Evening journal., 1893-05-15
ASPARAGUS AS A FOOD.
It Assists in Eliminating the
Waste of the System
HOW Observation-Disclosures

should Not BE Cooked Untn Il is Ready
for Eating Neither should IL Lay In
water-Cooks Dispute About the Way
of Serving It.
Physicians esteem asparagus as one Of
the very best springtime foods. II is a
vegetable well calculated to help in
eliminating the waste of the system,
owing to It's peculiar mineral properties
The woman who feeds "a family does
veil TO serve it on her table as often as
possible.
Ia the markets, asparagus Is always
high il should not be 80, but is never
tneless There are not q number Of ways
to serve asparagus, but there is a choice
among them and cooks dispute about
them.
Asparagus ought not TO be prepared
for cooking until the moment it is
needed Its freshness seems TO evapQrRte,
and its flavor to lose its delicacy and be-
come harsh and acrid 1t should be
kept perfectly cold in a refrigerator
until used, but not standing in water
a common practice neither should 10
rest upon the ice.
When asparagus is TO be served plain
boiled, scrape the stalks with a sharp
knife, so as to remove the pellicute,
which has been In contact with the
ground, lay them in cold water as ready
cut the stalks into equal lengths say six
or eight inches, and tie into lunches of
dozen each
Pat them into plenty Of boiling salt
water. Be careful that they do not over
cook, as that toughens the vegetable
and moreover often deprives it of the
delicate mineral matters which render it
valuable as special diuretic food
twenty minutes ought TO be enough
a proper proportion of salt is a quar-
ter Of an ounce to quart Of water for
from thirty TO forty sticks Of asparagus
The really satisfactory cooker for
asparagus has a drainer which fits into
the boiler and enables you to lift the
bunehes out without truising and break
ing the delicate heads and rendering
them mashed, sodden and unsightly
II is I'm regard to the bringing of it to
the table that authorities differ. Some
hold to the desirability Of serving
asparagus on toast and some denounce
IT, There are also two opinions as TO
pouring Of sauce over it. One gastron
omist says
Asparagus, after having been we'll
drained, should be served in hot dish
on the bottom of which is placed
heated napkin neatly folded. The object
of serving the asparagus ON a napkin is
to insure perfect draining; the napkin
absorbs whatever water may still cling
to the stalks.
"ln some unenlightened districts
asparagus is served on a layer of toast,
which tulflls the same object as the
napkin and absorbs the water If you
do find asparagus served on toast do
not oiler 90 eat the toast, any more than
you would offer to eat the napkin
Nevertheless many enlightened diners
consider the toast richly moistened and
seasoned from the asparagus, as dainty
as the stalks themselves
IL is considered everywhere good form
TO eat plain boiled asparagus with the
fingers, Take up the stalks dip the
head in the sauce you have taken on
your plate and bite OF as much Of the
head and stalk as yields readily
White hollandaise is the best sauce to
serve with plain boiled asparagus IL is
easy to prepare
skillet OF any vessel you can place in
boiling water. Add a cup of the water
in which the asparagus has been boiled
and beat well with whislS: add, bit by
bit, tablespoonful of butter, and salt
TO taste put In a pinch OF nutmeg. and
the juice Of half lemon. Stir until it
thickens, but do not let it curdle serve
hot.