The profession of cookery, from a French point of view

Turnips, chestnuts, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, vegetable marrows, and white haricot beans, all make most delicious white soup. The vegetables are indeed few in number which are not pressed into the service of the soup pot in one form or another. In green soups, where it is desirable to keep the colour nice, it is well to put the green vegetables in boiling water with a little salt added, and a grain of carbonate of soda, and let the cover of the pot be tilted to allow the steam to escape. A delicate potage, and one which is considered a specific for indigestion by the good people of the south, is made as follows : — A good slice of white bread is cut into dice, and put in the tureen, four eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately; with the yolks four spoonfuls of olive oil are mixed, and this is poured over the bread. A quart of water is boiled with a few shallots, a clove and a peppercorn or two, into this the beaten whites are stirred, and a few spoonsful of cold milk ; the whole is then poured into the tureen, and quickly mixed together. This is called an " eau bouillie/' As there are but few things, whether of fish, flesh, fowl, or vegetables which will not lend themselves to soup making, given a fair intelligence with patience, industry, and cleanliness on the part of the cook, the variety is almost inexhaustible to the student of this branch of the profession. Potato Soup. For a quart of soup, boil three or four medium-sized potatoes, then mash them quite smooth, and put them into the stewpan with nearly the quantity of boiling water. Remove the outer skin from a large white onion, melt a small lump of butter, then slice the onion into it and let it stew until perfectly tender, but not brown. When done, dredge a little baked flour over, to absorb the butter, then stir this gradually into the boiling liquor ; add salt and pepper to season it well, and let it boil gently until required. Just before pouring into the tureen stir in two tablespoonfuls of hot cream, and a teaspoonful of dried and sifted parsley. To improve the appearance of the soup, a whole carrot may be boiled at the same time as the potatoes, then cut into fr.ncy shapes and rounds and added to the whole. The beaten yolk of an Qg'g, and a little n.ore butter, will make the soup very much richer. Brown Onion Soup. A little clear stock is required for this. Skin two or three large onions, slice them as thinly as possible, and fry them until thoroughly tender and well browned in a little beef dripping. Drain them. Make the stock almost boiling hot in your stewpan. Mix a little baked flour with the dripping in the frying pan, stir it over the fire to brown it. Add this gradually to the stock, see that it is perfectly smooth. Add the onions next, and leave it to simmer for half an hour. Remove all fat from the surface, add salt, pepper, a spoonful of sharp sauce, same of mushroom ketchup, and a drop of caramel if it be not brown enough already. Serve over fried croutons. Tomato Soup. Use either fresli or tinned tomatoes. Melt two ounces of fresli butter, and frizzle first a few chopped shallots, or one white onion.