The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables

twenty-five minutes. You then drain it, place it on a hot dish, and serve with good allemande, bechamel, cream, Parmesan (a rich white sauce, made with loz. of butter, a dessertspoonful of flour, half a pint of the liquor in which the celery was cooked, a spoonful of grated Parmesan cheese, and a drop or two of lemon juice ; stir over the fire till it is thick, and smooth and use), espagnole, or any sauce to taste, of course varying the name of the dish according to the sauce used. A little lemon juice should always be added to the water in which celery is cooked, as this preserves its colour. Some cooks also consider it best to blanch the celery first by plunging the heads of celery, when trimmed, &c., into fast boiling water, and letting them cook for ten minutes, after which they are carefully drained, wiped, and put on in either brown or white stock, milk, or milk and water to cover them ; this is gently brought to the boil again, then drawn to the side of the stove, and kept at simmering point till the celery is tender, which will take from one and a half to two hours. It can then be drained, and served very hot, with a few drops of lemon squeezed over it, and a small pat of butter on each head, or it can be served with any sauce recommended for asparagus. If the liquor in which the celery was cooked is freed from fat, slightly thickened and served with the vegetable, the dish is known as ederi au jus. When stewed thus, it may be served with marrow precisely as described for cardons au moelle. Any cold celery left over can be served au gratin, or cut into neat pieces, dipped in good batter, and fried a golden brown in plenty of boiling fat, then drained well, and served hot, dusted with coralline pepper. Cold celery is also excellent if gently re-heated in good curry sauce. If stewed celery when tender is rubbed through a hair sieve, then thickened with a little butter and flourj moistening it with either a spoonful or two of cream or of brown gravy (according to the colour you wish it to be), it makes an extremely nice garnish for poultry, game, &c. Remember that for cooking purposes the outside leaves, if stewed gently, are quite as good as the heart, which should be reserved for use raw as salad. Celery is excellent as a salad with a French or a mayonnaise dressing, as preferred, either alone, or preferably mixed with other vegetables, such as sliced tomatoes, blanched walnuts, cold sliced (waxy) potatoes, spring onions, &c. To be eaten in perfection the mayonnaise should be stood on ice till all but frozen, and the dish should be set in another filled with crushed ice. Chervil {cerfeuil). — This pretty little plant is mostljr used for decorative purposes, and for flavouring sauces, &c. It lasts, however, so short a time in its fresh state that it is best to treat it like parsley, i.e., dry, powder, and bottle it. Chestnuts (marrons). — These are but little used in this country save as stuffing for turkeys, &c., or as marrons glaces, the well-known sweetmeat. Yet they may be prepared in various ways, and make a most excellent vegetable. boiled. — Wash the chestnuts, and cut each across diagonally at the stalk end, tie the nuts loosely in a napkin, and cook them till perfectly SCO