A practical cook and text book for general use

»cup of crushed pecan nuts and two dozen of the whole or broken meats, one level teaspoonful of finely sifted sage or thyme, one-half teaspoonful of salt, if desired. Mix thoroughly with a spoon and add sufficient hot water to moisten all through ; let it stand a few moments to absorb the water, then add one cup or more of hot water to make it juicy and bake in a moderate oven one hour. It should be light and a little moist when done. To be served with a vegetable dinner or molded and served cold in slices. Garnish with parsley. In the place of salt cut six or eight very thin slices of lemon, remove the seeds and mix with the other ingredients. The nut loaf is capable of great variety. Any kind of nut may be used, but those possessing distinctive flavors .are the best, like walnuts, butternuts, pecans and filberts. Sweet Nut Loaf. Two level teacups granula (stale bread, gems or rolls browned through in the oven and crushed) one teacup of hickory nuts finely crushed or ground, one cup of well washed and seeded raisins, one teaspoonful of any sweet herb desired, a few thin slices of lemon or a little salt. Wash and scrub the lemon thoroughly and. remove the seeds. Add to these ingredients five cups of boiling water and mix evenly with a spoon. Bread and cups vary, and one must use their judgment in all recipes. This loaf should be quite juicy when set in the oven and should be slowly .baked .until nearly all moisture is absorbed- Filbert Hash. To one quart of finely chopped cold potatoes add one small cup of hot water and a table-spoonful of vegetable butter (a little salt if you must use it) and one heaping teacup of crushed or ground filberts. Mix thoroughly with a spoon, if not moist enough add hot water, and more butter if not rich enough. Set in the steamer to cook. Or if preferred bake in a moderate oven or cook on the stove in the usual way. The variety of nuts being extensive one can invent scores of new dishes, and if time is too limited to prepare sufficient nuts, use equal parts of nuts and vegetable butter. Walnut Hashl Make it as in the preceding recipe, but do not add the nuts until the hash is cooked, then stir them in lightly with fork or spoon. If desired for a dinner dish garnish with slices of red beets and serve with lemon juice. Nut and Fruit Pudding. Slice a half dozen or more stale gems or biscuit, spread them with fine crushed nuts, cover the bottom of a deep pudding dish with a layer of slices, strew over them seeded dates or raisins and a few pine nuts, and so on until the dish is nearly full ; the top layer should be of thin slices of bread or biscuit spread with cocoanut butter. Pour in sufficient hot water to moisten it thoroughly and leave a little water in the bottom of the dish. Bake or steam one hour. For variety the juice of an orange may be used with the water, or any desired fruit juice in place of the water. The grated peel of lemon and orange are liked by many as a flavor in these dishes. Bits of lemon are nice with sweet fruit cookery. Cocoanut, Rice and Raisin Pudding. Wash a cup of rice, grate half a cocoanut and seed a cup of raisins, put ^ them in a pudding dish and add three cups of cold water, stir evenly together and set in the steamer or a moderate oven. When partially swelled stir very' carefully with a fork and add hot water if necessary. Cook one hour at least. When done the rice should be soft, with just moisture enough to serve nicely with fruit juice sauce or crushed strawberries. Long, slow baking increases the richness and digestibility of puddings or other food, and an unlimited number of new and delightful inventions may be compounded from these healthful materials, if one has time and inclination for such work.