365 tasty dishes

green pepper seeded and chopped ; cook for a moment, lay in the chicken and draw over the hot fire, turning until each piece is lightly browned. Add i quart of broth or water,* 3 cupfuls of strained tomato, i teaspoonful of salt, }4 of & teaspoonful of paprika or white pepper, 2 cloves, a stalk of celery and 2 sprigs of parsley. Cover and simmer for one hour. Color with a little saffron, add i cupful of well washed rice and 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese ; cook until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender. In dishing use a deep platter and arrange the chicken over the mound of rice. 4. — Risotto. A good risotto can be made for feast or fast day, according to the contents of the larder and the wish of the cook. Rice, of course, is the foundation and, after picking over one cupful, turn it into a kettle containing 2 tablespoonfuls of butter, melted and hot. Stir occasionally until it begins to take on a golden tinge, then add 3 cupfuls of canned tomato which has been pressed through a sieve. Cover and cook slowly ApriU until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, which will take about forty minutes. When half done, add salt and pepper to taste. If necessary to stir, use a fork in order not to break the grains. Just before taking up add i large tablespoonful of butter cut into bits and }^ of a cupful of grated cheese. If some rich broth is on hand, substitute it for the tomato, adding at the last ^ of a cupful of chopped meat in place of the cheese. Bits of cooked ham or a few tiny sausages may also be added if desired. 5. — Bean Timbales. Rub I cupful of baked beans through a colander, add to them i cupful of well cooked rice, 2 eggs, i teaspoonful of chopped onion, i teaspoonful of chopped parsley and a dash of cayenne. Beat all together, pour into buttered timbale molds, place in a baking pan half full of hot water and bake twenty minutes. These are good hot or cold. If served hot pour around them, after removing from the mold, a rich tomato sauce. If served cold, cress or a lettuce salad may accompany them. ApriU 6. — Saratoga Onions. Peel and thinly slice 3 large white onions and soak in milk for ten minutes, then drain and dry on a towel. Separate the slices into rings, put i dozen or more at a time in the frying basket and plunge into smoking hot fat. Take out as soon as delicately colored, drain for a moment on unglazed paper, turn into a heated dish, dust lightly with salt, and serve at once. 7. — Pigs in Blankets. Pigs in blankets are oysters wrapped in thin slices of bacon and fried over a hot fire. Select oysters of medium size and cut fat bacon in the thinnest slices possible. Wash and dry the oysters then wrap each in a slice of the bacon, pinning it with a small wooden toothpick. Have the pan hissing hot. Put in it as many of the prepared oysters as will cover the bottom and cook until the bacon begins to color and the oysters are plumped. Serve on thin slices of hot buttered toast. 8. — Creole Clams. Pick over and wash 25 clams, then cut each into four or six pieces. Put in the April. pan I heaping tablespoonful of butter, a cloves, ^ of a bay leaf, a stalk of celery and I slice each of onion and carrot. Cook until the butter begins to brown, then skim out the bay leaf, stir in i heaping tablespoonful of flour, blend it in well and add gradually i cupful of tomatoes previously stewed and strained. When thickened add I tablespoonful of finely-chopped green pepper, salt and pepper to taste and the clams. Cook for five minutes, add i tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley and serve. g. — Steak with Bananas.