THE SWEET POTATO

Description. — The sweet potato is a native of the Malayan Archipelago, where it formerly grew wild ; thence it was taken to Spain, and from Spain to England and other parts of the globe. It was largely used in Europe as a delicacy on the

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tables of the rich before the introduction of the common potato, which has now taken its place and likewise its name. The sweet potato is the article referred to as potato by Shake- speare and other English writers, previous to the middle of the seventeenth century.

Preparation and Cooking. — What has been said in ref- erence to the common potato, is generally applicable to the sweet potato ; it may be prepared and cooked in nearly all the ways of the Irish potato.

In selecting- sweet potatoes, choose firm, plump roots, free from any sprouts ; if sprouted they will have a poor flavor, and are likely to be watery.

The sweet potato is best cooked with the skin on ; but all discolored portions and the dry portion at each end, together with all branchlets, should be carefully removed, and the potato well washed, and if to be baked or roasted, well dried with a cloth before placing in the oven.

The average time required for boiling is about fifty minutes ; baking, one hour ; steaming, about one hour ; roasting, one and one half hours.

Baked Sweet Potatoes. — Select those of uniform size, wash clean, cut- ting out any imperfect spots, wipe dry, put into a moderately hot oven, and bake about one hour, or until the largest will yield to gentle pressure be- tween the fingers. Serve at once without peeling. Small potatoes are best steamed, since if baked, the skins will take up nearly the whole potato.

Baked Sweet Potato No. 2. — Select potatoes of medium size, wash and trim but do not pare, and put on the upper grate of the oven. For a peck of potatoes, put in the lower part of the oven in a large shallow pan a half pint of hot water. The water may be turned directly upon the oven bot- tom if preferred. Bake slowly, turning once when half done. Serve in their skins, or peel, slice, and return to the oven until nicely browned.

Boiled Sweet Potatoes. — Choose potatoes of equal size ; do not pare, but after cleaning them well and removing any imperfect spots, put into cold water and boil until they can be easily pierced with a fork ; drain thoroughly, and lay them on the top grate in the oven to dry for five or ten minutes. Peel as soon as dry, and send at once to the table, in a hot dish covered with a folded napkin. Sweet potatoes are much better baked than boiled.

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Steamed Sweet Potatoes. — Wash the potatoes well, cut out any dis- colored portions, and steam over a kettle of boiling water until they can be easily pierced with a fork, not allowing the water in the pot to cease boiling for a moment. Steam only sufficient to cook them, else they will be watery.

Browned Sweet Potatoes. — Slice cold, cooked sweet potatoes evenly, place on slightly oiled tins in a hot oven, and brown.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes. — Either bake or steam nice sweet potatoes, and when tender, peel, mash them well, and season with cream and salt to taste. They may be served at once, or made into patties and browned in the oven.

Potato Hash. — Take equal parts of cold Irish and sweet potatoes ; chop fine and mix thoroughly ; season with salt if desired, and add sufficient thin cream to moisten well. Turn into a stewpan, and heat gently until boiling, tossing continually, that all parts become heated alike, and serve at once.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes. — Wash clean and wipe dry, potatoes of uni- form size, wrap with tissue paper, cover with hot ashes, and then with coals from a hardwood fire ; unless near the main fire, the coals will need renewing a few times. This will require a longer time than by any other method, but they are much nicer. The slow, continuous heat promotes their mealiness. When tender, brush the ashes off with a broom, and wipe with a dry cloth. Send to the table in their jackets.

To Dry Sweet Potatoes. — Carefully clean and drop them into boiling water. Let them remain until the skins can be easily slipped off ; then cut into slices and spread on racks to dry. To prepare for cooking, soak over night, and boil the next day.

Description. — The turnip belongs to the order Cruciferce, signifying " cross flowers," so called because their four petals are arranged in the form of a cross. It is a native of Europe and the temperate portions of Asia, growing wild in borders of fields and waste places. The ancient Roman gastronomists considered the turnip, when prepared in the following manner, a dish fit for epicures : " After boiling, extract the water from them, and season with cummin, rue, or benzoin, pounded in a mortar ; afterward add honey, vinegar, gravy, and boiled grapes. Allow the whole to simmer, and serve."

