If the potatoes are new, wash clean, and put into boiling water; boil thirty minutes, and serve immediately. As they grow older, scrape the skin off before boiling. For old potatoes, have a sharp knife with a thin blade; and pare the potatoes, having the skin as thin as possible. They are very much better if they stand in cold water a few hours before boiling; then put them in boiling water, and boil thirty minutes. When they have boiled fifteen minutes, throw in a handful of salt. When done, turn off the water, and let them stand on the back part of the range three minutes; then, shake them up once, and turn into the dish, and send to the table.

Baked Potatoes.

Be very particular to wash every part of the potato clean, as many persons eat the skin. Put them in a pan (have an old one for this purpose), and bake in a moderate oven fifty minutes. There is such a difference in ovens, that each one must learn for herself what the time will be for each; for some will bake in less time, and some will take much longer than the time designated.

Fried Potatoes.

Pare and slice thin raw potatoes, and let them stand in cold water several hours; if in summer, put a piece of ice in the water. Cut the slices lengthwise of the potato. Have ready a basin with boiling drippings or lard, drain the potatoes a minute in a cullender, and drop them into the boiling fat, and fry a light brown; take them out with a skimmer, and lay them in a dry cullender, which should be placed in a tin pan, and set in an open oven. There should be as much fat as for frying doughnuts, and there should not be any more potatoes put in at a time than will fry brown and not stick together. Have the basin in which you fry quite deep, as there is danger of the fat boiling over when the potatoes are put in. When you take the potatoes up, dredge a little salt over them. When potatoes are cooked in this manner, they will be light and crisp. If they do not get cooked enough at first, they are very much improved by dropping them into the fat for one minute, after they have been standing in the oven a while.

Fried Boiled Potatoes.

Cut the potatoes into slices, and fry in either pork fat or nice drippings. Have just fat enough in the pan to prevent their sticking, and sprinkle with salt while cooking. When these are brown, take them up and put in a little more fat, and fry as before.

Potatoes warmed with Pork.

Cut about eight slices of pork into pieces about half an inch square, and fry a nice brown. Have ready one dozen cold potatoes cut into slices, and turn them into the pan with the fried pork, and dredge in a little salt and pepper, then stir and cut them into small pieces with the knife. When a light brown, serve.

Potatoes warmed in Gravy.

Slice cold potatoes as for frying, and turn them into the frying-pan, and to a dozen potatoes add a pint of cold gravy. Season with pepper and salt, and stir, and cut with a knife, until they are hot and in small pieces.

Fricassee of Potatoes.

Cut cold boiled potatoes into small squares, and put them in a basin with milk, pepper, and salt, allowing half a pint of milk to a dozen potatoes. Set the basin into another of hot water, and when it comes to a boil, add a tablespoonful of butter, and set on the stove, and let it boil up once, then serve.

Boiled Sweet Potatoes.

Wash and boil, with the skins on, forty-five minutes. They are much better baked than boiled, and I would cook them so generally.

Baked Sweet Potatoes.

Wash and wipe dry, and bake one hour. Do not cook squash when you have sweet potatoes.

Boiled Onions.

When new and tender, they will boil in one hour; but after the month of October, they will require two hours. Put them into water before peeling them, and they will not affect the eyes. Peel off all the dark skin, and put them in hot water, and boil as directed. If you have milk plenty, half an hour before they are done, turn a quart into the water in which they are boiling. This makes them white, and is said to prevent in a measure, the disagreeable odor which always follows their being eaten. Boil them in a porcelain kettle. Dish them whole, and season with a little pepper, salt, and butter.

Fried Onions.

Peel and slice thin ten good-sized onions, and put them in a frying-pan with two spoonfuls of drippings. Fry thirty minutes, turning often.

Baked Squash.

Cut the squash in two, take out all the soft, stringy part; if you need the whole squash for dinner, lay the halves together, and put in a baking-pan (the old one you use for baking potatoes in), and bake forty-five minutes. When done, scrape the squash from the shell, and season, and serve as boiled squash. When you cook but half a squash, lay it with the inside downward. This is a nice way to cook watery squash.

Beets.

Wash clean, but do not scrape; if you do they will look white when cooked. When young they will cook in two hours; but old ones will require four or five hours. When done, plunge them into cold water, and the skin will peel off easily. Cut in thin slices.

Pickled Beets.

