The paper-bag cookery manual

Wash and peel the required number (about 1 lb. or 1J lbs.) of small, even sized potatoes, cut each in four, and trim neatly into sections, then blanch and drain. Have ready a thoroughly oiled “Express” paperbag, place in the prepared potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and pour over about 2 ozs. clarified butter. Close up the end of the bag, fasten with clips, and place on a wire grid in a hot oven. When done, open the bag, take out the potatoes, place them on a hot dish, sprinkle over with finely chopped parsley, and serve. Saute Potatoes. This is an excellent way of reheating cold potatoes. If the potatoes are not peeled, peel them and slice them thinly, season with salt and pepper. Have ready an “Express” paper-bag of the desired size; pour over the sliced potatoes a liberal quantity of melted butter, and put them in a well buttered paper-bag, fasten up the end, place it on a grid shelf and cook in a fairly hot oven about 18 to ‘20 minutes; turn the bag several times. Potatoes a la Maitre d’Hotel. Cut some cold potatoes into slices, not too thin, season them with salt and pepper, and a little nutmeg, sprinkle over half a tablespoonful of cornflour to a pound of potatoes, also a table-spoonful of oiled butter, then put them in a buttered paper-bag with a gill and a half of milk. Close up the bag securely and place it on a wire grid in a moderately heated oven for about 20 minutes ; slit open the bag and put the potatoes with the sauce on a hot dish ; sprinkle over some finely chopped parsley, and serve. Tomatoes with Bacon. Remove the stems from six or eight ripe but firm tomatoes, wipe them and dip each in hot water for a few minutes, then skin carefully. Cut half a pound of bacon into thin slices, bat out each slice, and roll up half a tomato in each, after having seasoned them with salt and pepper and sprinkled over a little chopped parsley. Place carefully in a greased paper-bag, fold over the end of the bag and fasten with clips or large pins, then put it on a grid shelf in a hot oven and cook for about 15 minutes. Break or slit the bag, put the contents carefully on a hot dish, and serve. Stuffed Tomatoes. Take six firm, ripe, even sized tomatoes, cut off the tops; scoop out the insides, rub the pulp through a fine wire sieve; with this prepare the stuffing, adding 2 ozs. of fresh butter, three table-spoonfuls of bread crumbs, six finely chopped preserved mushrooms, and a little chopped parsley or chives ; season with salt and pepper. Stir the mixture, and bind with two yolks of eggs and a little cream. Fill the tomatoes with the stuffing thus prepared. Place them side by side in a well buttered paper-bag, close it up securely, put it on a wire grid, and bake in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. Dish up the tomatoes, and serve hot. Baked Tomatoes. Cut six tomatoes into halves, season them with pepper and salt, and sprinkle bread crumbs over them, put small pieces of butter here and there on them. Place them in a buttered paper-bag, close it up securely, put it on a wire grid, and bake in a fairly hot oven for about 20 minutes. Dish up the tomatoes, and serve hot. Coloannon.