter is melted, serve.

_Fried._--Blanch the asparagus two minutes, drain it; dip each in batter

and fry in hot fat. Take off with a skimmer when done; and turn into a

colander, salt it, and serve hot.

_In Vinaigrette._--Boil it as directed. When cold, serve with a

_vinaigrette_. (This is also called _a l'huile_.)

_With White Sauce._--While it is boiling, make a white sauce; drain the

asparagus and serve both, sauce and vegetable, warm. The asparagus is

not dropped in cold water.

_With Cream Sauce._--It is prepared and served as with a white sauce.

_In Omelet._--Boil the asparagus as directed, and when cool cut it in

small pieces about half an inch long, and when the omelet is ready to be

folded in two, a little while before taking from the fire, place the

asparagus in the middle, then fold and serve the omelet as if there were

nothing in it.

_Green or String Beans_, _Dwarf or Snap Beans_, _French Haricots_, _Pole

Beans_, _Kidney Beans_, _etc._--_To prepare them when green and cooked

with the pods._--Remove the string or thread that is on both sides, by

partly breaking one end of the pod and pulling lengthwise, repeat the

same for the other side; cut them in pieces half an inch long, soak them

in cold water, and throw them into boiling water with a little salt.

Boil them till cooked, which you will know by pressing one between your

fingers to see if tender; take them from the fire, throw them into cold

water to cool, and drain them.

_Au jus._--Cook a quart of beans. Put two ounces of butter in a stewpan

and set it on the fire; when melted, put the beans in with a teaspoonful

of chopped parsley; stir five minutes; then add a gill of broth, salt,

and pepper; simmer twenty minutes, and, just on taking from the fire,

mix in it two well-beaten yolks of eggs, with the juice of half a lemon,

and serve.

_Maitre d'hotel._--Put in a stewpan two ounces of butter, and set it on

a good fire; when melted, put in it a quart of beans cooked in water,

with a pinch of grated nutmeg, half a pint of milk, salt, pepper, and a

teaspoonful of chopped parsley; keep stirring continually, boil ten

minutes, take from the fire, mix in it two beaten yolks of eggs, and

serve.

_The same, with Onions._--Put two ounces of butter in a stewpan and set

it on the fire; when hot, put in it two onions cut in slices, and fry

them. Then add salt, pepper, a pinch of grated nutmeg, a saltspoonful of

chopped parsley, and a quart of beans cooked in water; also half a pint

of boiling water; boil ten minutes, stir with a wooden spoon, take from

the fire, sprinkle in it a few drops of vinegar, and serve.

_The same, in Salad._--Cook the beans in water, as directed above; then

put a layer of them in a crockery vessel, the layer to be about one inch

thick; then sprinkle on it salt and pepper; repeat the same process till

all your beans are in; cover and leave thus three or four hours; then

throw away the water, or drain if convenient; place the beans in a

salad-dish, with the sweet-oil, vinegar, and parsley necessary; move

like a salad, and serve cold.

_Green, shelled, Lima, or other Beans._--Shell the beans, throw them in

boiling water with a little salt, and when cooked drain them. Put two

ounces of butter for a quart of beans in a saucepan, and when melted

put the beans in with salt and pepper; toss gently now and then for

three or four minutes, then add about a teaspoonful of vinegar, or the

juice of half a lemon, and half a teaspoonful of parsley chopped. Mix

and serve warm. They may also be prepared as string-beans, either _au

jus_, in _maitre d'hotel_, or in _salad_.

_Dry Beans, Lima, White or Colored._--Dry beans must be soaked in water

for some time. Some require to be soaked twenty-four hours, others only

five or six hours. Those that require to be soaked long are not from the

last harvest, but have been kept for two or more years. If you are not

sure that the beans (especially the white) are from this year's crop,

soak them for twenty-four hours in cold water, and then drain them.

_To boil._--Put the beans in a saucepan with cold water, and boil gently

till tender. If the water boils away, fill up with cold water, but never

put any salt to boil dry beans, it prevents them from cooking. As soon

as boiled tender, drain them, and they are ready for use.

_Au jus._--When boiled as above, set them on the fire in a stewpan with

a few tablespoonfuls of gravy or broth, salt, and a little butter, stir

for two or three minutes, then add a little chopped parsley, and serve

warm.

_Maitre d'hotel._--When boiled as above, drain and put them in a

saucepan with about three ounces of butter for a quart of beans, stir

now and then, and when the butter is melted, add salt, pepper, a

teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and a few drops of vinegar; just mix and

serve.

_With Salt Pork._--Boil a quart of beans as directed above, and drain

them. Cut in dice about half a pound of bacon and put it in a saucepan

on the fire; when about half fried add the beans, mix and stir for one

minute, then put in a warm oven for about twenty minutes, stirring

occasionally; when done, sprinkle on it some parsley chopped fine,

pepper and salt to taste, if not salt enough. There are several ways of

preparing "pork and beans," but the one we give above is the most

general in New England. The pork must neither be too fat nor too lean.

It may be done also with ham and fresh pork.

_With Mutton._--Boil as directed about three pints of white beans and

drain them. When the leg of mutton is about half roasted, put the beans

in the dripping-pan, and stir occasionally till the meat is done, and

serve them with it. It makes a very nourishing dish, but it would be

rather heavy for persons having sedentary avocations. Two quarts of

beans would not be too much for a good-sized leg of mutton. It may also

be prepared with any other piece of mutton; shoulder, saddle, etc.

_Boiled with Mutton or Pork._--Prepare a quart of beans as directed, and

then boil them ten minutes and drain them. Cut in rather large dice

about two pounds of breast or neck of mutton or the same of pork, and of

the same pieces, and put meat and beans in a stewpan, cover well with

cold water; season with a bunch of seasonings composed of five or six

sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and two cloves, salt,

pepper, a little nutmeg grated, a carrot cut in three or four pieces,

two onions, and a piece of turnip. Boil gently till the whole is

thoroughly cooked; remove the seasonings, and serve meat and beans

together. This makes also a nourishing dish and not an expensive one.

The nutritive qualities of beans are very well known, and very much

exaggerated too. Even Professor Liebig once said that "four quarts of

beans and two pounds of corned beef or pork boiled to rags, in fifty

quarts of water, will furnish a good meal for forty men."

We must say that we have not been able to try the experiment, but we

should like very much to see what kind and how much work forty men would

do, and for how long, with such a diet. There are many things that look

or seem well, and even magnificent in theory, though entirely

impracticable. It sounds well, especially to those who do not understand

the meaning of it, to say that we feed mostly on gluten, albumen,

gelatine, etc., and that we require so many ounces of carbon, oxygen,

etc., in twenty-four hours. Every thing that we eat may be, with the

exception of salt, turned into charcoal; but no one has yet been known

to feed on it.

_Colored Beans, stewed._--Soak, boil five minutes, and drain a quart of

beans. Put in a stewpan half a pound of bacon and set it on the fire;

five minutes after, put the beans in, with four small onions, salt, and

pepper, boil gently till cooked, and drain. Put two ounces of butter in

a stewpan on the fire; when melted, sprinkle in it a teaspoonful of

flour, same of chopped parsley, then the beans, without the bacon and

onions; toss now and then for ten minutes, then add half a pint of

claret wine, the same of the water in which they were cooked, boil

gently twenty minutes; then put in it also the bacon and onions, boil

five minutes longer, and serve the whole on the same dish.

_Beets, stewed._--Clean and wash well, but do not skin them. Put in a

crockery vessel a layer of rye straw, moisten it slightly, place the

beets on it, cover the vessel, and place it in a slow oven for five or

six hours; cool and skin them. When cooked, cut them in thin slices. Put

butter in a stewpan, and when melted sprinkle in it a pinch of flour, a

teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, then the beets; simmer

twenty minutes, add a few drops of vinegar, and serve.

_Cabbages--to boil._--Take off the outer leaves, clean, cut in four

pieces, free it from stump and stalk, and drop it in boiling water with

a little salt and a piece of charcoal. Boil slowly till tender, and

drain. Cabbage contains some sulphur, and evaporates an unpleasant odor

while boiling, and especially while boiling fast. By putting a piece of

charcoal in the pot, it does not smell as much.

_With Bacon._--When boiled and drained, put the cabbage in a stewpan

with bacon, sausage, and a piece of breast of mutton; cover with cold

water, season with three or four sprigs of parsley, a carrot, a clove, a

little nutmeg, salt and pepper; boil till the whole is well cooked,

remove the seasonings and drain; dish the cabbage, put the meat on it,

and serve warm.

_With Milk, or a la Creme._--Boil and drain the cabbage as directed

above. Put two ounces of butter in a saucepan, set it on a good fire,

and when melted put the cabbage in with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on it

a teaspoonful of flour, add half a pint of cream or good milk; keep

stirring with a wooden spoon during the whole process; boil gently till

the sauce is reduced, and serve warm.

_Stewed._--Boil and drain two large heads of cabbage, and cut them very

fine. Put about three ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire, and

when melted put the cabbage in and stir for five minutes; then add salt,

pepper, and a pinch of flour; wet with a pint of broth, boil till cooked

and the sauce reduced, then serve warm.

_A l'Allemande._--Blanch for ten minutes some white or green cabbage and

drain it. Put six ounces of salt pork, cut in dice, in a saucepan on the

fire, and when partly fried put two or three small heads of cabbage in,

stir, and when done, add a little gravy, and serve warm.