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Under cultivation, the turnip forms an agreeable culinary esculent ; but on account of the large proportion of water entering into its composition, its nutritive value is exceedingly low. The Swedish, or Rutabaga, variety is rather more nutri- tive than the white, but its stronger flavor renders it less palatable. Unlike the potato, the turnip contains no starch, but instead, a gelatinous substance called pectose, which dur- ing the boiling process is changed into a vegetable jelly called pectine. The white lining just inside the skin is usually bitter ; hence the tuber should be peeled sufficiently deep to remove it. When well cooked, turnips are quite easily digested.

Preparation and Cooking. — Turnips are good for culi- nary purposes only from the time of their ripening till they begin to sprout. The process of germination changes their proximate elements, and renders them less fit for food. Select turnips which are plump and free from disease. A turnip that is wilted, or that appears spongy, pithy, or cork-like when cut, is not fit for food.

Prepare turnips for cooking by thoroughly washing and scraping, if young and tender, or by paring if more mature. If small, they may be cooked whole ; if large, they should be cut across the grain into slices a half inch in thickness. If cooked whole, care must be taken to select those of uniform size ; and if sliced, the slices must be of equal thickness.

Boiled Turoips. — Turnips, like other vegetables, should be boiled in as small an amount of water as possible. Great care must be taken, however, that the kettle does not get dry, as scorched turnip is spoiled. An excellent precaution, in order to keep them from scorching in case the water becomes low, is to place an inverted saucer or sauce-dish in the bottom of the kettle before putting in the turnips. Put into boiling water, cook rapidly until sufficiently tender to pierce easily with a fork ; too much cooking discolors and renders them strong in flavor. Boiled turnips should be drained very thoroughly, and all water pressed out before pre- paring for the table. The age, size, and variety of the turnip will greatly vary the time necessary for its cooking. The safest rule is to allow plenty cf time, and test with a fork. Young turnips will cook in about forty-five

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minutes ; old turnips, sliced, require from one and a quarter to two hours. If whole or cut in halves, they require a proportionate length of time. White turnips require much less cooking than yellow ones.

Baked Turnips. — Select turnips of viniform size; wash and wipe, but do not pare ; place on the top grate of a moderately hot oven ; bake two or more hours or until perfectly tender ; peel and serve at once, either mashed or with cream sauce. Turnips are much sweeter baked than when cooked in any other way.

Creamed Turnips. — Pare, but do not cut, youug sweet white turnips ; boil till tender in a small quantity of water ; drain and dry well. Cook a tablespoonful of flour in a pint of rich milk or part cream ; arrange the turnips in a baking dish, pour the sauce over them, add salt if desired, sprinkle the top with grated bread crumbs, and brown in a quick oven.

Chopped Turnips. — Chop well-boiled white turnips very fine, add salt to taste and sufficient lemon juice to moisten. Turn into a saucepan and heat till hot, gently lifting and stirring constantly. Cold boiled turnip may be used advantageously in this way.

Mashed Turnips. — Wash the turnips, pare, and drop into boiling water. Cook until perfectly tender ; turn into a colander and press out the water with a plate or large spoon ; mash until free from lumps, season with a little sweet cream, and salt if desired. If the turnips are especially wa- tery, one or two hot, mealy potatoes mashed with them will be an improve- ment.

Scalloped Turnips. — Prepare and boil whole white turnips until nearly tender ; cut into thin slices, lay in an earthen pudding dish, pour over them a white sauce sufficient to cover, made by cooking a tablespoonful of flour in a pint of milk, part cream if preferred, until thickened. Season with salt, sprinkle the top lightly with grated bread crumbs, and bake in a quick oven until a rich brown. Place the baking dish on a clean plate, and serve. Rich milk or cream may be used instead of white sauce, if preferred.

Steamed Turnips. — Select turnips of uniform size, wash, pare, and steam rapidly till they can be easily pierced with a fork ; mash, or serve with lemon juice or cream sauce, as desired.

Stewed Turnips.— Prepare and slice some young, fresh white turnips, boil or steam about twenty minutes, drain thoroughly, turn into a sauce- pan with a cup of new milk for each quart of turnips ; simmer gently until tender, season with salt if desired, and serve.

TuruijKS in Juice. — Wash young white turnips, peel, and boil whole in sufficient water to keep them from burning. Cover closely and cook gently until tender, by which time the water in the kettle should be re- duced to. the consistency of syrup. Serve at once.

