Scientific cooking with scientific methods

The cucumber as it grows fresh and crisp is the best form to serve it for the table, but it is often cooked. We find it in the market all the year round, from the garden during the summer months and hot-house and Southern markets during the winter. Stuffed Cucumbers. Select large cucumbers of uniform size, cut them into halves, and with a spoon and the vegetable knife remove the seeds. Stand in cold water until crisp. Drain and fill with chicken force-meat, using equal parts of. minced chicken and soft crumbs. Season rather highly, using paprika, salt and white pepper, and moisten with egg. Place upright on a trivet, and half surround with white stock, and cook for three-quarters of an hour. A good way to keep them in position is to place them in small wire basket, and rest the basket on the trivet. Fried Cucumbers. Select cucumbers with very small seeds. Pare and slice in slices about one-fourth inch thick, season with salt and pepper, crumbs and egg, and fry in deep fat. This tastes something like eggplant, but not so good. Salsify or Oyster Plant. The salsify is an underground root, and is very nice to make a variety in the menu during the winter. To prepare it we wash, scrape and put it in cold water, with lemon juice or vinegar in the water to keep it from discoloring. Oyster Plant in Cream Sauce. Prepare as above directed; and rest in the acidulated water. Cut in one-half-inch slices, cook in boiling water until soft, drain, and add to thin white sauce. Oyster Plant Fritters. Grate the oyster plant, using a little lemon juice on it as you grate to keep from discoloring. Season with salt and pepper, and moisten with egg to bind it. Shape in small flat cakes, dredge with flour, and saute in hot butter. These are fine and not unlike an oyster in taste. Some boil the plants, then mash, but they are a much finer flavor made from the raw plants. Parsnips. Parsnips are not generally used on tables, but, if they are properly prepared, make a nice variety to the winter vegetable. They are a nice accompaniment to pork roast. They contain a large amount of woody fiber through the center, but this can be in a measure overcome by getting those that are young. To prepare them Ave wash, scrape and cut into pieces about one-fourth-inch thick lengthwise. Cook in boiling salted water until soft. Then they are ready to serve in the ways one may desire. If they are to be served with the pork roast, they are sprinkled with salt, pepper and a slight sprinkling of sugar. Place them in the pan with the roast, and baste with the fat. Parsnip Fritters. Wash them thoroughly and scrub with small vegetable-brush. Cook in boiling water until soft. Drain and place in cold water, when the skin will slip off easily as it does off the beet. Mash and remove as much of the woody substance as possible. Season with butter, salt and pepper, a little sugar, and shape into fritters, and brown in equal parts of butter and lard. Sweet Peppers.