Cookery for every household

Choose a piece from the back or the streaky part of bacon for these. Remove the rind from the required amount, and cut the bacon in thin even slices with a very sharp knife. Then remove the rust and any little pieces of gristle or bone. If the bacon is required for breakfast it is a good plan to have the rashers cut and prepared the night before ; or, if preferred, the thin slicing can be done at the shop when the bacon is bought. These rashers of bacon may be fried, toasted, or baked. To Fry Bacon. — Place the slices in a hot frying pan, and cook until the fat is transparent, turning the rashers once or twice. They must not be cooked too quickly, or the fat will become scorched and wasted before the lean is sufficiently cooked. The amount of cooking is a matter of taste, some people liking their bacon crisp and dry, and others only very lightly browned. Serve the bacon on a very hot dish with a little of the liquid fat round. A few neatly trimmed pieces of bread may be fried until brown in the bacon fat and served with the bacon, or eggs nicely fried or poached may be laid on the top of it. Note. — Any bacon fat that is left should be saved, as it is excellent for cooking purposes. Toasted Bacon. — Prepare the slices of bacon as above, and toast them in a Dutch oven, or on a toaster or toasting fork in front of the fire, putting a plate underneath to catch the fat. If a gas stove is used the toasting may be done under the griller. The fat of the bacon when cooked should look transparent and crisp. The flavour of toasted bacon is superior to that of fried or baked bacon. To Bake Bacon. — Prepare the rashers of bacon as above, melt a very small quantity of fat in an oven tin and when quite hot, but not scorching, lay in the slices of bacon. Arrange them so that they overlap each other, a piece of fat resting on 1647. Bacon with Bananas 4 rashers of bacon. ■ Seasoning. 2 bananas. | A little flour. Peel the bananas and cut them in two lengthwise. Season the pieces with white pepper and salt and roll them lightly in flour. Now fry the rashers of bacon and when ready keep them warm on a very hot dish. Then put the pieces of banana into the bacon fat and fry them also until nicely browned. Place a piece of banana on each piece of bacon and serve all very hot. Note. — The pieces of banana will look better if they are egged and bread -crumbed, although this is not necessary. 1648. Bacon and Mushrooms \ lb. bacon. | lb. fresh mushrooms. 1 tea-sp. chopped shallot 1 tea-sp. chopped parsley 1 oz. butter. Seasoning. Peel the mushrooms and remove the stalks (which should be reserved for flavouring the stock pot or sauces). Wash them in several waters, and then dry them in a cloth. Place them on a buttered baking tin, and sprinkle with the chopped shallot, parsley, pepper and salt. Cover all with greased paper, and cook in a moderate oven from 10 to 15 minutes. Fry the bacon according to Recipe 1646. Arrange the mushrooms and bacon neatly on a hot dish, and serve very hot. 1649. Bacon and Tomatoes \ lb. bacon. | lb. tomatoes. 1 tea-sp. chopped shallot 1 tea-sp. chopped parsley A little butter. Pepper. Salt. Choose nice ripe tomatoes. Skin them and remove the stalks. Cut them in slices, and place them in a buttered baking tin. Sprinkle with the