The art of cooking

Put the water into a saucepan, sprinkle in the oatmeal, stirring constantly, and when all has been made smooth, place the saucepan over a quick fire, and stir its contents until boiling. When boiling, throw into the porridge the salt, and draw the saucepan to one side of the fire, let all simmer slowly for half an hour, stirring it occasionally meantime. Note.— Oatmeal should always be thrown into cold water when desired to boil, as cold water swells the grain of the meal better, and makes it less heating to the blood. Boiled Rice. — One-half pound of rice, three quarts of boiling water, one dessert spoonful of salt. Wash the rice thoroughly in cold water, and drain it in a strainer. Place it into a saucepan, pour over it the three quarts of boiling water, throw into it the salt, and allow all to boil rapidly for fifteen minutes. If at the end of this time a grain of the rice may be readily browned by rubbing it between the finger and thumb, it is sufficiently boiled, but if it be still hard, continue to boil until the rice comes to this state, keeping in mind that the quicker this cereal is boiled, the dryer it will remain and the more free from starchy matter. Pour the rice when done, from the saucepan into a sieve, shaking the sieve as the water drains off, to release any fugitive drops that may be held in the cereal, and when dry, serve at once heaped lightly in a hot vegetable dish. Notes. — When rice is desired to fry, it must be boiled slowly and without stirring in milk, and when boiled, cut into slices an inch thick, and fried in hot clarified fat or lard, until it becomes a delicate brown on both sides. Com meal mush, which is made by stirring sifted com meal into boiling water, until a batter as thick as can be stirred with a spoon is formed, is also delicious fried in this way, or in hot butter as the taste may decide. Casserole of Chicken. — Four ounces of cold breast of chicken, four ounces of butter, four ounces of bread crumbs, two eggs, one-half teacupful of milk, one teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoon ful of white pepper. Chop first the breast of chicken very finely and rub it through a wire sieve. Put the meat into a bowl, add to it the yolks of the eggs and the butter, and beat all together for ten minutes. Add the bread crumbs and the milk, season all with the pepper and salt. Whip the whites of eggs to a stiff froth and mix this lightly in. Pour the compound when thoroughly mixed, into a TRIPE WITH ONION SAUCE. 217 well greased pint and a half mould, cover the top of this with a piece of paper, and place the mould in a saucepan containing sufficient water to reach half way up the sides of the mould, and allow its contents to cook in this while the water boils for one hour. Turn the casserole when done out into a deep, hot dish and serve with egg sauce poured over and around it for which sauce see recipe on page 216. This dish may be garnished with red and green chillies if desired. Boiled Tripe. — Eight pounds of tripe, one-half tablespoonsul of salt. Cover the tripe with cold water and let it stand in this over night. Removing it from the bath, place it in a saucepan, cover it with cold water, put the saucepan over a quick fire and when boiling, drain the water off and cover it with additional cold water. Continue to drain off and recover the tripe with successive quantities of cold water until the water at last boils up quite clear and ceases to give off a disagreeable odor. Draw the saucepan to one side of the fire and allow its contents to simmer very slowly for five hours keeping the pan covered that the water may not boil away. When done, add the salt and the tripe is ready to dress in any manner desired, or may be served simply as it is.