Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-15
When Cooking Potatoes.

1t is not the most expensive nor the
greatest variety of food that makes our
tables enviabe; it is the food to the
cooking of which the most attention is
paid. A certain cookery book gives 800
ways of cooking potatoes: yet plenty
of ignorant cooks and unframed house
wives think usually of only four ways
of cookin.; this staple Notwithstanding,
frying, MASKING and baking-four good
ways, to he sure, but much that is good
becomes monotonous.
1t behooves the potato cook first to
understand the four usual methods, Of
course. Baked potatoes should be thor
oughiy scrubbed before they are cooked.
They should be as even and smooth as
possible. When they are half done they
should BE- pricked with fork to allow
the moisture inside to escape. SO that
they will be mealy. They should be thor
oughly cooked. Boiled potatoes should
be cooked in boiling, not only hot, water.
When they are done pour off the water
and let IN IN stand in the open door OF
the oven for a few moments to become
meay. Spread a piece of cheesecloth
over the saucepan in which they stand.
Mashed potatoes should be thoroughly
boiled, and then mashed smooth. They
may be put through a ricer. Then hot
milk. melted butter and pepper and salt
should be added. little milk at time.
They should then be beaten to cream
mess in the top of double boiler with
d large dover egg beaten. They should
be served hot. Fried potatoes should be
fried in fat that is very hot to begin
with Thus crust is formed. The heat
may then he reduced slightly SO tnat the
potatoes do not burn.
Potato omelet is a delicious luncheon
dish. For it, cut cold boiled potatoes into
quarter-inch squares. Cover them with
white SAUCE Put the mixture into a fry
ing pan in which tablespoonful of but
ter is bubbling. Cook it like an omelet.
Sprinkle it with pepper and sauce before
folding.
Potatoes with cheese can be prepared
in several ways One way is to slice OF
dice cold boiled potatoes, spread them
in a buttercd baking dish. cover them
lightly with white sauce and sprinkle
them with grated cheese and buttered
bread crumbs. Then brown them in the
oven
Chopped baked potatoes cooked in this
way are delicious: Boil them with the
jackets on until they are tender, but not
mealy, and when they are cool peel
them Chop them rather fine and put
them in buttered baking dish. Cover
them generously with small bits of but
ter and pour over them enough milk just
to show at the top. season the mix, De
fore pouring it, with pepper and salt
Now comes the important part of this
dish Bake it slowly for at least an hour
and better for an hour and a half. Add
more milk if necessary. When 1t is done
| the potatoes should be moist, firm and
| ready to melt in the mouth.
| For potato pudding mash six large po-
| tatoes and add to them salt, pepper and
a well beaten egg. Line the bottom and
| sides of a baking dish with an inch
| thick layer of the potato and add a cup
| of cold cooked meat, minced and sea-
| soned with butter, pepper and salt Put
on covering of mashed potato and bake
| thirty minutes.
| For scalloped potatoes mix three cup
| fuls of diced, cold, boiled potatoes with
/ two cups of cream sauce. Season with
salt and pepper and bake in a. shallow
/ dish, covered with crumbs and dots OF
/ butter, for half an hour.