Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-05-13
THE HOUSEHOL
THE DELICIOUS ASPARAGUS AND
THE MANY WAYS OF PREPARING
IT-sUGGESTIoNS IN CARVING.
USE OF CRAB SHELLS-HINTS FOR
HOUSECLEANING.

Now is the time for the delicious as
paragus; our markets are full of it,
and with so many different ways of
preparing it, it should be served every
day while it lasts.
The flavor of asparagus is so delicate
| that the best sauce Is plain melted but
ter seasoned with pepper and salt, with
a half cup of milk. Here are few
| excellent recipes:
! Asparagus patties make most deli
cate luncheon course. Cut the tender
parts into half-inch lengths; boil soft
and drain. Bring three gills of milk
and one of cream to the boiling point
in a double boiler; have ready four
beaten eggs in large bowl, and with
a whisk in the right hand. beating the
while, add slowly some of the boiling
milk until the eggs begin to thicken;
| then turn into the rest of the hot milk;
use the whisk vigorously until the
thickening process is complete, add a
! tablespoonful of butter and salt and
pepper, and lastly, the drained aspara-
gus. Draw this to the back of the
stove while you prepare the shells.
Cut from stale bakers bread two-ineh
slices and trim into three-ineh
squares; scoop out the center of each
and leave a square box as large as
| may be with safety to the walls, which
| must not crumble; brush over with
melted butter and set in the oven to
take on a delicate brown; fill with the
slices and trim into three-inch
mixture and serve at once.
There are many ways OF making as
paragus soup. One is to cut off and
cook separately the tips, cooking the
rest of the stalk until soft enough to
mash through a sieve; to cupful of
this pulp add one quart of hot milk,
to which has been added tablespoon
full each of butter and flour rubbed
smooth; season to taste, and pour
over tiny squares of toasted bread and
the cooked asparagus tips. Cream is
always an addition, and in the hands
of cook who has a genius for sea-
soning, a bit of nutmeg adds to the
flavor.
1t is when served in a salad that
the true epicure enjoys asparagus most.
AS soon as boiled, not too tender, lay
in cold water to preserve its plump
ness. Serve with simple dressing of
oil, vinegar, pepper and salt. This
each may fix for himself, or a small
quantity may be sent to table in
boat, but in any case the mixing pro-
cess is always the same; stir the salt
and pepper in little vinegar, and add
five times as much oil; stir up each
time before dipping your asparagus
stalk in it.
The carving-knife should always
have uniform edge, not too sharp,
not ''razor-sharp," as some carvers,
especially heads of families, seem to
think, but moderately sharp, and
slightly rough or ragged-edged as
the steel comes from the grindstone
or file. This saw-edge is better for
cutting meat than the smootn edge i'm
parted by the oil stone.
A saddle of mutton should be cary
ed with the grain of the meat in thin
slices from each side of the back.
When leg and loin are served together,
the loin should be carved first. A
roast of beef should be sliced across
the cheek" not through the thick like
lamb
Potatoes are a valuable vegetable,
notwithstanding the TRADE against
them. Ninety-one percent of their
substance is dlgested, furnishing starch
that is needed in the system for fuel.
Cooks make a mistake when they
peel them and put them to soak in cold
water. That makes them lose one
fourth to one-half of their nourish-
ment.
They should be thrown directly into
boiling water as soon as pared. Work
ing people should boil them with their
Jackets on" as then only one per cent
of their nutriment is lost.
Crab shells are used primarily as
little receptacles for deviled crabs, and
it would be most appropriate to keep
them for various preparations of crab
meat, but there is no real reason why
they may not be used for the service
of any fish when escalloped or au gra
tin. With such fish dishes an extra
might be served to each guest contain
ing spoonful of cold slaw mixed