My best 250 recipes

Soak a head of cauliflower in cold water; break it in flowerets and cook in salted, boiling water for thirty minutes. Keep it perfectly white ; if it boils too long it will lose its color. When done lift it carefully and stand aside to cool. At serving-time arrange it in a salad-bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley and a tablespoonful of onion juice, then pour Italian dressing over all, and serve. 64 My Best 250 Recipes WOOD'S SALAD Scald and peel solid tomatoes, take a slice from the stem ends, scoop out the centres, and stand them on the ice to cool. Chop a handful of sheep sorrel, mix it with an equal quantity of chopped cress, finely chopped mushrooms, and chopped mint ; fill this in the tomatoes, stand them on lettuce leaves, and pour French dressing over them. Partridge berries may be used in place of the mushrooms when the latter cannot be procured. CARROT SALAD Cut young and perfect carrots in thin slices, then with a vegetable cutter cut them in fancy shapes. Put them in a kettle of boiling, unsalted water, cook gently for one hour, drain and cool. At serving-time arrange them neatly on lettuce leaves, cover with French dressing, and serve. A SIMPLE RUSSIAN SALAD Line a salad-bowl with crisp lettuce leaves. Put over one or two tomatoes that have been peeled and chopped fine. Add a mashed anchovy to the recipe for French dressing, pour it over the salad, mix, and serve. FRUIT PRESERVES Fresh fruits are always to be preferred, but there are times and conditions which make it necessary to preserve them for future use. The chosen methods are canning, sterilizing, with or without sugar, and preserving, where a large quantity of sugar is used; or the natural water may be evaporated and the fruit protected from the air and dust. To can fruits the first requisite is that they be perfectly fresh. The jars must be in good condition, with glass tops if possible, and the rubbers elastic. Ever3rthing must be heated to the boiling point; the lids and jars must not be handled, washed or wiped after they have been boiled. If the fruit is to be canned without sugar there is not much danger of failure ; the use of even a little sugar makes the canning process much more difficult. Fruit should form a part of every day's food ; it should not be used simply for ornamentation, but as a part of the meal. The love of children for fruit of all sorts is almost universal. It is a healthful, natural craving that should be gratified. Give the fruits, however, as nearly fresh as poses 66 My Best 250 Recipes sible, and not made deadly sweet with sugar. Sugar takes no part whatever in correcting an acid. PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES Wash the strawberries before they are stemmed by putting them in a colander and plunging them up and down in cold water ; remove the stems carefully and quickly. Weigh the berries; allow four pounds of sugar to four pounds of berries. Put a layer of sugar in the bottom of a large preserving-kettle, then a layer of berries, another layer of sugar, and a second layer of berries, with the remaining sugar on top. Stand away in a cool place for about two hours; then put over the fire and bring slowly to boiling point. Lift the berries with a fork; place them in tumblers or jars. Boil the liquor rapidly until it is reduced one-half, and then pour it, while hot, over the berries. When cold cover the jars with paraffin and paper. Strawberries preserved in this way will keep for an indefinite length of time. CANDIED CHERRIES Stone and weigh the cherries. Allow to each pound one pound of granulated sugar. Put the sugar in a porcelain-lined kettle; add half a cupful of water, stir until the sugar is dissolved, and skim when it reaches the boiling point. Add the My Best 250 Recipes 67