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Turnips with Cream Sauce. — Wash and pare the turnips, cut them into half-inch dice, and cook in boiling water until tender. Meanwhile prepai-e a cream sauce as directed for Scalloped Turnips, using thin cream in place of milk. Drain the turnips, pour the cream sauce over them, let them boil up once, and serve.

Description. — The common garden parsnip is derived by cultivation from the wild parsnip, indigenous to many parts of Europe and the north of Asia, and cultivated since Roman times. It is not only used for culinary purposes, but a wine is made from it. In the north of Ireland a table beer is brewed from its fermented product and hops.

The percentage of nutritive elements contained in the pars- nip is very small ; so small, indeed, that one pound of parsnips affords hardly one fifth of an ounce of nitrogenous or muscle- forming material. The time required for its digestion, varies from two and one half to three and one half hours.

Preparation and Cooking. — Wash and trim off any rough portions : scrape well with a knife to remove the skins, and drop at once into cold water to prevent discoloration. If the parsnips are smooth-skinned, fresh, and too small to need dividing, they need only be washed thoroughly before cooking, as the skins can be easily removed by rubbing with a clean towel. Reject those that are wilted, pithy, coarse, or stringy. Large parsnips should be divided, for if cooked whole, the outside is likely to become soft before the center is tender. They may be either split lengthwise or sliced. Parsnips may be boiled, baked, or steamed ; but like all other vegetables containing a large percentage of water, are preferable steamed or baked.

The time required for cooking young parsnips, is about forty-five minutes ; when old, they require from one to two hours.

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Baked Parsnips. — Wash thoroughly, but do not scrape the roots; bake the same as potatoes. When tender, remove the skins, shce, and serve with cream or an egg sauce prepared as directed for Parsnips with Egg Sauce. They are also very nice mashed and seasoned with cream. Baked and steamed parsnips are far sweeter than boiled ones.

Baked Parsnips No. 2. — W^ash, scrape, and divide; drop into boiling water, a little more than sufficient to cook them, and boil gently till thoroughly tender. There should remain about one half pint of the liquor when the parsnips are done. Arrange on an earthen plate or shallow pudding dish, not more than one layer deep ; cover with the juice, and bake, basting frequently until the juige is all absorbed, and the parsnips delicately browned. Serve at once.

Boiled Parsnips. — Clean, scrape, drop into a small quantity of boiling water, and cook until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly, cut the parsnips in slices, and mash or serve with a white sauce, to which a little lemon juice may be added if desired.

Browned Parsnips. — Slice cold parsnips into rather thick pieces, and brown as directed for browned potatoes.

Creamed Parsnips. — Bake or steam the parsnips until tender; slice, add salt if desired, and a cup of thin sweet cream. Let them stew slowly until nearly dry, or if preferred, just boil up once and serve.

Mashed Parsnips. — Wash and scrape, dropping at once into cold water to prevent discoloration. Slice thinly and steam, or bake whole until perfectly tender. When done, mash until free from lumps, remov- ing all hard or stringy portions ; add salt to taste and a few spoonfuls of thick sweet cream, and serve.

Parsnips mtli Cream Sance. — Bake as previously directed. When ten- der, slice, cut into cubes, and pour over them a cream sauce prepared as for Turnips with Cream Sauce. Boil up together once, and serve.

Parsnips witli Egg Sauce. — Scrape, wash, and slice thinly, enough pars- nips to make three pints ; steam, bake, or boil them until very tender. If boiled, turn into a colander and drain well. Have ready an egg sauce, for preparing which heat a pint of rich milk or very thin cream to boiling, stir into it a level tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth with a little milk. Let this boil a few minutes, stirring constantly until the flour is well cooked and the sauce thickened ; then add slowly the well-beaten yolk of one egg, stirring rapidly so that it shall be well mingled with the whole ; add salt to taste ; let it boil up once, pour over the parsnips, and serve. The sauce should be of the consistency of thick cream,

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Parsnips with Potatoes. — Wash, scrape, and slice enough parsnips to make two and a half quarts. Pare and slice enough potatoes to make one pint. Cook together in a small quantity of water. When tender, mash smoothly, add salt, the yolks of two eggs well beaten, and a cup of rich milk. Beat well together, put into an earthen or china dish, and brown lightly in the oven.

Stewed Parsnips. — Prepare and boil for a half hour ; drain, cover with rich milk, add salt if desired, and stew gently till tender.

