Cucumbers, if sliced into cold water, will be made crisp and brittle even if not perfectly fresh.

Tomatoes.-No vegetable can be used in more ways than the tomato. The recipe for catsup here given can not fail to please any one who tries it. If the directions given are carefully followed, the promised result is certain. Take six quarts of cut tomatoes, cook and strain them through a sieve, then add one pint of vinegar, half a cup of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of black pepper, two of salt, one each of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves; boil until thick. I prefer putting into bottles rather than cans, for the reason that, unless all is used soon after opening the can, the top gets moldy, and much is wasted.

Many good cooks have given up canning tomatoes because they have been unsuccessful in keeping them after having had all the trouble of putting them up. I have never known of a can being lost where the following directions have been observed: Slice the tomatoes and let them stand fifteen minutes; then drain off all the liquor that has collected; boil them an hour and a half. A great deal of scum will rise on them, which must all be skimmed off; herein lies the secret of success. Seal in ordinary glass cans and set in a cool, dark room.

Shirley Sauce and Chili Sauce made of tomatoes are so nearly alike that one is often mistaken for the other.

Shirley Sauce is made by taking twelve ripe tomatoes, four green peppers, and four onions; add a pint of vinegar and half a cup of salt. After chopping the vegetables fine, boil until thick. In addition to these, Chili Sauce has a tablespoonful each of allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. If you like it thin it may be strained through a muslin cloth.

If your supply of pickles and catsup gives out in the spring, you can make Chili Sauce with canned tomatoes and onions; use a little cayenne pepper in place of the green peppers.

Fried Onions.-Peel carefully, slice thin, and fry in just as little lard as will answer; the onions shrink a great deal in cooking, and, unless you are particular not to use too much lard, they will be greasy and unpalatable.

Boiled Onions.-Peel and let them stand in cold water for half an hour; then boil, the length of time required depending, of course, upon the size of the onion, and varying from three quarters of an hour to an hour and a half.

Baked Onions.-Wash and cut off the ends, but do not peel the onions; boil them for an hour, then peel them and brown them in the oven. Serve with melted butter.

Escalloped Onions. -Boil till tender six large onions. Take them out of the kettle, separate them, and put a layer of bread or cracker crumbs in a pudding dish, then a layer of onions alternately until the dish is full; season with pepper and salt and a little butter, moisten with milk, and brown for half an hour in the oven.

Egg Plant.-Make a batter of flour and milk, cut the egg plant in slices, dip in the batter and fry in butter, or butter and lard mixed. In place of batter you can use an egg well beaten mixed with cracker crumbs.

Many people who would otherwise enjoy having onions, cabbage, and turnips on the dinner table are often deterred by the dislike they have for the after odor, which it is almost impossible to get rid of.

Oatmeal. If you wish to have it for an early breakfast, let it soak all night in cold water, with a little salt in it; in the morning cook for half an hour in the frying-pan, adding hot water as the grain swells out. If you have plenty of time, a better way is to steam the oatmeal.

Fried Oatmeal.-Take steamed oatmeal when it is cold, cut it in thin slices, and fry until it is brown in a little lard or butter.

Fried Pudding.-Have some water boiling in a kettle,

stir in corn meal a little at a time until you have the desired quantity. Cook until great bubbles of air rise, then turn out into a mold or a pudding dish; let it cool, cut it in slices, and fry same as oatmeal.

Rice Croquettes.-One quart of boiled rice, three eggs, a little salt; if the rice is very moist, put in some rolled cracker crumbs; add a little sugar. Put some flour on the kneading-board, drop a spoonful of rice on the board, and roll in the flour into long rolls; then drop into hot lard and fry as you would fried cakes.

Cracked Wheat.-If put to soak over night, it will cook in a few moments in the morning; cook the same as oatmeal. It is nice fried also.

SALADS.

Cabbage Salad.-This may be made with hard-boiled eggs chopped, or with raw eggs beaten into the dressing; for one small head, or half a good-sized one, use three eggs, beat them till they are very light, then add six tablespoonfuls each of vinegar and made mustard, and a piece of butter the size of a walnut.

