Science of food & cookery

Steam or boil pared raw potatoes until they are about half cooked ; then drain, and place in an oiled baking pan. Sprinkle with salt, then with flour, brush over each potato with an oiled brush, and bake to a nice brown. BAKED POTATOES Wash and scrub medium sized potatoes until nearly white. Lay on the grate or in a baking pan in a medium oven, and bake until they feel soft when pressed between thumb and fingers. If baked potatoes must be kept for a time after baking, puncture with a fork, to let the steam escape, and wrap in a cloth, or cover with another pan and leave in the open oven until needed. Otherwise they tend to get soggy. STUFFED BAKED POTATOES Prepare and bake the potatoes the same as above. Cut off a slice from one side, lengthwise, and scoop out the potato. Mash through a ricer, and season with rich cream, or with milk and vegetable butter. Salt, and beat until light and very white. Fill the skins rounding full, but do not smooth down on the top. Brush with cream or milk, and brown lightly in a good oven. Serve immediately. SCALLOPED POTATOES Slice pared raw potatoes thin. Put a layer of the sliced potatoes into an oiled baking pan, and sprinkle with salt and flour. Repeat the process until the pan is about three fourths full. Pour over the potatoes enough milk to cover them. Put small bits of vegetable butter on top, and bake until thoroughly done. SAVORY POTATOES Add finely chopped onion and parsley to each layer of the foregoing scalloped potatoes, and bake the same as the above recipe. Water may be used in place of the milk, if desired, a little more of the butter being required than when milk is used. POTATO AU GRATIN Chop or dice cold boiled potatoes. Add enough rich cream sauce to season nicely. Pour into an oiled baking pan, rub a slice of bread through a colander or strainer over the top, and press the crumbs down with a spoon, so they become moistened, Sprinkle with small bits of vegetable butter, and bake to a light brown color. CREAMED POTATOES Put 2 cups milk into an oiled baking pan, and heat over the stove until it reaches the boiling point. Add i tablespoon vegetable butter or l/± cup rich cream, and enough sliced or hashed cold boiled potatoes so that they are barely covered with the milk. Continue to simmer over the fire until they begin to thicken ; then set in the oven for a few minutes, and serve. Note. — If the milk is heated to the boiling point before the boiled potatoes are added, they will have a sweet taste, and will not be sticky, as they will if put into cold milk and heated. ROASTED SWEET POTATOES Steam or boil sweet potatoes until the skins can be scraped off easily. Lay in an oiled baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Then brush over each potato with vegetable oil, and bake until done and a nice brpwn. MASHED SWEET POTATOES Wash and pare sweet potatoes, steam or boil until tender, drain, mash, and finish the same as mashed potatoes. GLAZED SWEET POTATOES Boil sweet potatoes until done, peel, and cut into quarters lengthwise. Lay them close together in an oiled baking pan, dust with salt to season, and sprinkle sugar lightly over all. Brush over with vegetable oil, and brown nicely. xvni. SALADS AND DRESSINGS