Temperance cook book

Pare very thin. The glory of a potato is its mealiness, and much of the starch, or meal, lies next to the skin, consequently is lost by slovenly paring, which, likewise, defaces the shape. Wash in cold water; have ready a pot of boiling water, slightly salted, drop in the potatoes, and keep at a rapid boil until tender. Drain off the water, sprinkle with fine salt, and dry as just directed. To Boil New Potatoes. .If very young, rub the skin off with a rough towel; if almost ripe, scrape with a blunt knife. Cover with cold water, slightly salted, boil half an hour, drain, salt and dry for two or three minutes. Send to the table plain. Or, pour over them a pint of sweet cream or rich milk, let it come to a boil, put in a spoonful of butter; if you use milk, season with salt and pepper, and thicken with half teacupful of cornstarch, previously stirred to a paste; give it all a good boil, and serve immediately. MASHED POTATOES. Every one thinks she can make so simple a dish as that of mashed potatoes; but it is the excellence of art to produce good mashed as well as good boiled potatoes. In fact, I believe there is nothing so difficult in cookery as to properly boil a potato. Prepare and boil as for plain, put into a hot crock or basin, which can be placed at the side of the fire, one-half cup of rich milk or cream, a piece of butter the size of an egg, salt and pepper to taste, and let them get hot. When the potatoes are done, drain and mash them, add the hot milk; then work them a few minutes with a fork, and serve them immediately. Do not rub egg over, and bake them; that ruins them. Much depends upon mashed potatoes being served at table hot, and freshly made. One of the secrets of good mashed potatoes is the mixing of the ingredients all hot. BAKED POTATOES. Be very particular to wash every part of the potato clean, as many persons eat the skin; bake in a quick oven until tender, say three-quarters of an hour to an hour, if of good size. There is such a difference in ovens, that each one must learn for herself what the time will be for each. POTATO PUFF. Take two coffeecupfuls of cold mashed potato, and stir into it two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, beaten to a white cream, before adding anything else. Then put with this two eggs, whipped very light, and a teacupful of cream, or nice milk, salt it to taste, beat all well, pour into a deep dish, and bake in a quick oven until it is nicely browned. If properly mixed it will come out of the oven light, puffy and delectable. POTATO BALLS. Prepare the potatoes as you would for mashed potatoes; when done, mash very fine and season with butter and salt; beat in two eggs till very light, shape them into little balls, as large as walnuts, let them get perfectly cold, dip them in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs, and fry in hot lard, like doughnuts. Be very particular to have the lard boiling hot or they will not be nice. Brown a light brown, and serve at once. SlLVERTHOBN POTATOES. Boil as you would for plain potatoes; be sure to have them perfectly cold before chopping; chop them as fine as a common sized bean (no finer); to one quart of potatoes add one coffeecupful of thick cream. You can double the quantity as many times as you like. Have ready a spider, put in your potatoes, pour