Scrambled Eggs:—Break the eggs in a dish, and beat the yolks and whites well together. Grease the bottom of the fry pan with butter, drop in the eggs and stir till done. Look out that it does not stick on at the bottom. Season with salt and pepper, after serving.
Omelette:—Break four eggs into the mixing dish: beat them well, and season with salt and pepper; rub a tablespoonful of flour in four times that quantity of milk, till it is smooth; pour into the eggs and beat all together. Have the fry pan well greased with butter, pour in the mixture and let it cook till the bottom is well set, and the top will not run; slip a thin knife under one side and turn one-half over onto the other. Cook as much as desired, turning occasionally, so that it will be evenly cooked. Don’t let it burn onto the pan; if it shows signs of burning before it is sufficiently cooked, drop a little piece of butter in the spot where the danger lies, and hold off the fire for a moment.
Ham Omelette:—Mince some boiled ham, season to taste with a little curry, or other condiments, and lay a large spoonful on the omelette before you turn the two halves together.
This fancy omelette may be varied in many ways. Minced beef, lamb, cheese, or even fish like salt cod and smoked halibut, gives the omelette a distinctive flavor.
Omelette aux Fine Herbes:—Break eight eggs in the stew pan, to which add a teaspoonful of chopped shallot or mild onion, one of chopped parsley, half a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, and two large tablespoonfuls of cream; beat them well together. Put two ounces of butter in the fry pan, set over the fire, and as soon as the butter has melted, so the egg will not stick, pour in the mixture, and stir quickly until it begins to set; hold it a moment till a crust forms on the bottom; turn one-half over the other, and serve. It must not be done too much.
Fricasseed Eggs:—Boil a half dozen eggs hard and slice them. Chop very fine a small onion, a little parsley or celery-leaves, and two or three mushrooms; put a generous lump of butter in the fry pan, season with salt and pepper; when the butter is melted, lay in the vegetables and heat thoroughly, but do not brown; add a gill of milk with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed in for thickening; lay in the eggs, let it come to a boil, and serve.
VEGETABLES.
All vegetables should be carefully looked over and washed in cold water. If to be boiled, drop them in boiling water, and if the water in the kettle gets low during the process, fill up with boiling water, never with cold. Keep the kettle covered, if possible, and drain off the water as soon as cooked. Some very strong flavored vegetables are improved by boiling in two waters. That is, when they are partly cooked, drain off the water, and fill up with fresh hot water. The question is often asked, how long shall we boil them? I never found any hard and fast rule. Perhaps the following table will be of assistance, but the time is variable. Small potatoes will cook five minutes quicker than large ones. It is a safe rule to cook until you can easily stick a splinter in the fleshy parts.
| Potatoes, boiled | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Sweet potatoes, boiled | 45 minutes |
| Shell beans, boiled | 60 to 90 minutes |
| String beans, boiled | 60 minutes |
| Green peas, boiled | 20 to 40 minutes |
| Green corn, boiled | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Asparagus, boiled | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Cabbage, dandelions, spinach and other “greens” | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Turnips, parsnips and carrots | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Onions | 45 to 60 minutes |
Pay the farmer for what you take, or you may find yourself, as well as the vegetables, in hot water.