_With Apples._--Blanch for about ten minutes a head of cabbage and

drain it. Put two or three ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire,

and put the cabbage in when the butter is melted with four or five

apples peeled, quartered, and cored; also a little salt and a little

sugar, about half a pint of water or broth, boil gently till done, and

serve as warm as possible. Generally, cabbages are better when prepared

at least one day in advance, and then warmed in a _bain-marie_ before

serving; a little butter may be added while it is warming. Any kind of

cabbage is prepared as directed in the above ways.

_Red Cabbage in Salad._--Take a hard head of red cabbage, and when all

the outer leaves are removed, see if it is clean, but do not wash it; if

a cabbage is not clean, do not use it for salad (as you want a hard one,

and a hard one is always clean when the outer leaves are taken off).

Then cut it in four pieces, trim off the stump and coarse ends of the

leaves; cut it as thin as possible, as in making sour-krout, put it in a

crockery vessel, with salt, vinegar, and pepper sprinkled on, cover and

leave thus from four to six hours; then throw away the water or vinegar,

dress as another salad, with oil and vinegar, and serve.

_The same, stewed._--Blanch the cabbage for about ten minutes and drain

it; then put it in a saucepan with about an ounce of butter and stir for

five minutes, when add a little salt, a little sugar, a gill of claret

wine, and same of broth or water. Boil gently till done, and serve.

_Stuffed._--Remove the outer leaves of either a green, white, or red

cabbage, see that it be clean, then put it in a bowl, and pour boiling

water on it. Leave it so till the leaves are soft and pliable, when take

off and drain. Cut off the stump carefully, place the cabbage on the

table, the top upward, then open it gently by spreading the leaves all

around without breaking them; then, commencing with the centre leaves,

put some sausage-meat between the leaves, finishing with the outer ones

and raising them; that is, bringing the cabbage to its original shape as

much as possible, and then tie it all around with twine. Put in a

saucepan large enough to hold the cabbage easily, but not too large, a

little salt pork, cut in small dice, rind of salt pork and trimmings of

butcher's meat that you may have, but if none at all, put a little lean

salt pork or bacon, and cut in dice also, half a carrot in slices, two

onions in slices also, and then the cabbage on the whole. Half cover it

with broth; water may be used instead of broth, but it makes a very

inferior dish, while with broth it is unquestionably an excellent one

for those who like cabbages. Simmer for two or three hours, according to

the size of the cabbage. A piece of sausage may be placed on the cabbage

also and cooked with it. Then dish the cabbage, remove the twine tying

it; place the sausage around and also the salt pork if liked, strain the

sauce on the whole, and serve warm. If the water or broth boils away

while it is cooking, add more.

_Sour-krout._--Soak in cold water for some time, changing the water

three or four times; then put it in a stewpan with a pound of bacon, two

ounces of sausages, and two ounces of lard to every quart of sour-krout,

salt, and pepper; wet with broth, or with water, boil from five to six

hours, and serve with the bacon and sausages on it. When cooked as

above, but with water instead of broth, drain it well, put the bacon and

sausages away in a warm place; then put the sour-krout in a stewpan with

about one pint of white wine to a quart of sour-krout, set it on the

fire and boil gently till the wine is nearly all absorbed or boiled

away. Serve as above with the bacon and sausages on it. It is almost

always prepared with wine in many parts of Germany.

_Cardoons._--The white part only is good to eat. Clean well and scrape

the sides; cut in pieces two inches and a half in length, and throw them

in boiling water with a little salt; boil them till their sliminess

comes off easily; then take from the fire, pour cold water in, and by

means of a towel remove the sliminess; soak in cold water and drain

them. Lay a few slices of bacon in a stewpan, place the cardoons on

them, and again lay slices of bacon on; season with two onions, two

sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and a clove, salt, pepper,

and the juice of half a lemon; cover with water and set on a good fire;

boil till cooked; take from the fire and drain the cardoons only,

throwing away the seasonings. Put the cardoons back in the stewpan, in

which you have left the bacon; add two or three tablespoonfuls of broth,

and two of Espagnole sauce; set on a slow fire, and simmer till the

sauce is reduced to a proper thickness. Have at the same time in a pan

on the fire a piece of ox-marrow, and when melted mix it with the sauce

at the moment you take the cardoons from the fire, and serve hot either

with or without the bacon.

_Carrots--how to clean and prepare them._--Trim off all the small roots,

wash them well, scrape them gently, taking care to scrape the skin only;

then wash well, drain, and cut them either in slices a quarter of an

inch thick, in fillets or strips, or with a vegetable spoon, according

to fancy.

_To boil._--When prepared, put them in a saucepan with a little salt,

more cold water than is necessary to cover them, set on the fire, boil

gently till tender, and drain. It is impossible to tell how long it

takes, as it depends how young and tender they are.

_In Bechamel._--Clean, cut, and boil about a quart of carrots as

directed and drain them. Mix well together in a saucepan, on the table,

about two ounces of butter with a tablespoonful of flour, add about one

pint of milk, set on the fire, stir slowly till it comes to a boil, when

turn the carrots in, stir for about one minute, add also a little salt,

same of sugar, two yolks of eggs; stir and mix well, give one boil, and

serve warm.

_A la Creme, or with Cream._--Proceed as for a _Bechamel_ in every

particular except that you use cream instead of milk.

_In Poulette._--Proceed as in _Bechamel_ with the exception that you use

broth instead of milk, and add a little parsley, chopped fine, just

before serving.

_Fines Herbes._--Clean, cut, and boil as directed, about a quart of

carrots. Set a saucepan on the fire with two ounces of butter in it, and

when melted fry in it a piece of onion chopped fine. When the onion is

fried add a pint of broth or water; boil about five minutes, put the

carrots in with a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, give one boil, take

from the fire, add a few drops of lemon-juice, and serve as warm as

possible, with salt to taste.

_Au jus._--Proceed as for _fines herbes_, except that you do not use

onions, and put half a pint of broth or gravy.

_Glazed._--Clean, cut with a vegetable spoon, and boil as directed,

about a quart of carrots, and drain them. Put three ounces of butter in

a frying-pan and set it on the fire. As soon as the butter is melted

turn the carrots in, toss gently for five or six minutes, then add a

little over a gill of rich gravy, sugar to taste, toss again now and

then till the gravy is half boiled away, and use. Glazed carrots are

seldom served alone, but most generally used as garnishing around a

piece of meat.

_Stewed._--Clean, and cut carrots in slices, and then blanch them for

about five minutes, and drain them. Set a stewpan on the fire with about

two ounces of butter in it; as soon as melted put the carrots in with

salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, half a pint of broth; boil gently till

cooked, take from the fire, add and mix with the carrots a little

chopped parsley, and serve warm.

_With Sugar._--Clean and slice about a quart of carrots, and blanch them

for five minutes, and then drain them. Put two ounces of butter in a

stewpan, and set it on a good fire, and when melted lay the carrots in

with salt, pepper, a pinch of grated nutmeg, and about half a pint of

broth; sprinkle in it, while stirring with a wooden spoon, about a

teaspoonful of flour, and boil gently till cooked. Take from the fire,

mix a good tablespoonful of sugar with two yolks of eggs, and those

again with the rest, and serve.

_Cauliflowers and Broccoli--how to prepare and cook them in

water._--Clean and wash them well, throw into boiling water with a

little salt and a little flour, boil till cooked, and drain them.

_How to serve with Cheese._--Put them on a crockery dish when prepared;

pour on a white sauce, in which you have mixed a little grated cheese;

then dust the whole with fine bread-crumbs; after which you take a soft

brush or a feather, which you dip in lukewarm butter, and put a thin

coat of it all over the cauliflowers; then place the dish in a quick

oven for ten minutes, and serve as they are, _i. e._, in the dish in

which they have been cooked. This is also called _au gratin_.

_In Bechamel._--Boil the cauliflowers till done to your taste, drain

immediately and place them on the dish, the top upward. While it is

boiling make a _Bechamel_ sauce and turn it over the cauliflowers as

soon as dished, and serve as warm as possible. Cauliflower, like

asparagus, has a better taste when rather underdone; it is more crisp.

_Au Beurre Noir (with Brown Butter)._--When boiled, drained, and dished,

turn a brown butter over them, and serve warm.

_With a Cream-Sauce._--Clean, prepare, boil, and drain the cauliflowers

as directed above, then dish them also with the top upward. While they

are boiling, make a cream-sauce and turn it over the cauliflowers as

soon as they are dished, and serve warm. As they must be served warm, if

the sauce is ready before the cauliflowers are cooked, keep it in a

_bain-marie_; if the cauliflowers are cooked before the sauce is ready,

keep them in a warm place.

_With a White Sauce._--Proceed as with a cream-sauce in every

particular, turning a white instead of a cream-sauce over them; serve

warm.

_Fried._--Clean, prepare, and boil them for about five minutes, that is,

till they are about half cooked; then dip them in batter for frying

vegetables, and fry them in hot fat. Take them off with a skimmer, turn

them into a colander, sprinkle salt all over, and serve as hot as

possible. They are excellent fried, but they must not be allowed to

cool.

_With a Tomato-Sauce._--Commence by making a tomato-sauce, as it

requires longer than preparing the cauliflowers. When the sauce is

nearly made, boil the cauliflower as directed, dish it, and then turn

the sauce over it, and serve warm.

