The Pattern cook-book

TURNIPS, MASHED. Peel the turnips, cut them in slices, and lay them in cold water for half an hour ; then place them in a stewpan, pour boiling water over them, and boil slowly until tender, at least forty-five minutes being required. Drain well, and mash the turnips in the stew-pan ; stand the pan ten minutes uncovered on the back of the range to dry the turnips well, stirring them frequently. Season with butter, salt and pepper. Turnips require more pepper than any other vegetable. TURNIPS IN CREAM. Peel the turnips, cut them in small pieces, and boil until tender. Drain, add milk to nearly cover, and when the milk boils, thicken it to a cream with a little flour, stirred to a paste with cold milk. Add butter, salt and pepper, boil two minutes, and serve. STEWED TURNIPS. Peel and slice the turnips and cut them into cubes. Boil until tender, drain, and for three pints of turnips measured before cooking, allow One table-spoonful of sugar. Two table-spoonfuls of butter. One-half pint of stock. One-half tea-spoonful of salt. One-quarter tea-spoonful of pepper. Cook rapidly until the stock has almost boiled away, then serve. " Mingle, mingle, mingle You that mingle may." Shakspere. Green vegetables that are eaten raw and dressed with oils, acids, salt and pepper are classed as salads. Potatoes, string beans, beets, asparagus and many other vegetables which have been cooked are eaten cold with a salad dressing. Lobster, salmon and other kinds of cooked fish, eggs, chicken and delicate meats are combined with lettuce, cresses or celery and salad dressing, and furnish many appetizing dishes. A Frenchman thinks he cannot eat his dinner without a salad, and it would be well if all Americans had the same appreciation of this wholesome, refreshing and, at the same time, economical dish. There are two kinds of dressing which are in very general use, the mayonnaise and the French dressing. Epicures prefer the simple French dressing for salads served without fish or fowl ; and for chicken and fish salads and for some kinds of vegetables, such as tomatoes and cauliflowers, they use the mayonnaise sauce. This choice of dressings is almost universal in London and Paris. In America we use the mayonnaise on all salads, which is really to be deplored. A simple salad with French dressing is, after all, the most satisfactory when one has been served with a heavy dinner before it. In giving recipes for salad-dressing it is almost impossible to mention exact quantities, especially when we consider the diversity of tastes. Delmonico, it is said, used but one yolk as a foundation for a quart of oil, with salt and cayenne for seasoning. In preparing dressing, use a silver or wooden fork, a large soup-plate, which should be very cold, the best oil and strong vinegar. A common question is, "What can we use in place of oil?" Cream and melted butter may be used, but they by no means take the place of the oil. Green vegetables that should be crisp but have become wilted can be freshened by being laid in ice-water for at least an hour before using, and then dried carefully on a soft towel, care being taken not to bruise them. The dressing should never be mixed with any salad until it is needed to serve, and both salad and dressing should be served on as cold a dish as possible. SIMPLE FRENCH DRESSING.