Scientific cooking with scientific methods

Truffles grow underground, and are found more abundantly in France than elsewhere, but by the time they are canned and exported they become too great a luxury for anything but special occasions. The best truffles are found in the oak forests, where the soil is very sterile. They are about as large as a walnut, with a rough, brown, warty surface, closely akin to a potato. They are not easily found, from the fact that they are underneath the surface of the ground. The hog is very fond of them, and it is in this way they hunt for them. They take the hog out, and he soon begins to root up the ground where they are located, but as soon as he brings them to the surface they are taken from him. Truffle-gatherers keep this up until the hog will no longer work and have his food taken from him, and they have to rest him until he forgets his ill returns during the night ; but he will start at it the next morning. The best truffies are found in France, but the price makes them a luxury. They can not be cultivated. They retail at two dollars a pound, and are used as a garnish for fancy entrees. On account of the price, many are very fond of them. COOKING OF POTATOES. Boiled New Potatoes. Select those that are ripe. Scrub with small vegetable brush to remove all outside skin. Boil quickly in boiling salted water until you can pierce them with fork. Drain and sprinkle lightly with salt, and cover with perfectly clean cloth. Shake until dry and serve at once. Baked Potatoes. This is considered the most perfect way of cooking the potato. They want to be thoroughly scrubbed and washed. If all the earth is not thoroughly removed, you will taste it on the potato. In baking potatoes have them of uniform size, so they will all be done at the same time. Place them in the hot oven and bake them three-quarters of an hour. On removing from the oven break the skin to allow the steam to escape. Serve at once. Riced Potatoes. Use a plain boiled potato as soon as it becomes soft, and press through a ricer. Season Avith butter and salt. Duchess Potatoes. Use a pint of hot riced potatoes. Use one tablespoon butter, salt to taste, the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, and enough hot cream to make the mixture pass easily through a forcing-bag with tube attached. Decorate in any style desired. Brush top with egg and milk, and brown in hot oven. Potato Roses. Use duchess potato mixture and forcing-bag. Hold bag in upright position, tube pointing down ; force out potato to form the rose. Raise it quickly to break the flow. Shape these on tin sheet, brush with egg and milk, and brown in oven. Remove with spatula or broadbladed knife. Mashed Potatoes. Use riced potatoes, and season with butter, salt and hot milk; beat until very light, and pile on servingdish, but do not smooth, as the irregularity of the potato is much more attractive. Potato Croquettes. 2 cups hot riced potatoes. Onion juice, cayenne, 2 tablespoons butter. parsley. 1 egg. Salt and pepper. Mix ingredients and beat thoroughly. Shape, dip in crumbs and egg, and in the crumbs again. Fry in deep fat to a golden brown. Drain on paper, and garnish with parsley, and serve. Potatoes O'Brion.