Stewed Parsnips witli Celery. — Prepare and steam or boil some nice ones until about half done. If boiled, drain thoroughly ; add salt if de- sired, and a tablespoonful of minced celery. Turn rich boiling milk over them, cover, and stew fifteen or twenty minutes, or till perfectly tender.

Description. — The garden carrot is a cultivated variety of a plant belonging to the Uinbclliferce, and grows wild in many portions of Europe. The root has long been used for food. By the ancient Greeks and Romans it was much esteemed as a salad. The carrot is said to have been introduced into En- gland by Flemish refugees during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. Its feathery leaves were used by the ladies as an adornment for their headdresses, in place of plumes. Carrots contain sugar enough for making a syrup from them ; they also )neld by fermentation and distillation a spirituous liquor. In Germany they are sometimes cut into small pieces, and roasted as a substitute for coffee.

Starch does not enter into the composition of carrots, but a small portion of pectose is found instead. Carrots contain more water than parsnips, and both much cellulose and little nutritive material. Carrots when well cooked form a whole- some food, but one not adapted to weak stomachs, as they are rather hard to digest, and tend to flatulence.

Preparation and Cooking. — The suggestions given for the preparation of parsnips are also applicable to carrots ; and they may be boiled, steamed, or browned in the same manner. From one to two hours' time will be required, according to age, size, variety, and method of cooking.

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Boiled Carrots. — Clean, scrape, drop into boiling water, and cook till tender ; drain thoroughly, slice, and serve with a cream sauce. Varieties with strong flavor are better parboiled for fifteen or twenty minutes, and put into fresh boiling water to finish.

Carrots with Eg-g' Sauce. — Wash and scrape well ; slice and throw into boiling water, or else steam. When tender, drain thoroughly, and pour over them a sauce prepared the same as for parsnips (page 244), with the addition of a tablespoonful of sugar. Let them boil up once, and serve.

Stewed Carrots. — Prepare young and tender carrots, drop into boil- ing water, and cook for fifteen or twenty minutes. Drain, slice, and put into a stewpan with rich milk or cream nearly to cover ; simmer gently until tender ; season with salt and a little chopped parsley.

Description. — The beet is a native of the coasts of the Mediterranean, and is said to owe its botanical name, beta, to a fancied resemblance to the Greek letter B. Two varieties are in common use as food, the white and the red beet ; while a sub-variety, the sugar beet, is largely cultivated in France, in connection with the beet-sugar industry in that country. The same industry has recently been introduced into this country. It is grown extensively in Germany and Russia, for the same pose, and is also used there in the manufacture of alcohol.

The beet root is characterized by its unusual amount of su- gar. It is considered more nutritive than any other esculent tuber except the potato, but the time required for its digestion exceeds that of most vegetables, being three and three fourths hours.

Preparation and Cooking. — Beets, like other tubers, should be fresh, unshriveled, and healthy. Wash carefully, scrubbing with a soft brush to remove all particles of dirt ; but avoid scraping, cutting, or breaking, lest the sweet juices escape. In handling for storage, be careful not to bruise or break the skins ; and in purchasing from the market, select only such as are perfect.

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Beets may be boiled, baked, or steamed. In boiling, if the skin is cut or broken, the juice will escape in the water, and the flavor will be injured ; for this reason, beets should not be punctured with a fork to find if done. When tender, the thickest part will yield readily to pressure of the fingers. Beets should be boiled in just as little water as possible, and they will be much better if it has all evaporated by the time they are cooked.

Young beets will boil in one hour, while old beets require from three to five hours ; if tough, wilted, and stringy, they cannot be boiled tender. Baked beets require from three to six hours.

Baked Beets. — Beets are far better baked than boiled, though it takes a longer time to cook properly. French cooks bake them slowly six hours in a covered dish, the bottom of which is lined with well-moistened rye straw ; however, they may be baked on the oven grate, like potatoes. Wipe dry after washing, and bake slowly. They are very nice served with a sauce made with equal quantities of lemon juice and whipped cream, with a little salt.

Bakert Beets No. 2. — Wash young and tender beets, and place in an earthen baking dish with a very little water ; as it evaporates, add more, which must be of boiling temperature. Set into a moderate oven, and according to size of the beets, bake slowly from two to three hours. When tender, remove the skins and dress with lemon juice or cream sauce.

