The "Queen" cookery books: Breakfast and Lunch Dishes

nient if carefully and daintily done, but it will not, in nine cases out of ten, stand re-cookiug — a fact the average “ good plain cook ” is aj)parently utterly unable to grasp. To begin with the traditional British breakfast dish — bacon. For fried, toasted, or rolled rashers choose the streaky part of the pig, remove the rind (this should be saved for the stock pot), and cut into thin, even slices. For baked rashers (a favourite method for busy cooks), choose the back, which is also the best piece for boiling ; and remember that for household use the fore end, or the gammon, is quite equal as far as taste goes to ordinary ham, and in town is 2d. or 3d. a pound cheaper, which, in a large family, is a consideration. Toasted hacon is easily done by means of a Dutch oven or with a toasting Fork, putting a plate underneath to catch the fat. This, by the way, is a capital frying medium for frying onions for curry, veal cutlets, &c., and remember that tiny croutons of bread fried in the bacon fat, well drained, and dusted with coralline pepper and minced parsley, are an excellent garnish for any dish in which bacon is used. The fat of the bacon when cooked should look delicately transparent and crisp. The same remarks apply to broiled bacon. For fried bacon, heat the pan Avell over the fire, then lay in the bacon and cook till the fat is transparent, turning the rashers once or twice in the process. Baked bacon is done thus : Take a nice piece of the back with the fat and lean neatly divided, cut off the rind in one piece (this is both economical and allows of the meat being more evenly sliced), and slice it tliinly. Now melt a little bacon fat in a baking tin, and when this is quite hot, but not scorching, put hi the bacon, arranging this so that the fat of one piece rests on the lean of the other, and allow it to cook thus for ten minutes. Be careful, both in baking and frying, to have the fat at the right temperature, for if cooked too fast the fat hardens and scorches. For this reason cooks often mix a little dripping with the bacon fat in frying, as this heats less quickly than pork fat. Bacon Bolls, a very pretty garnish to many dishes, are made by shaving the bacon very thin, then rolling the slices up neatly and either tying them with cotton or slipping them on to a thin skewer two or three together, and either broiling or baking them. Bacon and Potatoes (Cornish) make a pleasant dish. Fry the bacon as usual, then lift it out and keep it hot whilst you fry in the same pan — adding a little more fat if needed — some cold cooked potatoes, sliced or coarsely minced, stirring them together ; then turn out on a hot dish, season with pepper, dish the bacon on top, and serve very hot. Bacon and Finnon Haddie. — Flake the remains of a cooked smoked haddock neatly, and slice some thin rashers ; halve or quarter these as may be required, and wrap a flake or two of haddock, sandwich fashion, between two bits of bacon ; bake in a tin in a hot oven for five minutes till the bacon is cooked, and serve on croutons fried as above in liacon fat. If preferred, the sandwiches, rather liighly seasoned with minced shallot or chives, parsley, and freshly ground black pepper, may be