Cut the beets that are left from dinner into thin slices, and lay them in an earthen vessel, and cover with cold vinegar.

Shelled Beans.

Wash in several waters, and put them in a basin with boiling water. Boil one hour. Do not drain them very dry. Season with butter and salt.

Boston Baked Beans.

Examine and wash one quart of dry beans (the pea bean is the best), and put them in a pan with six quarts of cold water; let them soak in this over night. In the morning wash them in another water, and place them on the fire with six quarts of cold water and a pound of mixed salt pork. If they are the present year’s beans, they will cook enough in half an hour; if older, one hour. Drain them and put half in the bean-pot; then gash the pork, and put in the remainder of the beans, one tablespoonful of molasses, and one of salt, and cover with boiling water. Bake ten hours. Watch them carefully, and do not let them cook dry.

N. B. As the water cooks away, add more.

String Beans.

String and cut into pieces about an inch long; then wash and put into boiling water, and boil one hour. Season with salt and butter.

Green Peas.

Put them into boiling water, and when very young they will cook in twenty minutes; but generally they require thirty. Season with salt and butter.

Boiled Rice.

Wash and pick all the specks from a cup of rice. Let it stand in cold water two hours, and then put it in a deep kettle, with two quarts of water, and boil fast thirty minutes. When it has boiled twenty minutes, throw in a great spoonful of salt. When done, turn into a cullender, and set in the oven a few minutes. When ready to dish, shake lightly and turn into the vegetable dish. Never use a spoon. If these directions are followed, you will have a handsome and healthy vegetable, and every kernel will be separate. The water in which the rice has been boiled makes a nice starch for colored clothes.

The Southern rice cooks much quicker and is nicer than the Indian rice. If possible, always purchase the former.

Boiled Rice, No. 2.

Wash one cupful of rice and put into a tin basin or pail, with three cupfuls of cold water, and a teaspoonful of salt, cover and set in another basin, with hot water, place on the fire, and boil thirty minutes. Rice is very healthy, and should be a common dish on the table.

Boiled Macaroni.

Break up and wash a pint bowl full of macaroni, and put in a shallow basin, and cover with cold water. Set this basin into another of warm water, and place on the fire; after fifteen minutes, add a pint of milk, and a teaspoonful of salt; let it cook ten minutes longer, then add a spoonful of butter, and cook five minutes more, and dish. Be careful not to break the macaroni in dishing. The boiled macaroni which remains from one dinner can be used for the next, by preparing it in the following manner: Butter a shallow dish, and turn the macaroni into it; then grate over it old cheese, and brown.

Boiled Green Corn.

Boil twenty-five minutes, if very young and tender. As it grows older it requires a longer time. Send to the table in a napkin.

Boiled Turnips.

Peel and cut into slices. If they are to be served in slices, boil with a small piece of pork. Boil the pork three hours, and put in the turnips; if they are the white turnip, they will cook in forty-five minutes; but if the yellow, they will require two hours. Serve in slices without any seasoning except what they get by being boiled with the pork.

Stewed Tomatoes.

Pour boiling water over half a peck of ripe tomatoes. Let them stand in it five minutes, and then peel off the skins; cut them into slices, and put in a stew-pan with a little salt, pepper, and a spoonful of sugar. Simmer two hours, stirring often to prevent burning. Two minutes before dishing stir in one tablespoonful of butter. Canned tomatoes are cooked in the same manner, but do not require more than half an hour to stew.

Sliced Tomatoes.

Pour boiling water over them, and then peel and slice thin; lay them on small platters, and serve. Let each person season to his own taste.

Baked Tomatoes.

Scald and peel as directed; have ready a dish, into which lay a layer of tomatoes (whole), then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cracker crumbs; then another layer of tomatoes, and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Cut a spoonful of butter into small pieces and lay on the tomatoes, and then cover with cracker crumbs. Bake thirty minutes.

Mock Bisque Soup.—Very nice.

Stew one can of tomatoes (one quart can). While the tomatoes are stewing, put three pints of milk on to boil, setting the basin in which the milk is into another of hot water. When the milk comes to a boil, stir in a tablespoonful of flour, which has been thoroughly mixed with a little cold milk. Let this boil ten minutes, and then add butter the size of an egg, salt and pepper to taste. The tomatoes, which were put on at the same time with the milk, are now ready to strain into the mixture. Just before straining, stir a pinch of saleratus into the tomatoes to remove the acidity. Serve immediately.

---