Cassell's dictionary of cookery

"The potato undoubtedly contains the elements of nutrition — that is starch and gummy matters capable of sustaining the respiratory processes, and also ' plastic material ' adapted to build up the muscular and other constituents of living animal bodies, but those plastic materials are so deficient in quantity, their amount is so small compared with that of the other constituents of the tuber, which, moreover, contains a largo amount of water, that a man living solely upon potatoes must consume a very large quantity to keep himself in health and strength, even if ho can do the latter, when undergoing anything like exertion. From seven to eight pounds per day is by no means an unusual amount for a labouring Irishman to consume ; but the ten pounds of the root contain no more real nutriment than one pound and a half of good wheaten bread, although they afford abundant respiratory or carbon material. In consequence of the less amount of muscular ' plastic ' nutriment contained in his food, the Irish labourer is less adapted for continued exertion than tlie Englishman on his wheat and meat, or the Scotchman on his oatmeal. Moreover, it has been remarked that the constitution of the Irish labourer is apt to give way earlier in life than that of the men of the sister kingdoms, and he is certainly more liable to be the victim of epidemic diseases. "A remark of Liebig's well illustrates the value of the potato as an article of nutriment ; he says, ' a horse fed on potatoes and compelled to work loses weight ; when he does no work, his weight remains unchanged,' thus evidently showing that the root is unable to supply the loss by ' motor change,' when active muscular exertion is undergone." — Br. Spencer Thomson. Potato Omelet. — Take a large freshly-baked potato, break it open, and scoop out the inside with a spoon. Beat this till smooth, and mix with it a little pepper and salt, a dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, and the yolks of four eggs. A minute or two before the omelet is to be jfried, add the whites of the eggs beaten to a firm froth. Fry in the usual way, and serve on a hot dish. Garnish with parsley. Time to fry, five or six minutes. . Probable cost, od. or 6d. Sufficient for two persons. Potato Omelet (another way). — See Omelet, Potato. Potato Pasty, Modern.— In order to make this properly, a pasty -pan must be procured which has a well-fitting perforated plate, and a valve-pipe to screw on. This can be had of almost any ironmonger, and will cost from 4s. to 5s. The meat, seasoning, and gravj' are put into the lower part. The plate is then laid on the meat, the valve-pipe screwed on, and mashed potatoes spread equally on the top. The pasty should be baked in a moderate oven and sent to table in the same tin in which it POTATO PASTY PAN.