_Au jus, or stewed._--Prepare, boil the cauliflowers till half done, and

drain them. Place them carefully in a stewpan, the top upward, and set

on the fire with a little fat. The fire must be rather slow. Stir gently

and very carefully in order not to break them, and, about five minutes

after they are on the fire, add half a gill of broth for a

middling-sized cauliflower, salt, and pepper; simmer till done, stirring

now and then during the process; dish them, turn the sauce all over, and

serve warm.

_In Salad._--When boiled and drained, leave them in the colander till

perfectly cold, then put them in the salad-dish with salt, pepper,

vinegar, and oil, move carefully in order not to break it, and serve. A

salad of cauliflowers is not served as a salad of greens, but as an

_entremet_, like other vegetables, and as if prepared in any other way.

It is an excellent dish for breakfast.

_Celery--stewed._--Cut off the green part or top of about half a dozen

heads of celery; cleanse and trim them, but leave them whole. Set a

saucepan of cold water and a little salt on the fire, and at the first

boil drop the heads of celery in, boil till tender and drain. Put the

celery back in the pan with about half a pint of broth; boil gently

about five minutes, when add two or three tablespoonfuls of good

meat-gravy, a teaspoonful of _meuniere_, salt to taste, give one boil,

and serve warm.

_Fried._--Cut the celery in pieces about two inches long, wash, drain,

and wipe dry. Dip them in batter for frying vegetables, drop in hot fat,

and turn them into a colander when fried; sprinkle salt over, and serve

hot. Soup or turnip-rooted celery, after being cleaned and properly

scraped, is prepared like table celery as above, either stewed or fried.

_Chiccory._--Chiccory, or succory, or endive, is generally prepared as a

salad, if it be that with the broad leaves, or the curled endive.

_Stewed._--Clean, wash, and drain it. Blanch it for about one minute,

and drain again. Then put it in a stewpan with a little broth, and

simmer till cooked; then add a little gravy, salt and pepper to taste,

and serve. It makes a good _entremet_. The wild chiccory is prepared in

the same way.

_With Milk._--Remove the outer leaves and see that it is perfectly

clean, cut in two or four, wash well in several waters, and throw into

boiling water with a little salt; boil half an hour, take it out, throw

into cold water, leave two minutes, and drain; press on it the drainer

so as to extract all the water from it, after which chop it fine. Put

about two ounces of butter in a stewpan; when melted, sprinkle in it a

teaspoonful of flour, also salt and pepper; then put the endive in, say

three or four heads, stir with a wooden spoon for ten minutes, after

which time you beat two eggs with milk, and put them in the stewpan;

keep stirring fifteen minutes longer, and serve.

_Corn--sweet._--The simplest and best way is to boil it, and then eat it

with butter, salt, and pepper. When boiled with any meat-soup, or with

_pot-au-feu_, it is delicious to eat, and gives a good taste to the

broth; it is also eaten with butter, salt, and pepper, as above.

_Stewed._--Shell it and then drop it in boiling water and a little salt,

boil till nearly done; then drain and put it back on the fire with a

little broth; boil gently for about ten minutes, add a little gravy,

salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

_In Succotash._--This popular Indian dish, is very simply made by

boiling corn and green Lima beans together, with salt and pepper. The

two can be prepared together as stewed corn, but it makes a very

inferior dish.

_Cucumbers._--Peel them, split them in four, take the seeds out, cut in

pieces about one inch long, throw them into boiling water, with a little

salt; boil till cooked, drain, and put them on a towel so as to dry

them well; then put butter in a frying-pan, and set it on a good fire;

when hot, put in it some chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, two minutes

after put the cucumbers in it, fry a few minutes, tossing them now and

then, and serve.

_The same, stewed._--Cook in boiling water, and dry them as above; then

put them in a stewpan with a little butter kneaded with flour, add salt,

pepper, and a pinch of grated nutmeg; moisten with broth, simmer to

reduce the sauce; take from the fire, mix the yolks of two eggs in the

sauce; add to it a few drops of vinegar, and serve them.

_Stuffed._--Soak a piece of bread in cold water and then squeeze the

water out of it, the size to be according to how many cucumbers are to

be stuffed, or how large they are. Split large cucumbers in two,

lengthwise, remove the seeds and some of the fleshy parts inside, by

means of a small iron spoon. Put a little butter in a saucepan on the

fire, and when melted fry in it a piece of chopped onion. When the onion

is fried, put in the pan what you have removed from the inside of the

cucumbers, and which you have chopped a little, stir for about five

minutes, and then add the soaked bread, stir and mix well with the rest;

add also salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg and a little gravy; stir

again for about one minute, take from the fire; fill the cucumbers, that

is, each half with the mixture; place them in a pan, the mixture upward;

dust with bread-crumbs, put a little butter on the top of each, and

bake. Before serving, a little gravy may be sprinkled all over; serve

warm.

_In hors-d'oeuvre._--Peel the cucumbers, cut them in slices slantwise,

and salt them for two or three hours. Drain them, and then season with

oil, vinegar, pepper, and parsley chopped fine.

Pickled cucumbers are served whole with small onions, also pickled, as a

_hors-d'oeuvre_.

_Dandelion._--Dandelion is a very healthy greens in the spring, either

cooked or raw. Clean and wash them well several times, as it nearly

always contains fine sand between the leaves; leave them in cold water

about two hours, and drain them; throw them into boiling water and salt;

boil twenty minutes if young, and thirty minutes if full grown; then put

them in a colander, press on them so as to extract all the water, after

which chop them fine; put about two ounces of butter in a stewpan, for

two quarts, and set it on a quick fire; when melted, sprinkle in it a

teaspoonful of flour, salt and pepper, then put the dandelion in, stir

for ten minutes, after which wet it with broth; keep stirring for about

fifteen minutes longer, and serve.

_Egg-Plant--broiled._--Split the egg-plant in two lengthwise, peel it

and remove the seed. Put it in a crockery vessel and sprinkle salt on

it; leave it thus nearly an hour, then take it off, dip it in egg beaten

with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, then boil it; serve with a

_maitre d'hotel_ sauce.

_Fried._--Peel and cut in slices, lay the slices in a vessel, sprinkling

salt over every layer, and leave thus half an hour and drain. Dip the

slices in batter for frying vegetables, drop them in hot fat, and turn

them into a colander when fried; sprinkle salt all over, and serve.

_Saute._--Put the slices with salt half an hour in a vessel as directed

in the above. Drain them, and then fry them on both sides with a little

butter in a frying-pan. Serve warm, with salt and pepper to taste.

_Stuffed._--Proceed as for stuffed cucumbers in every particular.

_Hominy._--Hominy is prepared in different ways, some make it in cakes,

others like mush. The following is, however, the general way of

preparing it: boil it for about three hours with water or milk, also

butter, salt, and pepper; then mix with it some well-beaten eggs, fry or

broil, or even cook it in an oven, and serve for breakfast.

_Leeks._--Clean, wash, and drain; throw them in boiling water with a

little salt, boil fifteen minutes, and drain; press on them in the

drainer, so as to extract all the water, then chop them fine. Put two

ounces of butter in a stewpan; when melted, sprinkle in it a teaspoonful

of flour, salt, and pepper, then add the leeks. Stir with a wooden spoon

for ten minutes; after that beat two eggs with milk, and put them in a

stewpan; keep stirring fifteen minutes longer, and serve.

_Lentils._--This excellent vegetable, much superior to beans or peas, is

not generally known. Most of what we have here comes from Germany; a

little comes from France and Switzerland. Many persons think them much

dearer than beans or peas, not knowing that they swell three or four

times their size when soaked in water before cooking them. They are

prepared like dry beans in every way. A _puree_ of lentils is excellent

with almost every kind of meat, and it also makes a good potage. It has

all the nutritive qualities of the bean.

_Lettuce._--Cos lettuce, cabbage lettuce, butter lettuce, curled

Silesia, white or green lettuce, etc. Besides being served as salad, all

the above, when properly dressed, make an excellent _entremet_.

_To prepare._--Take off the outer leaves, that is, all those that are

too green or too hard, then clean and wash well, but without cutting it

off, or without detaching the leaves. To stew lettuce, select hard

heads, so that they can be cleansed without detaching the leaves. When

cleaned, drop the heads in boiling water and a little salt, boil about

five or ten minutes, according to how tender the lettuce is, and drain

dry.

_Stewed._--When cleaned and prepared, sprinkle on the top of each, salt,

pepper, and a little grated nutmeg; then tie each head with a string.

Place in a stewpan two or three slices of bacon, put the heads of

lettuce in, season with two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf,

and a clove, also salt and pepper; cover with water, and simmer about

two hours in an oven; then take them from the pan, drain, pressing on

them to extract all the water, and put them on a dish, the top upward.

Have butter in a stewpan, and on a good fire; when melted, sprinkle in

it a teaspoonful of flour, stirring with a wooden spoon; subdue the

fire, add a little milk, and stir and simmer ten minutes longer; take

from the fire, mix in the beaten yolks of two eggs, pour it on the

lettuce, which you have kept warm, and serve.

_Another way._--When prepared, chop it fine. Put in a stewpan, for four

heads of lettuce, three ounces of butter, and set it on the fire; when

melted, put the lettuce in with a little chopped chervil, stir now and

then till cooked; then sprinkle in it a pinch of flour, wet with broth,

boil ten minutes longer, keeping it stirred, and serve. (For a salad of

lettuce, see Salad.)

