Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book

Wash, but do not cut them, as that destroys the sweetness and color. Cook in boiling water until tender. Young beets will cook in one hour, old beets require a longer time ; and if tough, wilted, or stringy, they will never boil tender. When cooked, put them in a pan of cold water, and rub off the skin. Young beets are cut in slices, and served hot with butter, salt, and pepper, or cut in small cubes and served in a white sauce. They are often pickled in vinegar, spiced or plain, and served cold ; or they may be cut into dice, and mixed with other vegetables for a salad. Eice. Rice should be thoroughly washed. Turn the rice into a coarse strainer, and place the strainer in a deep dish of cold water. Rub the rice, and lift it in the strainer out of the water, changing the water till it is clear. It is important to observe all the steps of this process, for in this way all the grit is deposited in the water, leaving the rice thoroughly cleansed. Drain, and cook in either of the following ways, each of which, if followed carefully, will insure white, distinct kernels of thoroughly cooked rice. Boiled Hice. — Have two quarts of water witli one tablespoonful of salt boiling rapidly in an uncovered kettle. Throw in one cup of well-washed rice, and let it boil so fast that the kernels fairly dance in the water. Skim care- The Boston Cook Booh fully, and stir with a fork, never with a spoon, as that mashes the kernels. Cook twelve, fifteen, or twenty minutes, according to the age of the rice, and add more boiling water if needed. Test the grains often, and the moment they are soft, and before the starch begins to dissolve and cloud the water, pour into a squash strainer. Drain, and place the rice — still in the strainer — in a pan in the hot closet or on the back of the stove. Stir it before serving, to let the steam escape and the kernels become dxy. Be careful not to cook the rice enough to burst the grains, as then nothing can prevent them from sticking together. Steamed Mice. — Pour two cups of boiling water on one cup of well-washed rice ; add half a teaspoonful of salt. Cook in the double boiler thirty minutes, or till soft. Remove the cover, stir with a fork to let the steam escape, and dry off the rice. Rice will usually absorb twice its bulk of water ; but when cooked in milk or stock a little more moisture will be required. Some of the nitrogenous and mineral constituents, of which rice has but a small amount, are lost in the boiling water, and unless the water be used for soup, to boil rice is a wasteful process. Steaming is a much easier method, and is more economical. Many dishes may be prepared from combinations of rice and various seasoning materials. Savory Rice. — Steam one scant cup of rice and two cups of rich white or brown stock highly seasoned with salt, cayenne, chopped parsley, and ground herbs. Stir in one tablespoonful of butter with a fork, just before serving. N'o, 2. — Fry one tablespoonful of chopped onion in one heaping tablespoonful of butter until yellow ; add one scant cup of uncooked rice, and stir until slightly colored ; then add one pint of chicken stock., and pour all into the double boiler, and ^eam thirty minutes. Salmon Rice. — Use half stock and half strained tomatoes ; season highly with curry ^ and cook like Savory Rice.