How to cook vegetables

to good cooking, is by no means an over-rated statement to put forth in its favour. Celery, too, possesses remarkable medicinal value. Celery soup, celery cream, celery sauce, and ordinary celery salad form the more common styles of preparing this vegetable. There arc dozens of other ways of cooking and serving celery, and recipes for the most popular dishes are given herewith. It is a vegetable which can be eaten raw, cooked in various ways, or added to soups and all kinds of made dishes. It is indigenous to Britain, and grows wild on some parts of the sea coast, where it is known as “ smallage.” In the neighbourhood of Manchester it grows to a large size. Much more attention than formerly is now, however, paid to its cultivation in this country. A variety is grown in Germany, of which only the bulb is used ; it is known in this country as turnip-rooted celery or celeriac. On the Continent it is principally used for soup and as salad. Celery seed, combined with salt, is a favourite condiment. Celery as Hors d’CEuvre. Cut into very fine strips about \ in. long the centre (white) portion of 2 heads of celery. Mix a tablespoonful of anchovy paste with the yolks of 2 hardboiled eggs, 3 tablespoonsful of oil, and 1 of vinegar. Shred finely the hard-boiled white of 2 eggs. Mix these with the celery, and arrange in small glass dishes on hors-d'oeuvre dish, pour over the prepared dressing, season to taste, and besprinkle with chopped parsley. Slewed Celery and Macaroni. Trim and wash 3 heads of white celery, boil it till tender in milk and water, seasoned with salt and one small or half a bay-leaf. Drain and cut the celery into 2-in. lengths. Cook likewise 2 oz. of macaroni in salt water ; when done drain on a sieve and cut into short pieces. Heat up a gill and a half of rich white sauce (Bechamel or veloute), put in the celery and macaroni ; season with white pepper and a grate of nutmeg, and let the whole simmer gently for 15 minutes or longer. Great care must be taken so as not to break the celery or macaroni. Dish up on a hot dish and serve. Celery Sticks. Cut white firm stalks of celery into 3-in. lengths, wash them well in cold water, and drain thoroughly on a cloth. Mix some cream cheese with a pat of butter, season with salt, pepper, mustard, and a pinch of cayenne, also a little chopped parsley. Fill the concaves of the celery with the mixture and spread it smoothly. Dish up neatly, garnish with sprigs of parsley, and serve. Celery Fritters. Cut some stewed or braised celery into 2-in. pieces, dip them into a light and smooth frying batter, so as to completely coat each piece, and drop into very hot frying fat. Fry to a golden brown, take up, and drain. Dish up and serve. Braised Celery. Trim 6 heads of celery, parifig off the root portion, and cutting away the green tops and outer leaves — the latter can be advantageously used for flavouring stock, and should not be thrown away. Cut each celery head into three, and split each piece dowxr the centre lengthways. Wash them thoroughly in cold water, containing a little salt, then blanch them in salted water and put them to drain. Melt 2 oz. of butter in a braising .pan, or an ordinary stewpan, put in a sliced carrot, a sliced onion, and two or three slices of bacon. Fry these a little, then lay in F