The girl's own cookery book

Spinach is an exception to the general rule of boiling in plenty of water. This vegetable has so much water in its composition that it only needs to cook in as much water as hangs about it after washing. It should be packed into a large empty saucepan, a little salt should be sprinkled over it, and it should then be allowed to boil quickly in its own juices till tender. It will fall considerably in boiling, indeed we may calculate that when boiled it will occupy only one-tenth of the space which was needed for it before boiling. When tender the water should be pressed from it till it is as dry as possible. It may then be chopped small, put into a stewpan with an ounce of butter and a little pepper and salt, and stirred over the How to Cook Vegetables. fire with a wooden spoon till hot. A superior method of serving it is to squeeze it in a cloth to free it from moisture, then rub it through a wire sieve and stir it over the fire with pepper, salt, butter, and a small quantity of cream. Asparagus and sea kale are dished upon toast, in order that they may be drained perfectly. Melted butter may be poured over sea kale, but never over asparagus. Potatoes should be one kind, and as nearly of one size as possible. Old potatoes are excellent steamed. If boiled they should be put into plenty of cold water, with a teaspoonful of salt to a quart of water. They should be cooked very slowly till they can be pierced to the centre with a skewer. The water should then be poured off carefully, the lid should be put on the pan, and it should be placed by the side of the fire to finish the cooking in the steam. In four or five minutes remove the lid to let the steam escape, and shake the pan gently once or twice to prevent the potatoes sticking. When dry they are done. Old potatoes are also excellent when baked in a well-heated oven. They should be turned occasionally, that they may be equally cooked. New potatoes should be put into boiling water salted, and boiled till the centre can be pierced with a fork or skewer. The water should then be drained off, a folded cloth be laid upon the potatoes, and the lid put upon the pan, which should then be placed by the side of the fire till the potatoes are dry. New potatoes are very good with maitre de hotel sauce. This sauce is made as follows : Melt one ounce of butter in a small saucepan, and mix half-an-ounce of flour smoothly with it, add half-a-pint of cold water. Stir the sauce till it boils. Have ready a sprig of picked parsley, which has been washed, dried, and chopped finely. Stir this into the sauce just before it is wanted. Pour the sauce over the potatoes last thing and serve. This quantity of sauce will be sufficient for a tureenful of potatoes. Vegetable marrows and celery should be cooked in boiling water. White sauce is generally poured over celery. Cooked celery is good for rheumatic persons. Root vegetables — that is, carrots, turnips, parsnips, So The Girl's Own Cookery Book. Jerusalem artichokes, and onions — should be put into boiling water, and the lid should be left on the pan. Old artichokes should, however, be put into cold water. Onions may be rendered milder and more digestible by soaking them for half-an-hour in boiling water (in which a tiny piece of soda is sometimes dissolved) before cooking.