Beets and Potatoes. — Boil newly matured potatoes and young beets separately till tender ; then peel and slice. Put them in alternate layers in a vegetable dish, with salt to taste, and enough sweet cream nearly to cover. Brown in the oven, and serve at once.

Beet Hash. — Chop quite finely an equal quantity of cold boiled or baked beets and boiled or baked potatoes. Put into a shallow saucepan, add salt and sufficient hot cream to moisten. Toss frequently, and cook until well heated throughout. Serve hot.

Beet Greens. — Take young, tender beets, clean thoroughly without separating the tops and roots. Examine the leaves carefully, and pick off inferior ones. Put into boiling water, and cook for nearly an hour. Drain, press out all water, and chop quite fine. Serve with a dressing of lemon juice or cream, as preferred.

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Beet Salad, or Chopped Beets. — Cold boiled or baked beets, chopped quite fine, but not minced, make a nice salad when served with a dressing of lemon juice and whipped cream in the proportion of three tablespoon- fuls of lemon juice to one half cup of whipped cream, and salt if desired.

Beet Salad No. 2. — Chop equal parts of boiled beets and fresh young cabbage. Mix thoroughly, add salt to taste, a few tablespoonfuls of sugar, and cover with diluted lemon juice. Equal quantities of cold boiled beets and cold boiled potatoes, chopped fine, thoroughly mixed, and served with a dressing of lemon juice and whipped cream, make a palatable salad. Care should be taken in the preparation of these and the preceding salad, not to chop the vegetables so fine as to admit of their being eaten without mastication.

Boiled Beets. — Wash carefully, drop into boiling water, and cook until tender. When done, drop into cold water for a minute, when the skins can be easily rubbed off with the hand. Slice, and serve hot with lemon juice or with a cream sauce.

Stewed Beets. — Bake beets according to recipe No. 2. Peel, cut in slices, turn into a saucepan, nearly cover with thin cream, simmer for ten or fifteen minutes, add salt if desired, and thicken the gravy with a little corn starch or flour.

Description. — The common white garden cabbage is one of the oldest of cultivated vegetables. A variety of the plant known as red cabbage was the delight of ancient gormands more than eighteen centuries ago. The Egyptians adored it, erected altars to it, and made it the first dish at their repasts. In this they were imitated by the Greeks and Romans.

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, considered the cab- bage one of the most valuable of remedies, and often prescribed a dish of boiled cabbage to be eaten with salt for patients suffering with violent colic. Erasistratus looked upon it as a sovereign remedy against paralysis, while Cato in his writings affirmed it to be a panacea for all diseases, and believed the use the Romans made of it to have been the means whereby they were able, during six hundred years, to do without the assistance of physicians, whom they had expelled from their territory. The learned philosopher, Pythagoras, composed books in which he lauded its wonderful virtues.

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The Germans are so fond of cabbage that it enters into the composition of a majority of their culinary products. The cab- bage was first raised in England about 1640, by Sir Anthony Ashley. That this epoch, important to the English horticult- ural and culinary world, may never be forgotten, a cabbage is represented upon Sir Anthony's monument.

The nutritive value of the cabbag^ is not high, nearly ninety per cent being water ; but it forms an agreeable variety in the list of vegetable foods, and is said to possess marked antiscorbutic virtue. It is, however, difficult of digestion, and therefore not suited to weak stomachs. It would be impossible to sustain life for a lengthened period upon cabbage, since to supply the body with sufficient food elements, the quantity would exceed the rate of digestion and the capacity of the stomach.

M. Chevreul, a French scientist, has ascertained that the peculiar odor given off during the boiling of cabbage is due to the disengagement of sulphureted hydrogen. Cabbage is said to be more easily digested raw than cooked.

Preparation and Cooking. — A good cabbage should have a well-developed, firm head, with fresh, crisp leaves, free from worm-holes and decayed portions. To prepare for cooking, remove the outer leaves, divide into quarters, cut off the tough stalk, shake well to free from dirt, and if there are any signs of insects, lay in cold salted water for an hour or so to drive them out. Rinse away the salt water, and if to be boiled, drop into a small quantity of boiling water. Cover closely and boil vigorously until tender. If cooked slowly, it will be watery and stringy, while over-done cabbage is especially insipid and flavorless. If too . much water has been used, remove the cover, that evaporation may go on more rapidly ; if too little, replenish with boiling water. Cabbage should be cooked in a porcelain-lined or granite-ware sauce pan or a very clean iron kettle. Cabbage may also be steamed, but care must be taken to have the process as rapid as possible. Fresh young cabbage will cook in about one hour ; old cabbage requires from two to three hours.

