The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-11-23
TOO EASY TO LEARN.
BY Marion Harland

BY Marion Harland
1 have written once, and yet again
always earnestly, never hopefully-of
certain domestic tasks which are con-
sidered by teacher and pupil in practical
houseWifery as too easy to waste time
in learning, The rawest of "greenhorns"
who demands good wages for bad house,
work rcsents the attempt to instruct her
al the right method Of wa. hing dishes,
and would nout the idea that she does
not know how to make a cup of tea, or
to dust a room, how to toast a slice Of
bread. or to boil a potato.
Yet, where we have one maid Cor mis-
tress, either, for that matter) who can
do all Of these things properly we have
thousand who never do any of them
passably well. I have seen many a pro-
fessional cook whose tea was fat or
"herby" whose toast was either bitter
or tough. and whose potatoes were waxy.
Brains and refinement count for more in
the manner of treating the despised
quintette of duties than in any, and
every branch, of what is known as fancy
cookery.
Personally, l do not favor the appear
ance OF potatoes, in one form or another,
upon the table three hundred and sixty
five days in the year. To some stomachs
the much bepraised new potato is an
active poison while everybody except a
few thoughtful dieticians, greatly over
rates it's value as a staple of daily food.
My business. now and here. is to try to
| lessen the risks of eating this vegetable,
and to point out some ways of making it
more agreeable to the taste, as well as
more manageable by the digestive or
gans, than are accomplished by the
average cook. l prophecy, before enter
ing upon the pleasant task, that my arti-
Gle will be read to the end and the sim
plicty of the rules herein laid down will
be fully appreciated by none except
those who are already sufficiently edu-
| Gated in culinary arts to be willing to be
taught great deal more The shattered
and the sloven will hold on their way in
sneering complacency. They are not
teachable, at their time of life, and in
their grade of proficiency in such an
everyday business as
HOW TO BOIL POTATOES.
Select those of uniform size Wash
we'll cover deep with boiling water, n
little sailed, and cook as fast as a good
! fire can make water boil In twenty-five
minutes, stick a fork into the largest. II
it goes in easily, drain off all the water
scatter salt lightly over the potatoes
and set the pot containing them al the
back of the range to dry them off. In
| three or four minutes send to table in an
open vegetable dish lined with napkin,
folded lightly over the potatoes. Eat
! hot.
If you wish to serve without the Jack
cts" peel them very thin. The best meali-
ness of a potato lies just under the skin.
| The aforesaid sloven, or shattered cook
slashes away at it, wastefully, intent
| only upon getting a disagreeable job
| done. Wash the potatoes, lay in cold
water half an hour to draw out the rank
| juices wipe, and cover deep with boil
ing water, sailed. Proceed as directed
in the last recipe. Cook fast dry off well,
and serve al once.
| WHIPPED OTHERWISE MASHED)
POTATOES.
Prepare as for serving whole-never
| forgetting to peel them thin When done
and dry, beat up in the hot pot with a
| wire egg-Whip or two forks until mealy
and light Then whip in for three cup
| fuls of potatoes a cupful of hot milk in
which nearly a tablespoonful of butter
has been melted, and beat to a cream.
| The crying sin of mashed potatoes as
usually served is that they are too stiff.
| They stick to the teeth and clog the coat
| of the stomach. Yours. when beaten
enough should look like whipped cream.
or meringue, and be just able to stand
alone when heaped irregularly in a hot.
| deep dish.
| BAKED POTATOES WITH GOLDFISH.
Choose large smooth potatoes, wash.
| bake whole, cut cap from top of each,
and, While hot scoop out as much of the
| the insides as viii come away without
| tearing the skin. Work what You have
taken out into an equal quantity of
| picked" Goldfish (soaked and boiled);
| beat light with a little hot milk and
| butter season with pepper and a dash
of onion juice; put back into the skins.
| fit on the caps, and set in the oven until
very hot. Serve in the skins.
DROWNED HASHED POTATOES.
| Peel and cut into dice less than half
an inch square. Boil until tender. but
| not until they break in hot, sailed water.
| Drain dry and fill a creased pudding
| dish with the dice. Pour i'm then a
| good cupful of hot milk in which has
| been stirred "A tablespoonful of butter
| rubbed into one of flour. Season with
| salt and pepper, and, if you like, a little
minced parsley. Bake in quick oven
until lightly Drowned. Serve in the
| pudding dish.
This is delicious preparation of po-
| tato and easily made. NH