_Stuffed._--Proceed as for a stuffed cabbage.

_Mushrooms._--Preserved mushrooms are used for sauces only. The first

thing to consider very attentively in mushrooms is, not to eat any that

you do not know to be good to eat. There are so many kinds of good and

bad ones, that it is necessary to be very careful about even the edible

ones, or the ones known as such when young; it is better and safer

never to use them when old; they are considered old when the comb

underneath is black before picking, while when young it is of a pink

color.

_How to clean and prepare them._--Cut off the lower part of the stem;

skin them with a steel knife, commencing at the edge and finishing at

the top; cut in pieces, put them in cold water, to which you have added

a few drops of vinegar; leave them in it two hours, moving them

occasionally; then wash well in two or three waters, and drain.

When cleaned and prepared thus, they are ready to be used in sauces, or

to cook.

_Broiled._--If you have large mushrooms, clean and prepare as above,

except that you do not cut them; but when drained, put them upside down

on a greased gridiron, and on a moderate fire; place a little butter

around the stem upon the comb, and when done place them on a dish which

you have warmed in advance, and in the same position they had on the

gridiron; put again around the stem some butter kneaded with a little

chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, and serve. They must be served warm.

As an ornament, you may make, with common white note-paper, as many

little square boxes as you have mushrooms to broil; grease them with

butter, put the mushrooms in, set them on the gridiron, and on a

moderate fire, and serve them in the boxes when done.

_The same, stewed._--When cleaned and prepared as directed, and drained,

throw a quart of them in boiling water, to which you have added a few

drops of vinegar; boil five minutes, take them out, put them in cold

water to cool, drain and dry them in a towel. Put two ounces of butter

in a stewpan and set it on a good fire; when melted, sprinkle in it a

pinch of flour, add also a sprig of parsley, two small onions, a little

piece of carrot, a bay-leaf, salt, and pepper, cover with broth, and

boil till the onions are cooked; then take from the pan onions, parsley,

and bay-leaf, and put the mushrooms in instead; boil slowly about twenty

minutes, take from the fire, add to the sauce the yolks of two eggs well

beaten with a few drops of vinegar, and serve warm.

_Mushroom Catsup._--Clean and wash them well, stems and all; cut them in

two or four pieces; then place the pieces in a crockery vessel,

sprinkling salt on every layer of mushrooms, and leave thus twenty-four

hours. Take them out and press them well, so as to take all the juice

out, which you bottle at once, and cork. Put the mushrooms back in the

vessel, and twenty-four hours after press them again; and again put the

juice in bottles, and the mushrooms in the vessel, and repeat this

process again after another twenty-four hours. Then mix well together

the juice of the three pressings; add to it pepper, allspice, one clove

(or more, according to the quantity) broken in pieces; boil the whole,

skim off the scum as long as you see any on the surface, and strain.

Bottle when cool; put in each bottle two cloves and a pepper-corn, cork

air-tight, put in a cool and dry place, and it will keep for years.

_Dried._--Dried mushrooms are imported from Italy, they come cheaper

than the preserved ones in cans, and are as good for brown sauces. Soak

them in water over night; drain them, and they are ready for use.

_Onions a la Creme.--(With Cream.)_--Only small white onions are

prepared _a la creme_. Have water and a little salt on the fire, and

drop two dozen small white onions into it at the first boil. When

cooked, drain, and wipe them dry carefully, in order not to bruise

them. Set a saucepan on the fire with about two ounces of butter in it,

and when melted put the onions in, stirring gently for two or three

minutes, then turn about a gill of cream in, little by little, stirring

the while, and as soon as the whole is in take from the fire, salt to

taste, and serve hot.

_Glazed._--Peel a dozen of middling-sized onions and put them in a

saucepan with four ounces of butter, and set them on a slow fire; stir

occasionally till they are about three-quarters done, when add about two

ounces of powdered sugar, stir now and then and finish the cooking. When

done and well browned all around, add one or two tablespoonfuls of good

meat-gravy, keep a few minutes on a rather brisk fire in order to reduce

the sauce, but keep stirring and use. Onions prepared that way are

excellent, and generally used to decorate meat.

_Stewed._--Clean a quart of small onions, throw them in boiling water,

add two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a clove, a bay-leaf, a little

piece of nutmeg, a clove of garlic, salt, and pepper; boil twenty

minutes, drain the onions only, and throw away the seasonings. Put two

ounces of butter in a stewpan on a good fire, and when melted sprinkle

in it a teaspoonful of flour; then add the onions, cover with half broth

and half white wine, boil gently till well cooked and the sauce reduced,

serve warm. It is a very wholesome dish.

_Parsnips.--Sautees._--Scrape, wash, drain, and put about two quarts of

parsnips in a saucepan with cold water and a little salt, set on the

fire and boil till done, then drain. Cut the parsnips in slices, put two

ounces of butter in a frying-pan, and when melted put the sliced turnips

in, toss gently till they are of a fine golden color, then add salt and

pepper to taste, turn over a dish, sprinkle chopped parsley all over,

and serve warm.

_Stewed._--Scrape, clean, wash, boil, and drain as above directed, about

two quarts of parsnips. Put them immediately into a stewpan with salt,

pepper, and broth enough to about half cover them, boil gently for

fifteen minutes, and serve the whole as it is. They may also be prepared

in _poulette_, the same as turnips.

_Peas with Bacon._--Put in a stewpan on the fire four ounces of bacon

cut in dice (for one quart of peas), and toss and fry it for about five

minutes, then add the peas after having blanched them from five to ten

minutes, according to how tender they are; stir for two minutes and add

half a pint of broth or water, also a bunch of seasonings composed of

two or three sprigs of parsley, half a one of thyme, and a piece of

bay-leaf; stir again and mix, and then add also two or three small

onions, salt, and pepper; boil half an hour, remove the seasonings, and

serve peas and salt pork. A small sausage may be added for those who

like the taste of it.

_Plain boiled._--Put a saucepan on the fire with water and salt in it,

and at the first boil drop two quarts of peas in it; boil gently till

done, and then drain. As soon as they are in the colander, just toss

them a little, turn them over a dish, and put four ounces of butter on

the top, salt, and pepper, then place the dish in the oven with the door

open, that is, just to keep them warm and allow the butter to melt, stir

for one or two minutes, and serve warm.

_With Lettuce._--Blanch a quart of peas for about five minutes, and

drain them. Blanch a head of lettuce for one minute. Put peas and

lettuce in a saucepan with one ounce of butter, stir gently on the fire

for about one minute, and then add a little broth or water, two or three

sprigs of parsley, salt, and pepper; boil slowly till done, and serve

warm. The parsley may be served, or removed just before serving,

according to taste. The lettuce is always served with the peas.

_Au jus._--Boil the peas as directed for _plain boiled_, then put them

back on the fire with a little butter, stir for one minute, add about

three tablespoonfuls of gravy to a quart of peas, salt and pepper, give

one boil, and serve.

_With Ham._--Blanch two quarts of peas and drain them. Put them in a

saucepan with half a pound of ham, cut in dice, half cover them with

water, and boil gently till done. If the water boils away, add a little

more; serve warm.

Canned peas are prepared in the same way as above.

_A l'Anglaise._--If the peas are fresh, blanch them; if they are

preserved, drain them only. Put the peas in a saucepan with about one

ounce of butter for a pint, set on the fire, stir gently till thoroughly

warm, add chopped parsley and a yolk of egg, and serve.

_Au Sucre (with Sugar)._--Set the peas on the fire, the same as above,

add about one ounce of sugar, stir also till warm; take from the fire,

stir a yolk of egg in, and serve.

_Dry Peas and Split Peas._--Dry and split peas are prepared and served

in the same and every way like dry _beans_, with the exception that they

require to be soaked only for a few hours before cooking them.

_Potatoes.--To select._--As a general rule, the smaller the eye the

better the potatoes. By cutting off a piece from the larger end you

ascertain if they are sound; they must be white, reddish, bluish, etc.,

according to the species. If spotted, they are not sound, and therefore

very inferior. There are several kinds, and all of them are good when

sound or coming from a proper soil. Use the kind you prefer, or those

that are better fit for the way they are intended to be served. To mash

or to make a _puree_, etc., every kind is good. To serve whole or in

dice, or in pieces like carpels of oranges, those called _Mercers_ and

the like, are preferable, because they do not bruise so easily.

_To boil._--Being naturally watery, potatoes should never be cooked by

boiling except when wanted very white, as for _croquettes_. When boiled

whole, put them of an even size as much as possible, in order to cook

them evenly. They are better, more mealy, when steamed or baked, but

those who have no steamer must, of course, boil them. Cover them with

cold water, set on the fire and boil till done, then pour off all the

water, put the pan back on a slow fire for five minutes and well

covered; then use the potatoes.

_To steam._--Place them above a kettle of boiling water, in a kind of

drainer made for that purpose, and adapted to the kettle. The drainer

must be covered tight. They cook as fast as by boiling, the degree of

heat being the same. When steamed the skin is very easily removed.

