Pare carefully with a thin penknife some peeled potatoes, round and round, until all of each potato is pared to the centre. Do not attempt to cut the slices too thin, or they will break. Place them in a wire-basket, and dip into boiling lard. These potatoes are a pretty garnish around a roast, and are supposed to resemble roses.
Potatoes for Breakfast.
Slice a generous pint of cold boiled potatoes. Put into the brightest of saucepans butter the size of a pigeon’s egg, and when it bubbles add an even tea-spoonful of flour (the sauce not to be thick), which cook a moment, and then pour in a cupful of milk (or, better, cream), salt, and pepper; stir with an egg-whisk until it boils, then mix in the potato-slices. When they are thoroughly hot they are ready to be served.
Potato Puff.
Stir two cupfuls of mashed potatoes, two table-spoonfuls of melted butter, and some salt to a fine, light, and creamy condition; then add two eggs well beaten separately, and six table-spoonfuls of cream; beat it all well and lightly together; pile it in rocky form on a dish; bake it in a quick oven until nicely colored. It will become quite light.
Shoo-fly Potatoes.
There is a machine which comes for the purpose of cutting shoo-fly potatoes; it costs two dollars and a half. The potatoes are cut into long strips like macaroni, excepting that the sides are square instead of round. They are thrown into boiling lard, sprinkled with salt as soon as done, and served as a vegetable alone, or as a garnish around meat.
Turnips.
The ruta-baga turnips are sweetest and best. Pare and cut them in pieces of equal size; put them into well-salted boiling water, and, when perfectly tender, drain them dry; let them remain a moment on the fire to evaporate the water, then mash them in a stew-pan, in which is hot butter, pepper and salt to taste. Stir them over the fire until they are thoroughly mixed, and keep them in the stew-pan until just before serving, as turnips should be served very hot.