Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-25

Conducted by Ida Ames Willis.
Marquette building Chicago. All rights
deserved by Banning Co.. ChicAGo).
THE SWEET POTATO.

The sweet potato, although used
largely in Europe long before the in
PRODUCTION of the common white tuber,
has never become common vegetable
in our northern cline, but has always
been regarded more as a delicacy.
This Is probably the reason why along
with its scarcity at certain seasons
and likewise it's poor keeping qualities.
it does not hold such a favored place
among all classes as it's white rival,
that has not only taken it's former
place, but also its name.
Formerly both sweet and white po-
tatOes were made into sweet dishes and
used as kind of CONNECTION, but gra-
dually cooks discovered that they made
more acceptable dishes when prepared
as savory accomplishments to meats.
and thereafter relegated them to the
vegetable list, although they are still
occasionally employed in sweet dishes
In fact the sweet potato takes rather
more kindly to this manner of cooking
than plain serving. While we in the
north prepare and cook it in much the
same way as we do the common potato.
the southern cooks prefer their cara
meled and candied-their sweet seal
loped potato, believing that the yellow
skinned-their white potato-is greatly
improved in flavor by the addition of
sugar, and 1t most undoubtedly is; and
when one gets accustomed to this way
Of preparing them all other methods
seem fiat and insipid. These methods
are very good ones to employ when our
sweet potato begins to loose freshness
40, al 10 fire Of
the year, the season for our native
grown being nearly over.
A sweet potato in good condition is
firm, plump, smooth and free from
sprouts. The medium sized are the
best. Unless sweet potatoes are to be
diced and creamed they should be
cooked without pairing, first removing
the dried ends and all dark places,
which are apt to give Il bitter, disa-
greeable taste to the cooked vegetable.
Wash them well before putting them
on to cook, and if they are to be baked
they should be thoroughly dried first.
The usual time required for boiling is
from thirty to fifty minutes, according
to size; baking and steaming about
half an hour.
The sweet potato-batatas edulis-is
drier and richer than the white or
Irish potato. 1t contains sixteen per
cent. of starch and ten per cent. of SUI
gar
Sweet Potato Pie.
Peel boil and mash sufficient pota-
toes to make one pint of pulp, add to
them one pint of sweet milk, three
eggs beaten light without separating,
half a cup of granulated sugar, one
teaspoonful of vanilla, or half tea
spoonful of cinnamon and a level tea
spoonful of ginger. Mix well and pour
into deep pie-tins lined with a light
paste and bake in moderate oven for
half an hour.
Sweet Potato Bread.
Place one pint of lukewarm water in
the mixing bowl, add one tablespoon
full of butter. one level teaspoon
full Of salt, half cup of good yeast or
half a compressed yeast cake which
has been dissolved in four tablespoon
fuls of lukewarm water, sift in one
quart of flour, beat well and stand in
a warm place over night. In the morn
ing bake four sweet potatoes, SCOOP
out the pulp and mash through a sieve
into the sponge, beat we'll and add
sufficient flour to make n soft dough.
Knead lightly, roll out and cut into
biscuits. Place these in creased bak-
ing pans and very lightly bake in
quick oven twenty-five minutes. When
the biscuit is half done take from the
oven and brush over with the white of
one egg beaten with one tablespoonful
80 IL, tn, h.
til thoroughly done.
Southern Sweet Potato Pudding.
Wash and boil two pounds of sweet
potatoes very soft. but not sogSy.
Mash the potatoes while warm and add
one cupful of butter and beat the mix
ture until very light in color. Beat
four eggs very light with one cup of
white sugar and stir into the other
mixture. stirring rapidly. Add grated
nutmeg to taste, half pint of sherry
wine, one pint of rich milk and the
grated yellow peel of one lemon. Mix,
turn into the pudding dish and bake in
a quick oven. Delicious.
Sweet Potato Cones.
Bake six large sweet potatoes: when
done scoop out the pulp. Season with
salt and pepper and tablespoonful of
butter, then press through a vegetable
press and add little cream or the
yolk and the white of an egg beaten
separately Line the bottom of a bak-
ing dish with buttered paper, arrange
the potato mixture in little cones; on
this brush with beaten egg and brown
in a quick oven. Place a little chopped
parseley on the top of each cone, ar
range on a hot platter and garnish with
a wreath of curled parsley.
Sweet Potato Biscuit.
Boil sufficient number of sweet po-
tatoes to make one quart after they
are grated, add to the grated potato
half. a cup of butter and one cup of
yeast; mix with either milk or water;
allow. them to rise twice and bake like
tea biscuit.
EscaIIoped Sweet Potatoes.
The potatoes should be boiled, peeled
and sliced the day before they are
needed. Slice the potatoes rather thick,
place in the bottom Of your baking dish
small pieces of butter, sprinkle with
sugar and place a layer of the sliced