_To prepare._--If they are to be boiled, or steamed, or baked, it is

only necessary to wash them. If wanted peeled, as for frying, etc., then

commence by cutting off the germs or eyes; if young and tender, take the

skin off with a scrubbing-brush and drop immediately in cold water to

keep them white; if old, scrape the skin off with a knife, for the part

immediately under the skin contains more nutriment than the middle, and

drop in cold water also. If wanted cut, either in dice, or like carpels

of oranges, or any other way, cut them above a bowl of cold water, so

that they drop into it, for if kept exposed to the air they turn reddish

and lose their nutritive qualities.

_A l'Allemande._--Steam, peel, and slice the potatoes. Cut some bread in

thin slices, and fry bread and potatoes with a little butter and turn

the whole in a bowl, dust well with sugar, pour a little milk all over

and bake for about fifteen minutes; serve warm.

_A l'Anglaise._--Steam or boil about a quart of potatoes and then peel

and slice them. Put two ounces of butter in a frying-pan on the fire,

and put the potatoes in when melted, toss them for about ten minutes,

add salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and serve hot.

_A la barigoule._--Peel some potatoes and cook them whole in broth; when

done take them off carefully, so as not to break or bruise them, and

drain. Have some oil in a frying-pan and on a quick fire, and when hot

lay the potatoes in; move gently to fry them all around, and then dish

them, sprinkling salt, pepper, and vinegar, all over; serve warm.

_Bechamel._--Steam or boil and peel some potatoes, then slice them and

place on a dish; have a _Bechamel_ sauce ready, turn it over the

potatoes, and serve warm.

_Broiled._--Steam, peel and slice the potatoes. Lay the slices on a

gridiron, and place it over a rather slow fire; have melted butter, and

spread some over the slices of potatoes with a brush; as soon as the

under part is broiled, turn each slice over and spread butter over the

other side. When done, dish, salt, and serve them hot. A little butter

may be added when dished, according to taste.

_A la Parisienne._--Chop an onion fine and partly fry it with butter,

then put in it some potatoes cut in dice, add a little water or broth,

salt, and pepper; boil gently till done, take from the fire, add chopped

parsley, and serve.

_Fried._--To be fried, the potatoes are cut either with a vegetable

spoon, in fillets, in slices, with a scalloped knife, or with an

ordinary one, or cut in pieces like carpels of oranges, or even in dice.

When cut, drain and wipe them dry. This must be done quickly, so as not

to allow the potatoes to turn reddish. Have a coarse towel ready, then

turn the potatoes into a colander, and immediately turn them in the

towel, shake them a little, and quickly drop them in hot fat. (_See_

Frying.) When done, turn them into a colander, sprinkle salt on them,

and serve hot. Bear in mind that fried potatoes must be eaten as hot as

possible. Fry only one size at a time, as it takes three times as long

to fry them when cut in pieces as when sliced or cut in fillets.

_To fry them light, or swelled_.--When fried, turn into the colander,

and have the fat over a brisk fire; leave the potatoes in the colander

only about half a minute, then put them back in the very hot fat, stir

for about one minute and put them again in the colander, salt them, and

serve hot. If the fat is very hot, when dropped into it for the second

time they will certainly swell; there is no other way known to do it. It

is as easily done as it is simple. Potatoes cut in fillets and fried are

sometimes called _a la Parisienne_; when cut in slices or with a

vegetable spoon, they are called _a la francaise_.

Potatoes cut with a vegetable spoon and fried, make a good as well as a

sightly decoration for a dish of meat or of fish. They may be fried in

oil also, but it is more expensive than in fat. They may be fried in

butter also, but it is still more expensive than oil, and is not better

than fat; no matter what kind of fat is used, be it lard, beef suet, or

skimmings of sauces and gravy, it cannot be tasted.

_Hollandaise._--Steam or boil the potatoes, and then peel and mash

them. Season them with a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt, and

pepper, add also two tablespoonfuls of gravy to a quart of potatoes,

then make small balls about the size of a walnut, round or of an

olive-shape, dip them in beaten egg, roll in bread-crumbs, and fry in

hot fat. Serve hot.

_Another._--Proceed as for the above one in every particular, except

that you use milk or cream instead of broth, and sugar instead of salt

and pepper.

_Lyonnaise._--Potatoes _Lyonnaise_ are prepared according to taste, that

is, as much onion as liked is used, either in slices or chopped. If you

have not any cold potatoes, steam or boil some, let them cool, and peel

and slice them. For about a quart of potatoes, put two ounces of butter

in a frying-pan on the fire, and when melted put as much onion as you

please, either sliced or chopped, into the pan, and fry it till about

half done, when add the potatoes and again two ounces of butter; salt,

pepper, and stir and toss gently till the potatoes are all fried of a

fine, light-brown color. It may require more butter, as no vegetable

absorbs more than potatoes. It makes an excellent dish for those who do

not object to the taste of the onion (the onion can be tasted, not being

boiled or kept long enough on the fire to evaporate). Serve warm. Oil

may be used instead of butter.

_Maitre d'Hotel._--Steam or boil about a quart of potatoes, and then

peel and cut them in slices. Put one ounce and a half of butter in a

saucepan on the fire, and when melted add a small tablespoonful of

flour; stir, and when turning yellow add also about a quart of milk,

salt to taste, give one boil and take from the fire. Then add the

potatoes, put back on a slow fire, stir for ten minutes, mix in the

whole a teaspoonful of parsley chopped fine, also a yolk or two of eggs,

and serve warm.

_Another Maitre d'Hotel._--Take two quarts of potatoes, prepare and cook

them by steam, peel carefully, and cut them in thick slices; place them

on a dish and keep warm. Put four ounces of butter in a stewpan and set

it on a slow fire; add, when melted, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley,

the juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper, and a pinch of allspice, stir

ten minutes; afterward, put for five minutes on a quick fire, keep

stirring, then pour on the potatoes, and serve.

_Mashed._--Peel and quarter about three pints of potatoes as directed;

put them in a saucepan with more water than is necessary to cover them,

and a little salt; set on the fire and boil gently till done, drain, put

them back in the saucepan, mash them well and mix them with two ounces

of butter, two yolks of eggs, salt, pepper, and milk enough to make them

of a proper thickness. Set on the fire for two or three minutes,

stirring the while, and serve warm. When on the dish, smooth them with

the back of a knife or scallop them, according to fancy.

_Mashed and baked._--Put two ounces of butter in a stewpan and set it on

the fire; when hot, add a teaspoonful of parsley chopped fine, and a

little salt; five minutes after, put in it a quart of potatoes,

prepared, cooked, peeled, and mashed, as directed; then pour on the

whole, little by little, stirring continually with a wooden spoon, a

pint of good milk; and when the whole is well mixed, and becoming rather

thick, take from the fire, place on the dish, then set in a brisk oven

for five minutes, and serve.

_Polanaise._--Wash well about two quarts of potatoes, put them in a

saucepan and cover with cold water, season with salt, half a dozen whole

peppers, a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, and two or three onions in

slices; boil gently till done, and drain. Peel the potatoes, cut them

in two, dish and turn a _caper_ sauce over them. Serve warm.

_Provencale._--Peel and quarter about three pints of potatoes as

directed. Put in a saucepan about a gill of oil with the potatoes, salt,

pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, six sprigs of parsley, two cloves of garlic,

and half the rind of a lemon; the three latter spices well chopped; set

on a good fire, stir now and then till cooked, dish the whole, sprinkle

the juice of one or two lemons on, and serve warm.

_Another way._--Put in a stewpan three tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, a

teaspoonful of chopped parsley, two cloves of garlic chopped very fine,

a pinch of grated nutmeg, the juice of half a lemon, salt, and pepper;

set on a good fire, and when hot put in it a quart of potatoes prepared

and cooked by steam, and cut in thick slices; subdue the fire, simmer

about ten minutes, and serve.

_Sautees._--Take a quart of young and tender potatoes, peel them with a

brush, and cut in slices. Put two ounces of butter in a frying-pan on a

quick fire; when hot, put the potatoes in, and fry them till of a golden

color; place them on a dish without any butter, sprinkle chopped parsley

and salt on, and serve. They may also be served without parsley,

according to taste.

_Soufflees._--Steam a quart of potatoes, then peel and mash them in a

saucepan and mix an ounce of butter with them; set on the fire, pour

into it, little by little, stirring the while, about half a pint of

milk, stir a little longer after the milk is in and until they are

turning rather thick; dish the potatoes, smooth or scallop them with the

back of a knife, and put them in a quick oven till of a proper color,

and serve.

_Another way._--Steam three pints of potatoes and peel and mash them in

a saucepan, then mix with them four ounces of butter, salt to taste,

half a pint of milk, and eight yolks of eggs; set on the fire for two

minutes, stirring the while, and take off. Beat six whites of eggs to a

stiff froth, and mix them gently with the rest. Place the mixture on a

dish, smooth with the back of a knife or scallop them, according to

fancy, and put in a quick oven. As soon as the top gets a little dry,

which will be in two or three minutes after being in the oven, take them

off and quickly spread some melted butter all over, by means of a brush,

and put back in the oven for two or three minutes longer, when take off

again, spread butter over the same as the first time, etc. Repeat the

same process two or three times, and serve warm.

