The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables

and two-thirds of an ounce of parsnip. These last are not indispensable, but may be replaced by extra carrots ; the leeks, also, if not at hand, may be replaced by an extra Spanish onion or so ; whilst in winter the proportion of turnip may be reduced by fully one-third. These proportions are for pot au feu, clear soup, or consomme. 'Watercress (Cresson). — This is seldom used here save in the raw state, and if well washed and nicely seasoned with oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt, makes a decidedly praiseworthy salad, alone or mixed with other salading. But it .also is very good if cooked, and, in Germany especially, is much liked, both as a vegetable entremets and as soup. À l'Allemande. — Well wash the cress in several waters, then chop it lightly ; stir together over the fire 2oz. each of butter and flour till perfectly blended and delicately browned, now moisten it with half a pint of water (or weak stock) and stir it all till it boils ; season it with white pepper, salt, a grate of nutmeg, and sufficient lemon juice, or vinegar, to acidulate it pleasantly, lay in the cress, let it boil up well, and serve. Stewed. — Pick over and well wash the cress, then boil it in plenty of boiling salted water till nearly cooked, when it must be lifted out, and drained on a colander to remove all the water possible. Meanwhile melt l^oz. of butter, then lay in the cress, dredge it lightly with a little sifted flour, and stir it for ten minutes over the fire ; now add half a pint of good stock, season as before, and cook it all for ten minutes more, stirring it all the time. Serve very hot, garnished with croutons, or fleurons of cheese pastry, and quartered hard-boiled eggs. Yams (Ignames). — Of these there are several kinds, the white, or “ floury ” ; the Guinea ; the hard ; the yellow, or “affoo”; the negro; the Japanese; and the Indian yam. The white yam is generally considered the best. These tubers are in appearance something between Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes, particularly the sweet potato or batata, which they greatly resemble, though actually belonging to different species. They can, however, be cooked in the same way. boiled. — Peel them, and wash them well in cold water to remove the slime which is apt to cling to them ; now put them on in cold water, and when half cooked, add salt to taste. They take about the same time to cook as potatoes. roasted. — Well wash and lightly scrape, but do not peel the yams, then bake in a hot oven till the skin is crisp, and the inside soft. Serve as they are in a napkin, sending butter and pepper to table with them. Or, when cooked, they may be quickly peeled, and coarsely sieved and served like “ snow potatoes.” Yams may also be boiled, and mashed with an egg, a little butter, pepper, and salt, and served plain; or made into balls and fried like potato duchesses ; or balls of the mashed yam may be dipped in batter and fried ; or the yams may be washed, peeled, sliced, and fried till crisp in hot fat ; or they may be devilled, by slicing them as before, buttering both sides well, dusting these thickly with salt, cayenne, and freshly-ground black pepper, L 2