The new century cookery book

First of all, let me urge that all vegetables of very strong flavour should be cooked in a large quantity of water (that is, sufficient to well cover the articles), and the water must, in many cases, be changed during the process of cooking ; this, again, has a tendency to give the cooked article a much more delicate flavour than it would . otherwise have. All root vegetables, such as potatoes, salsify, carrots, turnips, celeriac, beetroots, &c., should be kept with the earth which naturally adheres to them until they are prepared for cooking. It is a mistake to wash vegetables and keep them till required for use, because they are then much more likely to decay, as the air is almost as injurious to them as oversoaking them in water prior to cooking. PLAIN BOILED VEGETABLES. The following rules will be found helpful to those wishing to cook , vegetables in the simplest way : — All vegetables to go into fast-boiling water, to be quickly brought to the boiling point again, not left to steep in the hot water before boiling, which toughens them and destroys colour and flavour. The time table must always be regulated by the hour at which the meat will be done. If the meat should have to wait five minutes for the vegetables there will be a loss of punctuality, but the dinner will not be damaged ; but if the vegetables are done and have to wait for the meat, then the dinner will certainly be much the worse. Yet so general is the custom of overboiling vegetables, or putting them to cook in a haphazard way somewhere about the time, that very many cooks do not recognise the damage. They would quickly see the superiority of the vegetables just cooked the right time, but would attribute it to some superiority of the article itself, to its being fresher and finer, not knowing that the finest and freshest, if improperly cooked, are little better than the poor ones. VEGETABLES PLAIN AND DRESSED. 1262. Artichauts a la Barigoule. — 3 globe artichokes {medium size), \ gill sweet oil, 3 oz. fat pork, { lb. raw ham, 6 chopped mushrooms, 1 tablespoonful chopped shallots, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 2 oz. butter, 1 oz. flour, % gill Madeira wine, 1 gill brown sauce, 1 gill brown stock, small bunch parsley, a few slices of carrots and turnips, \ onion, 3 slices of fat bacon, seasoning, Italiemie sauce {No. 239). Trim the artichokes, cut off the stalks, the hardest leaves from the bottom and the tips of the other leaves ; wash and drain. Put them in a stewpan with salted water (cold), boil up, cool and drain ; remove the centre parts of leaves for filling, and fill with a stuffing made as follows : Chop ham and pork fat very finely, mingle with the mushrooms and chopped parsley ; fry the shallots in a little butter, and mix the lot together in a stewpan ; knead the butter and flour together, moisten the stuffing with the brown sauce, adding likewise the kneaded butter and flour, and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Stir well and fill the artichokes as directed. Place a square piece of bacon on top of each ; tie each artichoke with string to keep in shape. Put the remainder of the bacon in a saute-pan, also the carrot, turnip, and onion, all sliced, and the parsley. Lay the artichokes on top, pour a few drops of oil over each, add the wine and stock, cover with a piece of oiled paper.