_Stuffed._--Steam two or three potatoes and peel and mash them in a

bowl, then chop fine a small green onion or two shallots with two ounces

of fat salt pork and six or eight sprigs of parsley; mix the whole with

the potatoes; add also and mix with the rest about two ounces of butter,

and salt and pepper to taste. If the potatoes are not warm enough to

melt the butter while mixing, it should be melted first. Clean and wash

well six potatoes of an even size and split them in two lengthwise; then

with a small iron spoon remove the middle part of each half, so as to

leave only a thickness of about one-eighth of an inch. You have then a

kind of shell, which you fill with the prepared mixture above, filling

more than full, so that the top is convex, and which you smooth with the

back of a knife. When the twelve halves are thus prepared, butter the

bottom of a bakepan, lay the potatoes in with the mixture upward, and

put in a warm oven. Take from the oven when about half done, and spread

some melted butter all over by means of a brush; put back in the oven,

finish the baking, and serve warm.

_In Cakes._--Prepare and cook by steam a quart and a half of potatoes,

peel and mash them; mix with them the yolks of five eggs, half a

lemon-rind grated, and four ounces of fine white sugar. Put four ounces

of butter in a stewpan and set it on the fire; when melted, put the

mixture in, stirring with a wooden spoon continually; as soon as it is

in the stewpan, add the whites of the five eggs, well beaten; leave on

the fire only the time necessary to mix the whole well together, and

take off; when nearly cold, add, if handy, and while stirring, a few

drops of orange-flower water; it gives a very good flavor; then put the

whole in a tin mould greased a little with butter; place in a quick oven

for about thirty-five minutes, and serve.

_In Croquettes._--Peel, quarter, and boil about a quart of potatoes as

directed. Mash them in a saucepan and mix them with four yolks of eggs,

two ounces of butter, salt, and about half a gill of milk; set on the

fire, stir for about two minutes, take off, spread on a dish and leave

thus for two or three hours, and even over night when for breakfast.

When left over night, they may be rather too dry to work them; then mix

with a few drops of milk. No matter how long they have been left on the

dish, it is necessary to mix them, that is, to mix the top, which is the

driest part, with the rest. Dust the paste-board slightly with

bread-crumbs, put the potatoes on it, in parts of about a tablespoonful

each; then, with the hands and a knife, shape them according to fancy,

either round, flat, or oval, etc. When shaped round they look like a

piece of sausage about two inches and a half long. If wished flat, when

shaped round, just flatten them a little with the blade of a knife. Then

dip each part in beaten egg, roll in bread-crumbs, and fry in hot fat.

(_See_ Frying.) Take them off the fat when done, turn them into a

colander, and immediately dish, and serve them as warm as possible.

Potato _croquettes_ are sometimes called potato-balls. When the

_croquettes_ are shaped flat, they are also called "_a la duchesse_."

_Another Duchesse._--When the potatoes are ready to be spread on the

dish to cool, put them in the pastry-bag and squeeze them out of it like

lady's fingers, bake, and serve warm. It makes a sightly dish.

_In Matelote._--Prepare and cook a quart and a half of potatoes, and

peel and cut them in thick slices. Put in a stewpan a piece of butter

the size of an egg, and set it on the fire; when melted, sprinkle in it

a teaspoonful of flour, also the same of chopped parsley, salt, and

pepper, then the potatoes, wet with half a pint of claret wine, same of

broth; boil gently till the sauce is reduced, and serve.

_With Butter, or English Fashion._--Put water on the fire with

considerable salt in it; at the first boil, drop a quart of washed

potatoes in and boil till done, when take off, peel, and put them whole

in a saucepan, with butter, salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg; set on a

rather slow fire, stirring gently now and then till they have absorbed

all the butter. Serve warm. They absorb a great deal of butter.

_With Bacon or Salt Pork._--Peel and quarter about a quart of potatoes.

Set a saucepan on the fire with about four ounces of fat salt pork cut

in dice in it. When fried put the potatoes in. Season with a bunch of

seasonings composed of two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, and a

bay-leaf; salt and pepper to taste, and about half a pint of broth or

water. Boil gently till cooked, remove the bunch of seasonings; skim off

the fat if any, and serve warm. It is served at breakfast, as well as

_entremets_ for dinner.

_With Cream or Milk._--Peel and mash a quart of potatoes, when prepared

and cooked. Put two ounces of butter in a stewpan and set it on a good

fire; when melted, sprinkle in it a teaspoonful of flour, same of

chopped parsley, a pinch of grated nutmeg, and salt; stir with a wooden

spoon five minutes; then add the potatoes, and half a pint of milk or

cream; keep stirring ten minutes longer, take from the fire, sprinkle in

them half a tablespoonful of sugar, and serve as warm as possible.

_With White Sauce._--Clean, wash, and throw a quart of potatoes in

boiling water, with a sprig of thyme, two onions, a bay-leaf, two sprigs

of sweet basil, two cloves, salt, and pepper; when cooked, take the

potatoes out carefully, peel and cut them in two, place them on a warm

dish, pour on them a white sauce, and serve warm.

_Sweet Potatoes._--They are prepared in the same and every way like the

others above.

_Pumpkins and Squashes._--Peel, take out the seed, cut in pieces, and

throw them in boiling water with a little salt; drain when cooked and

mash through a colander, put butter in a stewpan on the fire, when

melted, add chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and the pumpkin or squash,

and simmer ten minutes; after which pour in it half a pint of milk,

little by little, stirring the while; leave ten minutes longer on the

fire, and take off; mix well in it two or three yolks of eggs, and serve

warm. The quantity of milk, butter, eggs, etc., to be according to the

quantity of squash.

_Purslain._--Clean, wash well, and drop it in boiling water with a

little salt, boil till cooked, take off and drain. Put butter in a

stewpan on the fire, and when melted lay the purslain in, stir a little

and sprinkle on it, little by little, a pinch of flour; season with

salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, stir and simmer about ten minutes,

take from the fire, mix in it one or two beaten eggs, and serve.

Purslain is much more used in Europe than here; there it is cultivated

as other vegetables, but it does not grow as well as here.

_Rhubarb._--Scrape and cut it in pieces about one inch long, and then

blanch it for two minutes. Put it in a saucepan with two or three

tablespoonfuls of cold water and set it on a rather sharp fire, toss or

stir now and then till done, when sweeten to taste, dish, let cool, and

serve. Rhubarb is very wholesome, and ought to be partaken of at least

every other day. When prepared as above, it may be used to make pies.

[Illustration]

_Radishes._--The cuts below are turnip-rooted red radishes, cut with a

small knife, put in cold water for about an hour, and served with

butter, as a _hors-d'oeuvre_. Remove the outer leaves, leaving only four

or five of the small centre ones, cut off the root close to the radish,

and wash clean in cold water. Take the radish with the left hand holding

it by the centre leaves, cut the skin from the top downward to near the

leaves, in several parts, but without detaching it, and as seen in the

cuts above; do the same carefully with the body of the radish, and it

will look more like a rose than like a radish. After having prepared two

or three, it will be comparatively easy. The centre leaves must be

eaten, as well as the body of the radish; they contain a substance that

helps the digestion of the radish itself.

_Salsify, or Oyster-Plant._--Scrape them, and throw one by one as they

are scraped into cold water, with a few drops of vinegar; when they are

all scraped, move them a little, take out of the water, and throw them

in boiling water with a little salt, boil till tender, and drain; place

them warm on a warm dish, and serve with brown butter, a _maitre

d'hotel_, or white sauce.

_Fried._--When boiled as above, drain them. Then dip each in batter for

frying vegetables, drop them in hot fat, and take them off with a

skimmer when done, turn into a colander, salt them, and serve hot.

_In Bechamel._--While the salsify is boiling as directed above, make a

_Bechamel_ sauce; drain the salsify when done, and turn it into the

_Bechamel_ sauce as soon as the latter is finished; keep on the fire for

about two minutes, stirring the while, and serve warm. They are prepared

and served in the same way with the following sauces: _cream_,

_poulette_, and _white_.

_Skirret._--Prepare, cook, and serve in every way like parsnips.

_Sorrel._--Sorrel is found in a wild state nearly everywhere; that is,

where green plants vegetate. It is an excellent vegetable, good to eat

all the year round, but especially in the spring and summer. It is very

healthful, containing the pure oxalic acid as it is formed by Nature.

Sorrel is the greatest neutralizer of acrid substances. A few leaves

chewed, take away from the teeth that disagreeable feeling left after

having eaten a tart apple or other tart, unripe fruit. Cultivated in a

rich soil, the leaves grow nearly as large as those of the rhubarb. It

is cut to the ground several times during the spring and summer.

_To boil._--Take a peck of sorrel, separate the stalk from the eatable

part, by taking hold of it with one hand and tearing off the rest with

the other, so that only the stalk and fibres attached to it will remain

after the tearing, and which you throw away. Wash it well, drain and set

it on the fire in a saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of water; stir

occasionally, and when nearly done, take off, mash through a colander,

and it is ready for use.

_Au jus._--Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a saucepan, set

it on the fire, and when melted, put the sorrel in after being boiled

and mashed as above, stir half a minute, add a tablespoonful of flour;

stir another half minute, add also half a gill of gravy, same of broth,

salt, stir two minutes, and serve. Hard-boiled eggs, split in four

pieces, lengthwise, may be placed around the dish, if the sorrel is

served as an _entremets_.

_To preserve for Winter Use._--When boiled and mashed as above, put it

in stone or glass jars; when cold, turn melted butter or lard over it;

cover as tightly as possible with paper, and when perfectly cold, put

away in a dark, dry, and rather cool place, and it will keep very well

during the whole winter. The best time to preserve it is at the

beginning of November, just before the cold weather sets in.

