Cookery

Cauliflowers. — These can be plain boiled, thoroughly well drained, and served with white sauce (capers are rather an improvement), or they may be treated in various other ways. For instance, after removing the leaves, stalks, etc., cut them into neat sprigs and parboil them, dip them in a batter, fry them, and serve with fried parsley; or again, use up the cold cookery. remains of cauliflower by putting them in a buttered fireproof or enamelled gratin dish, sprinkle over them a little hot butter, cover them with grated cheese, and bake in the oven till a golden brown. Salsify, Scrape the roots well, cut them into suitable pieces, and soak them at once in lukewarm milk and water to keep them from changing colour, parboil them till nearly tender as shown for peas, etc., then have ready in a saucepan a sauce made with some butter, flour, salt, pepper, sufficient stock for the requirements of the occasion, and cook the vegetable (which should in the meantime have been well drained) in the sauce for twenty minutes ; before serving thicken with the yolk of an egg. Salsify can also, after having been boiled as above, be served with some good meat gravy. Rice. — This makes a good substitute for potatoes when a change is needed. A breakfastcupful will make a dish for three or four persons, as it swells a good deal in cooking ; it should be of good quality and freed from all dark and unsightly grains ; put it into a basin and pour some boiling water over it before cooking it, then put it into a saucepan with very little water, salt and pepper to taste, and a small piece of butter ; when the liquid is absorbed, add enough stock to cover, and another piece of butter, put on the cover, and let it simmer for about two hours, stirring frequently the while. This is particularly suited for serving with boiled fowl. A few ripe tomatoes previously skinned and stirred into the rice a few minutes before serving are a great improvement. Egyptian Pilaff.— A. kind of national dish of rice is made thus : Clean and soak as above, then put it into a saucepan with some butter, sliced onions, plenty of seasoning and stock in the proportion of two cups of the latter to one of rice ; let this simmer slow ly for about twenty minutes until the broth has been entirely absorbed ; the rice should then be still quite shapely, not caked together, and yet quite tender, without being in the least pulpy, as, for instance, with the former recipe; add fresh tomatoes, or tomato sauce if desired, or some grated cheese, and serve very hot. Some people put in the smallest pinch of saffron.