Harper's cook book encyclopædia

cut in half, lengthwise. Scrape out from the inside the seeds and pulp, and fill the cavity thus left with the prepared force - meat. Fit the two halves of the egg-plant together, bind them in place by tying a soft cord about them, lay in a dripping-pan, and pour a cup of weak soup stock about the vegetable. Bake covered for half an hour, then transfer the egg-plant to a hot dish and carefully remove the string. Gooseberry. See Fruits. Grits, Fried. — Grits left over from dinner should be spread on a dish in a layer half an inch thick. The next day, for breakfast or dinner, as you choose, cut it into pieces of convenient size, and fry nicely in lard. This is quite a favorite dish in the South. Hominy, Baked. — One cup of cold boiled hominy (small kind), two cups of milk, a dessert-spoonful of butter, a teaspoonful of white sugar, a little salt, and three eggs. Beat the eggs very light, yolks and whites separately. Work the yolks into the hominy, then the butter. When thoroughly mixed put in sugar and salt, and soften the batter gradually with the milk, beating constantly. Lastly, stir in the whites, and bake in a buttered dish until light, firm, and delicately browned. May be eaten as a dessert or as a vegetable. Hominy, Boiled. — Wash and soak the hominy twelve hours, then boil slowly for three or four hours, adding water from time to time to prevent burning ; salt just before taking from the fire. Hominy left over may be saved and fried for breakfast next morning. Hominy Cakes. — Take of small hominy, boiled soft, one pint, and one egg beaten light ; mix them, and stir in a spoonful of flour and a little milk, with a very small lump of butter. Let the batter be thin, and bake in small tins. Hominy Croquettes. — To a cupful of cold boiled hominy add a tablespoonful of melted butter ; stir well, then add gradually a cupful of milk, stirring until it becomes a soft, smooth paste. Then add a teaspoonful of sugar and one egg, well beaten. Make into balls, roll in beaten eggs, then in bread-crumbs, and fry in boiling lard. Lentils, Boiled. — Soak a cupful overnight; drain them; boil in a quart of water half an hour, or till tender. Then drain again. Melt I oz. of butter in another stewpan, and fry in it a small onion, very finely chopped. Stir in a teaspoonful of flour, and mix to a smooth paste. Add boiling stock, flavored with vinegar to make a thick sauce ; put in the boiled lentils, and simmer for ten or fifteen minutes. Serve in a tureen. If preferred, the vinegar can be omitted. Lentils, Savory. — One pint of lentils, one full teaspoonful of minced onion, half - teaspoonful of chopped parsley, two table-spoonfuls of butter, salt and pepper to taste. Soak the lentils a couple of hours. Put them on the stove in a quart of cold water, with the onion, parsley, and seasoning ; bring to a gentle boil, and simmer two hours, or until the lentils are tender. Drain off the water, turn the lentils into a saucepan, and stir in the butter. Let it stand on the side of the stove about ten minutes, and send to table smoking hot. White beans are good cooked in the same way.