The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-01-31
LEFTOvERS
Put In The Casserole And
Made Delicate Dishes

ihc CnSSciOic 10 ncuTIy hS Oiu us
cooking. In fact, ii was the first form
Of cooking utensl ever made with
hands, its only predecessors having
been the shell and gourd OF natures
fashioning. When the impaling of meat
on sharpened stick above the fire
had ceased to be novelty, and primi.
tive man revolted at the monotony of
perpetual roasts and clamored for rag.
outs, he took mud from the river bank,
patted and shaved IL into rude. bowl.
and dried II in the ashes. This he mi.
ed with water into which he dropped
morsels Of flesh and edible roots, set
1t carefully In the midst of the glowing
embers. and, behold! the casserole.
The prehistoric spit has evolved into
the fashionable grill Of today. From
the heated rocks on which shellfish
were laid to roast has developed the
baking oven; bue the casserole is still
the casserole. It is an economizer Of
labor. Food being served In the same
dish in which II was prepared saves
the washing Of at least one utensiI and
frequently of number which would
have been employed had the same in.
gradients been cooked in other styles.
The saving in breakage is also worth
considering, the heavy earthenware be.
ing naturally far more durable than
fragile porcelain. Then, too, the thick
walls, which are so serviceable while
the baking is In progress, continue to
hold the heat after removal from the
oven. Soup served in individual cas-.
seroles. therefore, remains hot to the
last spoonful and meats and vegeta.
bles retain their temperature through.
out the meal.
At the last analysis, however, the
casserole's supreme merit, In the
housewives eyes, says Harpers Bazaar
is it's ability to matamorphose left.
overs into novel and enticing forms
Into it's hospitable interior go scraps
of fish. flesh or fowl, odds and ends OF
vegetables, stale bread, or what not
and in due time return to the table
transformed and unrecognizable, a
symphony of cunningly blended flaw
ors. a censer exhaling savory aromas
AS practical example of what the
casserole can accomplish let us sup
pose ourselves confronted by the prob
lem of producing some sort Of piece
de resistance from the following in
gradients: Two slices cold toasted
bread. one large cup Of gravy, ragged
remnants of baked leg Of lamb, one
pint of cold boiled rice, one or two
boiled carrots and few spOOnfuls o
peas.
| Put the bread In the oven to dry fol
crumbling. In the meantime cut the
meat from the bone In rather small
pieces. and dice the carrots. Butter
the inside Of casserole and fill i
with alternate layers of rice and meat
sprinkling each meal layer with th'
carrots, peas and a very little salt ant
pepper. Heat the gravy and pour !
over the whole. and II there IL not SUI
ficient liquid to be visible when thu
dish is slightly tipped add a little no
water Cover tightly and bake half al
hour or until the contents are thor
oughly hot. Then remove the cover
spread over the top layer OF crumbs
obtained by grating the dried bread
dot with butter and replace In the oy
Ell, or II a gas stove Is used, under tn,
broiling flame for few minutes. I,
brown. Any variety Of cold meat cal
be utilized in this manner, and tomu
toes, asparagus tips. onions, lima AM
string beans or mushrooms may b.
substituted for the peas and carrots
| Spaghetti makes an agreeable chang
from the rice.