The household cook book

TO COOK — To cook sauerkrout, take it from the barrel, and if very sour it can be washed in a plenty of water and drained dry in the colander; put butter, dripping or salt pork fat in the frying-pan, add a sliced onion, if liked, put a few spoonfuls of water in the pan with the krout; cover with a plate and stew slowly for an hour; then stir it well before taking up. It is eaten with a little pepper and vinegar, or with sour baked apples. SPINACH. BOILED. — Wash it many times in cold water to thoroughly and perfectly free it from sand and dust. Then put in a close sauce-pan, without a drop of water, over a moderate fire ; cover closely, and cook till tender — about ^ hour. Its own juice runs out, and it cooks in that. Spinach should be one of the most healthful of springtime vegetables, but its most valuable elements are its mineral matters or potash salts, and by the old method of cooking they are almost entirely lost. The above method preserves them. When done, drain, chop fine, and season with butter, pepper and salt; or pour over a cream sauce. Serve with slices of hard-boiled egg over it. Spinach is supposed to be a native of Western Arabia. It spinach. was not known to the ancients, but was introduced into Europe some 400 years ago. It is laxative, cooling, wholesome, and easily digested, but does not afford much nutriment. SQUASH. SUMMER SQUASH.— Boiled.— They must be so young that the thumb nail will strike through the shell. Wash and quarter or slice them (you need not remove the skin or seeds); then boil till tender in slightly salted water — about 20 or 30 minutes. When done, turn off the water and set the kettle back on the stove; mash, and stir to let the water dry out, then add butter, salt, and a little white pepper. Keep hot on the back of the stove until time to serve. Baked. — Pare the squash, remove the seeds, and steam it until tender; then mash, season with butter, pepper and salt, and to a medium=sized squash add 1 cup cracker or bread crumbs; stir together well, put it in a greased baking-dish, and bake 1 hour. Fried Summer Squash — Peel the squash, cut it in small squares, and fry in hot butter; season with pepper and salt. It will be as delicate as, and taste much like egg plant. Try it. WINTER SQUASH — This usually has a hard shell, and has to be broken with a hatchet, by dropping on a plank floor, or by sawing with the meat saw. Break in small pieces for the kettle, scrape out the seeds, and wash clean. Put the pieces in the kettle with the shell side up, have a little salt in the water, which should cover it, and cook for an hour, if it does not break to pieces. When done, take the shells in a clean cloth, and, with an iron spoon, scrape the squash into a basin to keep hot on the back of the range. If too dry, moisten with a little water, and add butter, salt and pepper to taste. Some winter squashes have a thin soft shell and are watery; they can be baked in the oven, then seasoned as above. Both summer and winter squashes are also steamed instead of boiled by some cooks.