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Baked Cabbag-e. — Prepare and chop a firm head of young white cab- bage, boil until tender, drain, and set aside until nearly cold. Then add two well-beaten eggs, salt to taste, and a half cup of thin cream or rich milk. Mix and bake in a pudding dish until lightly browned.

Boiled Cabbag'e. — Carefully clean a nice head of cabbage, divide into halves, and with a sharp knife slice very thin, cutting from the center of the head outward. Put into boiling water, cover closely, and cook rapidly until tender ; then turn into a colander and drain, pressing gently with the back of a plate. Return to the kettle, add salt to taste, and sufficient sweet cream to moisten well, heat through if at all cooled, dish, and serve at once. If preferred, the cream may be omitted, and the cabbage served with tomato sauce or lemon juice as a dressing.

Cabbag-e and Tomatoes. — Boil finely chopped cabbage in as little water as possible. When tender, add half the quantity of hot stewed tomatoes, boil together for a few minutes, being careful to avoid burning, season with salt if desired, and serve. If pi^eferred, a little sweet cream may be added just before serving.

Cabbage Celery. — A firm, crisp head of cabbage cut in slices half an inch or an inch thick, and then again into pieces four or five inches long and two or three inches wide, makes a quite appetizing substitute for celery.

Cabbag'e Hash. — Chop fine, equal parts of cold boiled potatoes and boiled cabbage, and season with salt. To each quart of the mixture add one half or three fourths of a cup of thin cream; mix well and boil till well heated.

Chopped Cabbag'e or Cabbage Salad. — Take one pint of finely chopped cabbage ; pour over it a dressing made of three tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a half cup of whipped cream, thoroughly beaten together in the order named ; or serve with sugar and diluted lemon juice.

Mashed Cabbag'e. — Cut a fine head of cabbage into quarters, and cook until tender. A half hour before it is done, drop in three good-sized potatoes. When done, take all up in a colander together, press out the water, and mash very fine. Season with cream, and salt if desired.

Stewed Cabbag'e. — Chop nice cabbage quite fine, and put it into boil- ing water, letting it boil twenty minutes. Turn into a colander and drain thoroughly ; return to the kettle, cover with milk, and let it boil till per- fectly tender; season with salt and cream to taste. The beaten yolk of an egg, stirred in with the cream, is considered an improvement bj^ some.

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CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLL

Description. — These vegetables are botanically allied to the cabbage, and are similar in composition. They are en- tirely the product of cultivation, and constitute the inflores- cence of the plant, which horticultural art has made to grow into a compact head of white color in the cauliflower, and of varying shades of buff, green, and purple in the broccoli. There is very little difference between the two aside from the color, and they are treated alike for culinary purposes. They were known to the Greeks and Romans, and highly appreciated by connoisseurs. They are not as nutritious as the cabbage, but have a more delicate and agreeable flavor.

Preparation and Cooking. — The leaves should be green and fresh, and the heads of cauliflower creamy white ; when there are dark spots, it is wilted. The color of broccoli will depend upon the variety, but the head should be firm, with no discolorations. To prepare, pick off the outside leaves, cut the stalk squarely across, about two inches below the flower, and if very thick, split and wash thoroughly in several waters ; or better still, hold it under the faucet, flower downward, and allow a constant stream of water to fall over it for several minutes ; then place top downward in a pan of lukewarm salted water, to drive out any insects which may be hidden in it ; examine carefully for worms just the color of the stalk ; tie in a net (mosquito netting, say) to prevent breaking, or place the cauliflower on a plate in a steamer, and boil, or steam, as is most convenient. The time required for cooking will vary from twenty to forty minutes.

(The recipes given are applicable to both broccoli and cauliflower.) Boiled Cauliflower. — Prepare, divide into neat branches, and tie se- curely in a net. Put into boiling milk and water, equal quantities, and cook until the main stalks are tender. Boil rapidly the first five minutes, afterward more moderately, to prevent the flower from becoming done before the stalks. Serve on a hot dish with cream sauce or diluted lemon juice

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Browned Cauliflower. — Beat together two eggs, a little salt, four tablespoonfuls of sweet cream, and a small quantity of grated bread crumbs well moistened with a little milk, till of the consistency of batter. Steam the cauliflower until tender, separate it into small bunches, dip each top in the mixture, and place in nice order in a pudding dish ; put in the oven and brown.