_Puree of._--When prepared as for _au jus_, but without gravy, it is a

_puree_.

_Spinach--to boil._--When cleaned and washed, throw it in boiling water

at the first boiling, with a pinch of salt, and boil till done. It will

take from one to ten minutes to boil, according to how tender it is.

Turn into a colander; press on it to force the water out, put on the

paste-board and chop it fine.

_Au jus._--When chopped, set the spinach on the fire in a saucepan with

a little broth, two or three tablespoonfuls for a small measure; stir,

add as much gravy, an ounce of butter, a teaspoonful of flour, salt,

stir two minutes, and serve.

_Au jus in Winter._--When prepared as above, put it away in a bowl in a

cool place, for one day; then set it back on the fire in a pan, add a

little butter and a little broth, stir and just warm it, when put away

again; repeat this for four or five days in succession, and you

certainly will have an excellent dish. Some hard-boiled eggs cut in four

pieces, lengthwise, may be placed around the spinach when dished, also

some _croutons_. Spinach is generally served on a flat dish, and

scalloped all around with a knife.

_With Sugar._--Proceed as for spinach _au jus_ in every particular,

except that you put very little salt, and one or two teaspoonfuls of

sugar, according to taste. Lady-fingers or pieces of sponge-cake may be

placed all around the dish.

_A la Creme._--Boil and chop the spinach as directed. Set it on the fire

in a saucepan, stir till perfectly dry, but not burnt; add two ounces of

butter, and stir again for five or six minutes; then add about two

tablespoonfuls of cream to a small measure of spinach; stir again five

minutes, take from the fire; add again one ounce of butter, stir two

minutes, and serve with hard-boiled eggs or _croutons_, or both. Milk

may be used instead of cream when the latter cannot be had, but it is

inferior in taste.

_With Anchovy._--Proceed as for the above, using a tablespoonful of

essence of anchovy instead of cream.

_Spinach au Beurre, or a l'anglaise._--Boil and chop the spinach as

directed. Put it in a saucepan with butter; set on the fire, stir till

the butter is melted and mixed with the spinach, salt to taste, and

serve.

_Sprouts._--Boil, prepare, and serve sprouts the same as spinach.

_Tomatoes_ are, like sorrel and rhubarb, very healthful.

_To blanch._--After they are washed, throw boiling water over them, and

then take off and remove the skin.

_Stewed, to serve with Meat or Fish._--When blanched as above, put the

tomatoes in a stewpan with butter, salt, and pepper, set on the fire and

simmer for about forty-five minutes; serve warm all around the fish or

piece of meat. Tomatoes may be eaten raw, with or without salt; in no

matter what way they are partaken of, they are not yet known to have

indisposed anybody. Although great quantities are consumed in this and

other countries, still many more ought to be used; they are so easily

preserved, that every family ought to have a large provision of them for

the winter and spring consumption.

_Stuffed._--Soak in cold water one-fourth of a ten-cent loaf of bread,

etc.; when perfectly soaked, squeeze it with the hands. Take six

tomatoes, as much of an even size as possible, cut the top off; that is,

the side opposite the stem, and with a small spoon take out the inside

and put it in a bowl, and then turn into a colander to let the liquid

part run off. Put about an ounce of butter in a saucepan, and when

melted add a small onion chopped; stir, and when nearly fried add also

the part of the tomatoes in the colander also chopped; stir half a

minute; put in the soaked bread, stir and mix; then salt, pepper, and

grated nutmeg; give one boil more, and take from the fire. Fill the

tomatoes with this mixture, dust with bread-crumbs, put a piece of

butter the size of a hazel-nut on each, and bake. Just before serving,

wet with a little tomato-sauce, broth, or gravy.

_Turnips--to boil._--Clean, scrape, and wash well, then put them in a

saucepan, either whole or in slices, or cut with a fruit-corer or with a

vegetable spoon, add cold water enough to boil them in, a little salt,

set on the fire and boil gently till tender; then take off, drain, drop

in cold water, drain again, and use.

_In Bechamel._--While the turnips are boiling as described above, make a

_Bechamel_ sauce and turn the turnips in as soon as made; boil gently

about two minutes, stirring the while, and serve warm. Do exactly the

same with a cream or white sauce.

_Au jus._--Boil and drain them as directed above, then put them in a

saucepan with a little gravy, set on the fire, stir now and then for

about ten minutes, add a teaspoonful of _meuniere_, stir again for two

or three minutes, and serve warm.

_With Sugar._--Cut with a fruit-corer or with a vegetable spoon about a

pint of turnips, and boil them till under done, then drain. Put the

turnips in a saucepan with two or three tablespoonfuls of broth, set on

a good fire, toss occasionally for about ten minutes, then add two or

three tablespoonfuls of sugar, toss again now and then for ten minutes

longer, and serve. It may take a little longer or less time than

described above, according to the state of the turnips; if young and

very tender, keep on the fire five instead of ten minutes, and if old,

it may take fifteen minutes.

_Glazed._--Cut the turnips with a vegetable spoon, boil them for five

minutes, and drain them. Put half a gill of broth in a saucepan with

about one pint of turnips and set on a good fire; toss and stir now and

then till done, and till the broth is all boiled away. If it boils away

before the turnips are cooked, add more and finish the cooking. When

done, sprinkle about three ounces of sugar on them, stir for about one

minute, dish the turnips, dredge powdered sugar all over, put in the

oven two minutes, and serve.

_Water-cress._--This contains much sulphur, and is the greatest

anti-scorbutic known. Besides being eaten with salt or in salad, it may

also be stewed in the following way: Take only the top and the leaves

around the stalk; clean and wash it well; throw it in boiling water with

a little salt, and when cooked drain it well, so as to extract all the

water from it. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a stewpan;

when melted, put the cress in, sprinkle on it a tablespoonful of flour

(for three quarts); stir continually with a spoon, boil ten minutes,

then add salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and half a pint of broth;

boil ten minutes longer, and serve either alone, or with hard-boiled

eggs on it; cut the eggs in two or four pieces.

_Salads._--Salads are seasoned with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and

sometimes with mustard also. The best oil is that made of olives, but

much is sold for olive-oil which contains more lard than oil. It is

impossible to tell which is pure by the color. Pure olive-oil is of a

pale-yellow-greenish color. It is very easy to tell the pure oil by

tasting, but of course it is necessary to know the real taste of good

oil.

The best vinegar is wine-vinegar, with _tarragon_ in it (_vinaigre a

l'estragon_), but it is expensive. Next to it is cider-vinegar. Beer

makes good vinegar, but inferior to that made with cider. Pyrolignic

vinegar is very unhealthy. No one can be too careful in selecting

vinegar. The superiority of the French mustard comes from the compounds

used, and not from the way it is made, as thought by many. In the French

mustard, besides _vinaigre a l'estragon_, there is white wine, and more

sweet-oil than in any other kind. A good deal of mustard is made here,

and often sold as French, after being carefully labelled.

Salad is made with every species of lettuce; chicory, cultivated and

wild; cabbages, red and white; cauliflowers, celery, dandelion,

corn-salad, purslain, water-cress, etc. If it were possible to clean the

salad by merely wiping the leaves with a towel, it would be better than

washing; but it must be washed if there is any earth or sand on it. The

salad should be made by an experienced person, who can judge at a glance

what quantity of salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar is necessary. The

quantities cannot be given, as that depends on the quantity of salad.

Chopped parsley and chives are served on a small plate at the same time

with the salad, as many persons like those spices.

_Celery._--When the celery is washed and cleaned, wipe it dry, cut the

white or eatable part (the top or green part is used for soup) in pieces

about one inch long, put them in the salad-dish with salt, vinegar, and

mustard, stir a little, leave thus about one hour, then add pepper and

oil, move again, and serve.

_Lettuce._--Lettuce, and especially Cos or Roman lettuce, must be

handled very gingerly, in order not to wilt the leaves while cleaning

and washing. When the head of the lettuce, especially of Roman lettuce,

is hard, it is not necessary to wash it at all, as when the outer leaves

are taken off, the rest is perfectly clean. Never use the knife, but

break the leaves; put them in the salad-dish; spread all over the dish,

according to taste and fancy, the blossoms and petals (not the leaves)

of any or all of the following plants: burnet, wild chiccory, rose (any

kind), pink, sage, lady's-slipper, marsh-mallow, nasturtium, periwinkle.

Thus decorated, the salad is put on the table at the setting of it, and

made when the time for eating it comes. Of these decorative flowers, the

handiest are the rose and pink, as at every season of the year they are

easily obtained. In spring and summer most of the others can also be had

easily.

The salad, thus decorated, is placed on the table at the same time with

the soup. It is made while the roast-piece is carved or eaten; the

petals of flowers or blossoms are not removed, and, of course, are eaten

with the lettuce. The salad is seasoned with salt, pepper, vinegar, and

oil. The proportions are two tablespoonfuls of oil to one of vinegar for

a salad for three, four, or five persons. It is generally moved round in

the dish, so as to impregnate every leaf with the seasoning. It is

served immediately after the roast-piece.

Cream may be used instead of oil.

_Turnip-rooted Celery (called also Soup Celery._)--Clean, wash well, and

scrape it carefully; cut it in thin slices, place it in the salad-dish,

sprinkle salt, pepper, vinegar, and mustard on it, mix well the whole

together, and leave thus from four to six hours. Then throw away the

vinegar, or most of it; add very little salt and vinegar, oil, and move

well. Serve as above, that is, immediately after the roast-piece of the

dinner.

