French Beans. Time—¾ hour.
String the beans, cut each slantwise into 2 or 3 pieces, wash them well in cold salt and water, drain them, and throw them into boiling water with a little salt and a small piece of soda in it. Let them boil very fast with the lid off, until tender. Drain the water off and serve.
French beans, à la maître d’hôtel are boiled as above, then rinsed in cold water, dried and put into a stew-pan on the fire with a little dripping, chopped parsley, pepper, salt, nutmeg and lemon-juice, till thoroughly heated through.