Lessons in cooking through preparation of meals

While the celery is cooking, melt 2 T butter in the upper part of the double boiler, add 2 T flour, and when well blended add slowly, mixing all the time, 2 c milk. Boil a few minutes and then set over hot water. When the celery is cooked and mashed add to the mixture in the double boiler. Strain, reheat and serve with croutons. Fried Egg Plant Remove the skin and cut the plant into slices ^ inch thick. Sprinkle the slices with salt, pile one above another, and set a plate holding a weight upon the top. Let stand an hour to drain off the juice. If more salt has been added than is necessary for seasoning, rinse in cold water, dry between clean towels, dip in egg, then in breadcrumbs, and saute first on one side, then the other, to a golden brown. Use about 2 T butter to begin the sauteing, adding more from time to time as necessary. Croutons Brown cubes of stale bread in a little butter, or see Lesson 2, page 13. Preparing the Meal About }^ h before lunch time wash and cut up the celery, cover with boiling water and cook. Drain the slices of egg plant, dip in egg, then in crumbs, and start to saute them. While cooking make the White Sauce for the soup, also the croutons. Add the celery to the White Sauce, strain, reheat, and serve. Place the egg plant where it will keep hot while the soup is being eaten. Make the tea. Serve the soup, then the rest of the luncheon. Monday Lesson 67 BOILED HAM CREAMED POTATOES PUMPKIN TIMBALE JELLIED FIGS WITH CREAM Boiled Ham Let the ham soak several hours or overnight after scraping and thoroughly scrubbing with a brush. To cook, cover with cold water, bring slowly to the boiling point, let boil a few minutes, then skim and simmer several hours, allowing 25 m to the pound. When tender set aside to partially cool in the liquid, then remove, draw off the skin, brush over with beaten yolk of egg, diluted with milk, sprinkle with sugar and cracker crumbs, mixed together, about % c oi each for 5 lbs of ham, and set in the oven to brown. Garnish the dish with parsley. Pumpkin Timbale To I pint of mashed pumpkin add the yolks of 2 eggs, well beaten, i t salt, and a dash of pepper. Mix well, cut and fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the 2 eggs, then fill custard or timbale cups. Stand in a baking pan of hot water, and bake in a moderate oven 20 m, or until firm. When done turn carefully from the cups and serve at once. Jellied Figs Wash 8 whole figs and cook in boiling water until the skin is tender. Drain the figs from the liquid of which there should be ^ c. Soften ^ ounce gelatine in 2 T cold water, then dissolve in the hot liquid from the figs. Add 54 c sugar, stir until dissolved and cooled somewhat, then add the juice of 1/2 lemon, % c orange juice and strain into a shallow dish. When firm cut into cubes. Whip 5^ c double cream until very stiff, adding 2 T powdered sugar and a few drops of vanilla. Place the figs in the center of a serving dish and surround with the whipped cream and the cubes of jelly, alternating cream and jelly. Creamed Potatoes Cube i^ c plain boiled potatoes. Reheat in i c medium White Sauce. For directions see Lesson 12 — p. 25. Preparing the Meal