A salad with cabbage, chiccory, corn-salad, or any kind of greens, after

being properly cleaned, washed, wiped dry, and cut in pieces if

necessary, is made and served exactly like a salad of lettuce described

above.

_Nasturtium._--This is said to be a native of Mexico; it makes a good

salad in summer-time. Make and serve like a salad of lettuce.

_Chervil and Sorrel._--In Italy, Spain, and the south of France, they

make salad with these two vegetables, half of each, prepared and served

like lettuce.

Some persons like a thick sauce with salad; it is made thus: Put a

hard-boiled yolk of egg in a bowl, mash it, and then mix with it salt

and a tablespoonful of vinegar; when these three are thoroughly mixed,

add pepper and oil (about two tablespoonfuls of oil), little by little,

stirring and mixing well the while; turn the mixture over the salad, and

move as directed above. The mixture may be prepared in the salad-dish,

and the salad put in afterward.

Mustard should never be used with lettuce; it is too strong to be eaten

with such tender vegetables.

_Of Salsify._--In the spring, when the top of the salsify has grown for

one or two weeks only, and immediately after the frost is out of the

ground, cut it off, split it in four, wash it well, drain it dry, and

prepare as a salad of lettuce. The root is prepared as described for

salsify, and is never made in salad.

_Of Cucumbers._--Peel and slice them, then put them in a vessel, salt

every layer, and leave thus in a cool place about one hour, drain them

dry and then dress them with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper; slices of

onion may be added, if liked.

_Of Beans._--Boil the beans in water with a little salt, drain them dry,

and then dress them with parsley chopped fine, salt, pepper, oil, and

vinegar.

_Of Beets._--Boil the beets in water only till done, and when cool, peel

and slice them, and prepare them with pepper, salt, vinegar, and oil.

The beets may be baked.

_Of Eggs._--Slice hard-boiled eggs, and dress them with chopped parsley,

salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil.

_Of Lentils._--Proceed as for beans in every particular.

_Of Onions._--Bake the onions, then peel and slice them, and dress them

with mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil.

_Of Tomatoes._--Wash, wipe dry, and slice the tomatoes; slice also

onions and mix with them, the quantity to be according to taste; then

season with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.

_Of Walnuts._--The European walnut only can be used, and as soon as good

to eat; that is, before the outer shell dries and opens. Break the nuts

in two, take out the kernels with a pointed knife, and place them in a

salad-dish, with some juice of grapes not yet ripe; add salt and pepper,

leave thus two or three hours, moving now and then, and serve. The

edible part will be found very good eaten that way. To persons who have

never eaten any, it may appear a strange dish, but let them try it.

_Of Potatoes._--A potato-salad is the one that requires the most

seasonings, especially oil and vinegar. They are better served warm than

cold, although many prefer them in the latter state. When steamed,

peeled, and sliced, put them in the salad-dish, with salt, pepper,

vinegar, oil, and parsley, to taste. Mix the whole gently and well, and

serve. If served very warm, butter may be used instead of oil.

_Another._--Add to the above a few anchovies, or slices of pickled

cucumbers, or capers, or pickled beets.

_Another._--Add to the first some slices of truffles, previously soaked

in Madeira wine for ten hours, and also a little of the wine.

_Another._--Put a hard-boiled yolk of egg in the salad-dish, with two

tablespoonfuls of oil, and mix well so as to make a paste of them; then

add two anchovies, a piece of tunny the size of a nutmeg, and half a

dozen sprigs of chervil, the whole chopped fine; mix again with the

rest; add also a chopped pickled cucumber, mustard to taste, vinegar,

and then the slices of potatoes (warm or cold), slices of truffles

previously soaked in Madeira wine, a little of the wine also, salt, and

pepper; stir and mix again well, and serve.

_Apricots, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Strawberries, Raspberries,

Blackberries, Currants, and like Berries, in Salad._--Dust the bottom of

a dish with white sugar, put a layer of slices of apricots, oranges,

peaches, or pears, or a layer of the others entire, and dust again;

repeat the same till the whole is in, then add over the whole a pinch of

grated nutmeg, with French brandy or rum to suit your taste, and serve

as a dessert.

_Cocoa-nut._--Peel it carefully and soak it in brandy for twenty-four

hours. A little sugar may be added; serve as a dessert.

_Salad Macedoine._--This salad ought to be called "compound salad," as

it is made of a little of every thing that can be served in salad, i. e.,

fish, meat, green and dry vegetables, &c. When the whole is mixed,

you add chopped parsley, sweet-oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper; you shake

it till your arms are sore, and you have a salad _Macedoine_. Every one

should try it; serve as an _entremets_.

_Salmon and Turbot._--Cut in slices, place them in a salad-dish, with

hard-boiled eggs cut in two, or with some lettuce, and serve as a

_hors-d'oeuvre_, with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.

_Of Pineapple._--Proceed as for that of apricots, etc., in every

particular.

_Of Anchovy._--Clean and bone the anchovies, and then place them in the

middle of a dish; chop fine some hard-boiled yolks of eggs and put a

string of it around the anchovies; do the same with the whites, and then

put a string of chopped parsley around the whites; season with oil and

very little vinegar. Serve as a _hors-d'oeuvre_.

_Pickles and Preserves._--To pickle the fruit, it must be pickled before

commencing to ripen, and be sound; the same for vegetables. When the

fruit or vegetable is clean, and cut in pieces, if necessary, such as

cabbage, have water on the fire, and drop it in at the first boil. If

the fruit or vegetable is desired white, add to the water lemon or

unripe grape juice. It is necessary to be very careful in blanching,

for, if too much blanched or cooked, it will be soft and tasteless; if

not enough, it will ferment. As a general rule, it is cooked as soon as

it floats, but it can be ascertained by running a skewer or a small

knife through it. By putting some fresh spinach-leaves or fresh

grape-vine-leaves on the top of the fruit or vegetable, it will keep it

more green than without. When blanched, take from the fire and drain.

Drop it immediately in cold water, and drain again. When dry, put the

fruit or vegetable in jars, cover it with boiling vinegar; season with

peppers, pepper-corns, cloves, and tarragon, also some rock-salt. When

perfectly cold, seal the jars air-tight, and keep in a dark, cool, and

dry closet. Every kind of fruit or vegetables can be pickled in the same

way; the only difference is in the time of blanching or cooking, which

is according to the nature of the fruit: _apples_, _string-beans_,

_beets_, _cabbages_, _cauliflowers_, _cherries_, _cucumbers_, _lemons_,

_melons_, _mushrooms_, _onions_, _peaches_, _pears_, _plums_,

_pumpkins_, _quinces_, _radishes_, _walnuts_, etc., may also be

preserved in salt and water, and in the following way: When cooked as

above, put them in jars and cover them with very salt water. Seal when

cool, and then put the jars in a boiler full of cold water, with straw

or rags to prevent breaking them; set on the fire, boil from twenty to

thirty minutes, take from the fire, let cool; then take the jars from

the water and put away as the above.

_Peas_ and _mushrooms_ are almost always preserved in water and salt.

_Asparagus_ is also preserved, but it is so difficult to succeed, that

even manufacturers of preserves have given it up.

_Tomatoes._--Wash them and then bruise them in a boiler; set on the

fire, boil half an hour, and strain, to secure all the juice. Put the

juice on the fire, boil till reduced about one-half, let cool, put in

jars, seal them, put them in a boiler of cold water, with straw or rags

to prevent breakage; set the boiler on the fire, boil twenty minutes,

take off, let cool. When perfectly cold, take the jars off, place in a

cool, dark cellar, and we warrant that they keep for years. No salt or

seasonings of any kind are used to preserve them. When you wish to use

them, season to taste.

_Tomato Catsup._--To make catsup with the above sauce, you have only to

add to it, when in jars, peppers, pimento, cloves, etc.; but it is

really not necessary, being too strong for this climate.

_Another way._--Take good and well-ripened tomatoes, clean and wash them

well, put them in a stewpan and set it on a moderate fire for a while;

take from the fire, throw away the water coming from them, and then

strain them into a vessel. Put what there is in the vessel back on the

fire, and in the same stewpan, and let it reduce about one-half; take

from the fire, pour in a crockery pot, and leave thus twenty-four hours;

then put in bottles, cork well, and place them in a cold and dry place.

_Cucumbers_.--The small green ones are the best. Clean them well in cold

water with a brush, removing the prickles. Put cold water in a vessel

with rock-salt in it, and shake it to dissolve the salt; soak the

cucumbers in it for about three days. Take them out and immediately put

them in pots or jars with small onions, a few cloves of garlic,

pepper-corns, rock-salt, cloves, and a bunch of seasonings composed of

bay-leaves, tarragon, and burnet; cover them with boiling vinegar (turn

the vinegar on them as soon as it boils), cover the pots or jars

air-tight when perfectly cold. Look at the cucumbers every two or three

days for the first three weeks, and after that only once in a while.

According to the quality of the vinegar or of the cucumber itself, the

whole may turn white after a while; in that case throw away vinegar and

spices, put new spices in, the same spices as above, except the onions,

which you keep with the cucumbers; cover again with boiling vinegar, and

cover when cold as before. If they have not been kept too long in that

state before changing the vinegar, they will be just as good as if they

had not turned white.