True food values and their low costs

quick oven for twenty minutes. Serve in the casserole in which they are baked. Macaroni, rice, minced beef, lamb, and fish may be used in place of the bread crumbs, and each makes a delicious dinner dish. CHAPTER XXn Sweet Peppers Sweet peppers have recently become one of the most popular of vegetables. They certainly make very delectable dishes. In salads they are invaluable, and many attractive side dishes have the pepper as their basis. The housewife should learn how to tell a sweet pepper from a hot one. There are two tests: First, by the smell ; second, by cutting a piece off and touching it with the tongue. One taste will be sufficient, as the hot pepper is very strong and pungent, and it does not lose its strength in cooking. Sweet peppers are both red and green in color, and sometimes mixed. In selecting them for stuffing it is advisable to choose those that are not too long or too thin. The rounder they are the better they look when served. Sweet peppers are very popular for garnishing salads and flavoring creamed chicken. They may be combined with soft cream cheese and fashioned into balls. They make an excellent addition to fried tomatoes. Slice a few strips off a sweet pepper and put in the pan and you will be surprised at the effect produced. Sweet peppers combine nicely with minced ham. This may be made of the remainder of boiled or baked ham. Put the ham through a meat grinder; also some sweet peppers. To three cups of meat, use one half cup of peppers. In a deep bowl mix the ham, peppers, and one tablespoon of parsley. Put this mixture into a deep baking-dish, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and bits of butter, and bake in a quick oven for thirty minutes. Stuffed Peppers Select a half dozen sweet peppers. Cut the tops off and scoop out the seeds. Prepare a forcemeat of one pint of chopped meat or shredded 'fish, one cup of mashed potatoes or a half cup of bread crumbs, a tablespoon of parsley, one egg yolk, a dash of salt, and a few drops of onion juice. Boiled rice or macaroni may be used in place of the potatoes. Fill the peppers with the mixture, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and bake in a hot oven for a half hour. They may be fried in deep fat if preferred. Pepper Cups Cut a half dozen sweet peppers in halves. Remove the seeds. Fill the cups with a mixture of two cups of tomatoes (with seeds squeezed out), two cups of bread crumbs, one tablespoon of parsley, pepper and salt, and a spoonful of sugar. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top, also a little butter, and bake in a hot oven for thirty minutes. Cheese Rings Use one jar of cream or pimento cheese. Beat this together with a little cream, a few nuts, and a pinch of salt. Cut the top off a medium-sized pepper and fill it with the mixture. Let it stand for an hour or so, until the cheese is firm enough, then cut it down in thin slices. These pepper rings are very attractive, and garnish salads and meat dishes wonderfully well. CHAPTER XXIII Macaroni, Spaghetti, and Vermicelli These are made from wheaten flour mixed with a small quantity of water. Vermicelli is used in soup and puddings; macaroni and spaghetti are used as vegetables. Macaroni is a very nutritious and also an economical food, and should be used much more extensively than it is. It should never be washed, as the boiling water in cooking will better take off anything that needs to be removed. Always cook it in boiling salted water until tender, before serving it in any way. Drain, and pour cold water over it to keep it from becoming pasty.