Cauliflower with Eg-g- Sauce. — Steam the cauliflower until tender, sep- arate into small portions, dish, and serve with an egg sauce prepared as directed for parsnips on page 244.

Cauliflower with Tomato Sauce. — Boil or steam the cauliflower until tender. In another dish prepare a sauce with a pint of strained stewed tomatoes heated to boiling, thickened with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little water, and salted to taste. When the cauliflower is tender, dish, and pour over it the hot tomato sauce. If preferred, a table- spoonful of thick sweet cream may be added to the sauce before using.

Stewed Cauliflower. — Boil in as little water as possible, or steam until tender; separate into small portions, add milk, cream, and salt to taste ; stew together for a few minutes, and serve.

Scalloped Cauliflower. — Prepare the cauliflower, and steam or boil until tender. If boiled, use equal quantities of milk and water. Separate into bunches of equal size, place in a pudding dish, cover with a white or cream sauce, sprinkle with grated bread crumbs, and brown in the oven.

Description. — This plant is supposed to be a native of western Arabia. There are several varieties which are pre- pared and served as " greens." Spinach is largely composed of water. It is considered a wholesome vegetable, with slightly laxative properties.

Preparation and Cooking. — Use only tender plants or the tender leaves of the older stalks, and be sure to have enough, as spinach shrinks greatly. A peck is not too much for a family of four or five. Pick it over very carefully, trim off the roots and decayed leaves, and all tough, stringy stalks, and the coarse fibers of the leaves, as those will not cook tender until the leaves are overdone. Wash in several waters, lifting it from one pan to another, that it may be freed from sand and grit. Shake each bunch well. Spinach is best cooked in its own juices ; this may be best accomplished by cooking it in a

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double boiler, or if placed in a pot and slowly heated, it will in a short time yield sufficient juice to cook itself. It must, however, be stirred frequently at first, to prevent burning ; cover closely and cook till tender. The time required will vary from twenty minutes to an hour or more. If water is used in the cooking, have a half kettleful boiling when the spinach is put in, and continue to boil rapidly until the leaves are perfectly tender ; then drain in a colander, press with the back of a plate to extract all water, chop very fine, and either serve with lemon juice as a dressing, or add a half cup of sweet cream with or without a teaspoonful of sugar. Boil up once, stirring constantly, and serve very hot. A garnish of sliced boiled eggs is often employed with this vegetable.

Description. — The common celery is a native of Great Britain. In its wild state it has a strong, disagreeable taste and smell, and is known as smallage. By cultivation it be- comes more mild and sweet. It is usually eaten uncooked as a salad herb, or introduced into soups as a flavoring. In its raw state, it is difficult of digestion.

Celery from the market may be kept fresh for some time by wrapping the bunches in brown paper, sprinkling- them with water, then wrapping in a damp cloth and putting in some cool, dark place.

Celery Salad. — Break the stems apart, cut off all green portions, and after washing well put in cold water for an hour or so before serving.

Stewed Celery. — Cut the tender inner parts of celery heads into pieces about a finger long. The outer and more fibrous stalks may be saved to season soups. Put in a stewpan, and add sufficient water to cover ; then cover the pan closely, and set it where it will just simmer for an hour, or until the celery is perfectly tender. When cooked, add a pint of rich milk, part cream if you have it, salt to taste, and when boiling, stir in a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little milk. Boil up once and serve.

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Stewed Celery No. 2. — Cut the white part of fine heads of celery into small pieces, blanch in boiling water, turn into a colander, and drain. Heat a cup and a half of milk to boihng in a stewpan ; add the celery, and stew gently until tender. Remove the celery with a skimmer, and stir into the milk the beaten yolks of two eggs and one half cup of cream. Cook until thickened ; pour over the celery, and serve.

Celery >vitli Tomato Sauce. — Prepare the celery as in the preceding I'ecipe, and cook until tender in a small quantity of boiling water. Drain in a colander, and for three cups of stewed celery prepare a sauce with a pint of strained stewed tomato, heated to boiling and thickened with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. If desired, add a half cup of thin cream. Turn over the celery, and serve hot.

