[Modern cookery, in all its branches

These considerations, which may appear insignificant to some of our readers, will have weight with those who are compelled tc regulate their expenses with economy. TO BAKE A HAM. Unless when too salt from not being sufficiently soaked, a ham (particularly a young and fresh one) eats much better baked than boiled, and remains longer good. The safer plan to ensure its being sufficiently steeped, is to lay it into plenty of cold water over night. The following day soak it for an hour or more in warm w'ater, wash it delicately clean, trim smoothly off all rusty parts, and lay it with the rind downwards into a large common pie-dish ; press an oiled paper closely over it, and then fasten securely to the edge of the dish a thick cover of coarse paste; and send the ham to a moderate oven, of which the heat will be wrell sustained until it is baked. Or, when more convenient, lay the ham at once — rind downwards — on the paste, of which sufficient should be made, and rolled off to an inch in thickness, to completely envelope it. Press a sheet of oiled foolscap paper upon it ; gather up the paste firmly all round, draw and pinch the edges together, and fold them over on the upper side of the ham, taking care to close them so that no gravy can escape Send it to a well- heated, but not a fierce oven. A very small ham will require quite three hours baking, and a large one five. The crust and the skin must be removed while it is hot. When part only of a ham is dressed, this mode is better far than boiling it. TO BOIL BACON. When very highly salted and dried, it should be soaked for an hour before it is dressed. Scrape and wash it well, cover it plentifully with cold water, let it both heat and boil slowly, remove all the scum with care, and when a fork or skewer will penetrate the bacon easily lift it out, strip off the skin, and strew raspings of bread over the top, or grate upon it a hard crust which has been toasted until it is crisp quite through ; or should it be at hand, use for the purpose the bread recommended at page 103, then dry it a little before the fire, or set it for a few minutes into a gentle oven. Paeon requires long boiling, but the precise time depends upon its quality, the flesh of young porkers becoming tender much sooner than that of older ones ; sometimes too, the manner in which the animal has been fed renders the meat hard, and it will then, unless thoroughly cooked, prove very indigestible. From ten to fifteen minutes less for the pound, must be allowed for unsmoked bacon, or for pickled pork. Smoked bacon (striped), 2 lbs., from If to 1| hour; unsmoked bacon or pork, 1 to 1 f hour. Obs. — The thickest part of a large side or flitch of bacon will require from twenty to thirty minutes longer boiling than the thinner side. BACON BROILED OR FR’IED. Cut it evenly in thin slices or rashers , as they are generally called, pare from them all rind and rust* curl them round, fasten them with small slight skewers, then fry, broil, or toast them in a Dutch oven ; draw out the skewers before they are sent to table. A few minutes will dress them either way. They may also be cooked without being curled. The rind should always be taken off, and the bacon gently toasted, grilled, or fried, that it may be well done without being too much dried or hardened : it should be cut thin.