Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

Another way of cooking the tomatoes is to put a little butter into a hot frying-pan, and brown the tomatoes on both sides in the pan. * Sliced Tomatoes. For this dish one should use only such tomatoes as are ripe and smooth. Put them into a bowl, and pour boiling water upon them. This will loosen the skins, so that the paring is an easy task. As soon as the tomatoes have been pared, place them where they will become very cold ; and when they are cold, slice them with a very sharp knife, and then place the dish on ice again until the time of serving. * Tomato Fritters. Use for these fritters a can of tomatoes, eight slices of stale bread about half an inch thick, one table-spoonful of butter, one of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, two eggs, and a pint of crumbs of bread or crackers. Cook the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar together in a stew-pan for ten minutes. Rub the flour and butter together, and stir into the cooking mixture. Cook for three minutes longer j then rub through a strainer. Spread the slices of bread on a platter, and pour the strained tomato over them. After they have stood for about half an hour, turn them over and let them stand ten minutes longer, that both sides may be well covered with the sauce. Beat the eggs well, and dip the toast first in the eggs and then in the bread crumbs. Put a few slices into a frying-basket, and cook in boiling fat for two minutes, repeating the process until all the slices have been thus treated. Drain well, and serve very hot. * Boiled Asparagus. After cutting the tough ends from the asparagus, wash it in cold water and tie it again in bundles. Put it into a stew-pan with salted boiling water, — a teaspoonful of salt to every quart of water, — and boil for twenty-five minutes. On taking from the fire, drain off the water. Now untie the bundles, and place the asparagus on slices of toast. Season with butter and a little salt. Or, the asparagus may be cut in two-inch pieces and boiled as directed. Drain off all the water. Put the asparagus in a vegetable-dish, and season with butter and a little salt. This is a very satisfactory way to cook and serve the vegetable. * Asparagus Points. Cut off the tender green heads of asparagus. Wash them, and then boil in salted water from fifteen to twenty minutes. These are served like peas. Asparagus with Eggs. Use two bunches of asparagus, half a dozen eggs, three table-spoonfuls of butter, and three level teaspoonfuls of salt. After cutting off the tough ends, wash the rest of the asparagus, and cut it in pieces about two inches long. Place it in a saucepan with enough boiling water to cover it, and boil for twenty-five minutes, adding two teaspoonfuls of salt at the end of the first quarter of an hour. When done, take from the fire and drain off all the water. Place the asparagus in an escalop-dish or gratin-dish. Spread half the butter on it, and then set the dish where the asparagus will keep hot while the eggs are being beaten. Beat them till rather light ; then add a teaspoonful of salt and the remainder of the butter, broken into bits. Pour this mixture over the asparagus, and set the dish in a moderate oven for four minutes. Serve very hot. This dish may be served as an entre'e.