Celery and Potato Hash. — To three cups of cold boiled or baked potato, chopped rather fine, add one cup of cooked celery, minced. Put into a shallow saucepan with cream enough to moisten well and salt to season. Heat to boiling, tossing and stirring so that the whole will be heated throughout, and serve hot.

ASPARAGUS.

Description. — The asparagus is a native of Europe, and in its wild state is a sea-coast plant. The young shoots form the edible portion. The plant was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who not only used it as a table delicacy but considered it very useful in the treatment of internal diseases. Roman cooks provided themselves with a supply of the vegetable for winter use by cutting fine heads and dry- ing them. When wanted, they were put into hot water and gently cooked.

The asparagus is remarkable as containing a crystalline alkaloid called asparagin, which is thought to possess diuretic properties.

Preparation and Cooking. — Select fresh and tender asparagus. Those versed in its cultivation, assert that it should be cut at least three times a week, and barely to the ground. If it is necessary to keep the bunches for some time before cooking, stand them, tops uppermost, in water about one half inch deep, in the cellar or other cool place. Clean each stalk separately by swashing back and forth in a pan of

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cold water till perfectly free from sand, then break off all the tough portions, cut in equal lengths, tie in bunches of half a dozen or more with soft tape, drop into boiling water barely sufficient to cover, and simmer gently until perfectly tender.

If the asparagus is to be stewed, break fnot cut) into small pieces ; when it will not snap off quickly, the stalk is too tough for use.

Asparagus must be taken from the water just as soon as tender, while yet firm in appearance. If boiled soft, it loses its flavor and is uninviting. It is a good plan when it is to be divided before cooking, if the stalks are not perfectly tender, to boil the hardest portions first. Asparagus cooked in bunches is well done, if, when held by the thick end in a horizontal position between the fingers, it only bends lightly and does not fall heavily down.

The time required for boiling asparagus depends upon its freshness and age. Fresh, tender asparagus cooks in a very few minutes, so quickly, indeed, that the Roman emperor Augustus, intimating that any affair must be concluded with- out delay, was accustomed to say, " Let that be done quicker than you can cook asparagus." Fifteen or twenty minutes will suffice if young and fresh ; if old, from thirt}' to fifty minutes will be required.

Asparag'us and Peas. — Asparagus and green peas make a nice dish served together, and if of proportionate age, require the same length of time to cook. Wash the asparagus, shell and look over the peas, put together into boiling water, cook, and serve as directed for stewed asparagus.

Asparag-us Points.— Cut off enough heads in two-inch lengths to make three pints. Put into boihng water just sufficient to cover. When tender, drain off the water, add a half cup of cream, and salt if desired. Serve at once.

Asparaji'us on Toa.st. — Cook the asparagus in bunches, and when ten- der, drain and place on slices of nicely browned toast moistened in the asparagus liquor. Pour over all a cream sauce prepared as directed below.

Asparagns with Cream Sance. — Thoroughly wash, tie in small bunches, and put into boiling water ; boil till perfectly tender. Drain thoroughly,

256 SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN.

untie the bunches, place the stalks all the same way upon a hot plate, with a dressing prepared as follows : Let a pint of sweet cream (about six hours old is best) come to the boiling point, and stir into it salt to taste and a level tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth with a little cold cream. Boil till the flour is perfectly cooked, and then pass through a fine wire strainer.

Asparag:iis with Esrg: Sauce. — Prepare and cook asparagus as directed above. When tender, drain thoroughly, and serve on a hot dish or on slices of nicely browned toast, with an egg sauce prepared in the follow- ing manner : Heat a half cup of rich milk to boiling, add salt, and turn into it very slowly the well-beaten yolk of an egg, stirring constantly at the same time. Let the whole just thicken, and remove from the fire at once.

Stewed Asi)arag'US. — - Wash, break into inch pieces, simmer till tender in water just to cover, add sufficient rich milk, part cream if convenient, to make a gravy, thicken slightly with flour, a teaspoonful to a pint of milk ; add salt if desired, boil up together once, and serve.

Description. — This plant, a native of Britain, and much esteemed as a vegetable in England and on the Continent, is also in its wild state a sea-coast plant. When properly cooked, it is nutritious and easy of digestion. In appearance and flavor it greatly resembles asparagus, and the suggestions for cooking and recipes given for that vegetable are applicable to sea-kale.