Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-08-24
COOKING oe VEGETABLES.

COOKING OF VEGETABLES.
In speaking Of various methods Of
cooking vegetables, Mrs. 8. A. Hamilton
says recently In the Home Magazine
that zone has always TO be on the Qai
rire for mishap of some kind to occur,
due principally to the fact that nothing
In the domain OF foods is 20 variable ~
vegetables.
aFor instance, let rs take up the most
common, the potato. There are several
hundred varieties, good, bad and indlf-
ferent, on the market, and the cook
never knows what kind will be furnished
for her use.
'She may get fine mellow variety, or
q stringy, watery one, and Is expected 70
turn out the same good results with all
kinds. The only remedy Ia TO make
study Of the various kinds as they pass
through your hands, and then ask for
the good varieties only.
"A good potato will nearly always, II
Of proper size, and properly cooked, turn
out OF the pot, when boiled with their
skins on, with the skin burst, and when
cold should be OF mealy nature. They
should never get soggy; II they do they
are not fit TO be eaten. When boiled
with their skins of, they should come
from the pot with the pulp Of fisky
character that denotes the perfect po-
tatO.
$50 It Is throughout the entire list Of
vegetables. Two different crops OF the
same vegetable are never the same, and
the best of Judgment must be used to
discover the nature OF the vegetable you
are using ut the start, In order that you
can treat Il accordingly.
1.-THE potato Is the vegetable that taxes
the skill Of the young cook TO the ut
most. Why Il should be so | cannot say,
but the majority OF cooks make lament
able failures OF the potatoes. Even In
such simple matter as the serving Of
whole roasted potatoes for \ light sup
per-quite a fashionable dish at present
they fall from lack Of necessary ex-
perimentation, without which no cook
can keep up with the procession OF good
cooks. They put the potatoes In the
hottest oven, wet from the washing they
have had, and In half or three-quarters
Of an hour take them out and serve, and
wonder why most of them come back on
the plates, merely nibbled at.
TRY this way. Take potatoes OF
moderate size, clean them with stiff
brush, using no water. IL wanted for
supper, at, say, o'clock, put them In
the warmtng-closet Of your range, not
too near the pipe, at s O'Clock In the
morning. Turn them frequently during
the day, and as soon asa splint will 60
through one and come out dry, they are
done, and can be kept 10 good condition
for an hour by removing them TO cool
er place. Potatoes roasted thus will alb
sorb butter readily, which Is the test OF IA
we'll roasted potato. To serve them use
covered egg cups.
Rub the inside Of the cups with melted
butter, take of the skins Of potatoes, and
| ill the cup with the pulp, putting q
good sized piece OF butter and pinch Of
salt, and a dash OF white pepper on top.
SET the cups In the hot oven for ten min
utes. Serve with broiled steak, or chops.
There are certain vegetables that seem
10 90 naturally with certain meats, and
they should accompany the proper kind
only. Thus with Dreaded veal outlets
serve only sifted green peas. This makes
fine luncheon dish, and Is not difficult,
although few prepare Ii properly. The
veal should be six weeks old. Use the
steaks from the ham. Have the butcher
cut them thin, and with sharp. round
cake cutter, cut out round pieces two
inches In diameter. Put the scraps In
stock pot. Drop the outlets 10 boiling
water for ten minutes, and drain. Then
rub with sweet butter. Dip them In the
unbeaten yolk OF egg, and roll In
crumbs. Put away to dry. When ready
to cook, put them in wire dipper, and
cook in kettle Of hot fat, same ms fried
oysters. Drain. Serve on individual
meat plates. Put the outlets In the CEN
ire, surround with the peas, which have
been simply boiled until tender. and i'm
mersed In butter. and garnish the plates
with water cress. Peas and string beat ms
should be dressed with butter and thick
cream only; never use -four and milk
dressing, as II destroys the flavor Of both
these vegetables.
The red beet Is one OF the most use
full Of our vegetables, but our American
cooks have not arisen to the possibilities
OF this tuber.
at Is one Of the finest In use for gar
nishing salads, and as salad itself is
one OF the best. IL makes delicious
sauce also, when dressed with butter
aud cream and little vinegar. Ii Ia also
used by many as q sour pickle. When
prepared for garnishing Ii should be
brushed clean with dry brush, and
plunged into boiling water, as this will
retain more Of the color, although some
varieties Of beets will lose all their color
when cooked-this must be learned by
observation, aud the proper kinds speci-
| fled.
1.-The matter Of the cooking Of green
vegetables Is one that Ia most important
aud has the best OF scientific foundations.
Some require TO be cooked In pure soft
| water, and some In medium hard, and
some 10 saline hard. The reasons are
merely chemical, but are 80 positive that
unless understood one cannot serve the
many green vegetables 10 palatable
shape. Fresh green peas and beans hav-
! ing such tender pulp and cuticle, re-
quire something Of an sstringent nature
10 keep 10 the juices and favor, and to
prevent them from going to pieces.
Therefore cook young, green vegetables
In water that Is naturally hard, or add n
teaspoonful OF common salt to every
gallon Of water used.
With dry vegetables the case Is differ
ent. They uniformly contain casein,
which is coagulsted by the different salts
to be found In hard water, and cannot be
cooked soft therein. Such should be cook
ed In boiling soft water, with q teaspoon
full of bi-carbonate Of soda TO every gal
Ion, as q precaution. Winter onions are
not considered dry vegetable, and re-
quire soft water.
at seems hardly necessary to say that
all green vegetables should come to the
cook In a prime fresh condition, but
sometimes they do not come so, on ac-
count of the distance, or amount of
handling they have received, and may
require treatment. II they show any
signs Of decay, destroy them, but II
simply wilted, put them to ice-water,
until they appear firm, when take them
out, drain, and put on cake of Ice. with
sheet Of paper between them. | do
approve OF keeping several hours iu Ice
water before using.
"Turnips, carrots, and parsnips having
very little value as foods, being nearly
all water, are used simply rs releres, for
the more concentrated foods, and are
either served boiled, In simple style,
which Is the better way, or as a sauce.
They are occasionally served as gar
nishes, but are not very effective.
High class diners differ as to the
number Of vegetables that should be
served with proper dinner. ] favor
only the one that seems to 60 best with