Cook this dressing until it begins to thicken; when it is cold, pour it over the chopped cabbage. When boiled eggs are used, chop the whites of the eggs with the cabbage, and after rubbing the yolks till they are fine, stir them into the dressing. When the eggs are cooked, the rest of the dressing does not need cooking.

Chicken Salad.-To the white meat of two chickens allow four eggs. Cook the meat until tender, and boil the eggs hard; the quantity of celery to be used depends upon your taste, but the usual rule is to put in equal bulk of chicken and of celery. It is no longer "good form" to chop the chickens or celery. They must be cut with a knife in pieces about half an inch long; put the celery in just bcfore serving, that it may be crisp and fresh. For the dress

ing, take the yolks of the eggs, rub them until they are smooth and mix with melted butter or olive oil, nearly a cup of vinegar, with sugar, mustard, and pepper to taste. If one likes good salad, there is no difficulty about imparting the right taste.

Lobster Salad.-For this you may use canned or fresh lobster; if fresh, boil it first until it is tender. Some fine chopped cabbage may be used in place of celery; lettuce is nice with it, but must be perfectly fresh; keep it in cold water till the time comes to send it to the table.

V.

PUDDINGS AND PIES.

The Queen of Puddings.-One pint of bread crumbs (not crumbs of stale bread unfit for the table), one quart of sweet milk, one cup of sugar, and the well-beaten yolks of four eggs, the grated rind of one lemon, and a piece of butter the size of an egg. Bake until done, but not watery. Whip the whites of four eggs, and beat in one cup of pulverized sugar, in which you have put the juice of the lemon. Spread over the pudding a layer of jelly or raspberry jam, or any sweetmeat you prefer; then pour over it the whites of the eggs. Set it in the oven to brown slightly. Serve cold with cream. This is an excellent dessert for an elaborate dinner, as it may be made early in the morning and`so be out of the way.

Cassava Pudding.-One pint of milk, half a cup of cassava, two eggs, half a cup of cocoanut, a little salt, a lump of butter the size of a walnut, sugar and vanilla to your taste. Put together, omitting the whites of the eggs, cook in a basin on top of the stove, or in a frying pan, stir

ring it constantly; a few moments only are requisite; the cassava does not need to be soaked like other preparations of tapioca. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add a small spoonful of pulverized sugar, put over the top of the pudding, and brown slightly in the oven.

Suet Pudding.-One cup of raisins chopped fine, one cup of suet, one cup of sour milk, one cup of molasses, three cups of flour, one tea-spoonful of soda or saleratus; salt and spice to taste. Steam two hours, and serve with some pudding sauce.

Cottage Pudding.-One egg, butter half the size of an egg, half a cupful of sugar, a tea-spoonful of baking powder, half a cup of sweet milk, about one cup and a half of flour. Bake or steam. Eat with sweetened cream

or sauce.

Bread Pudding.-Yolks of three eggs, one pint of bread crumbs (cake may be substituted for the bread), one quart of milk, a piece of butter the size of an egg, a little salt, half a cup of sugar. After baking well, frost the top with the whites of the eggs, three table-spoonfuls of sugar, and the juice of a lemon.

Charlotte Russe.--Take half an ounce of gelatine, and put it into just enough warm water to cover it; while this is slowly dissolving take one pint of thick sweet cream and whip it to a stiff froth; beat well the white of one egg. After the gelatine is dissolved, boil it for two or three minutes, then sweeten and flavor it; when it is about as warm as new milk, add the cream and egg, and beat the mixture till it is cold. If the sponge cake over which this is to be turned is baked in a large round tin which is scalloped around the edge, it adds much to the pretty effect of the dish. Put the cake while warm, to prevent its crumbling, into a round dish, allowing the scallops to show at the top; then pour the whipped cream into it, and you have a dish fit for the gods.

This is recommended as a dessert for the