The Rural cook book

Hashed Brown Potatoes. — Cut or chop finely a. quart of cold baked or boiled potatoes and put them down in a frying pan in which has been dissolved a tablespoonful of butter and an equal quantity of tried-out suet or beef dripping. Let the potatoes simmer in this and season with pepper and salt; have the pan covered. When the potatoes seem rich and moist throughout and browned underneath add a sprinkling of finely-minced parsley and with a large, flexible knife loosen the potatoes from the bottom of the pan, turning the sides over toward the middle as in making an omelet, and slip them carefully on to the serving dish. For a pint of potatoes use half the quantity of butter and drippings. Lyonnaise Potatoes. — Put one and a half tablespoonfuls of butter in a frying pan; when melted add a scant tablespoonful of chopped onion; let it slightly color, then add two cupfuls of cold boiled potatoes cut into dice. Stir until the potato has absorbed all the butter and become slightly browned; then sprinkle with salt, pepper and a tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Mix well and serve very hot. Scalloped Potatoes. — Peel and slice very thin one medium-sized potato for each perion to be served, and allow the slices to remain in cold water till crisp. Prepare as you would scalloped oysters with cracker crumbs and salt and pepper sprinkled over each layer, and small dots of butter. Cover the top of the pan with crumbs and carefully pour on sweet milk almost to cover without disturbing the cracker crumbs. Bake two hours and a half in a steady oven, removing cover from pan during last half hour. It is better to use your thickest, heaviest kettle cover or earthenware pie pan for the first hour in the oven. Spaghetti with Brown Sauce. — Put a half pound of spaghetti into slightly-salted boiling water. Boil half an hour, drain and pour into a buttered granite pan. Pour over it the following brown sauce: Heat three tablespoonfuls butter, stir into this two tablespoontuls flour, stir till smooth. Draw to a cooler place on the stove and add gradually one cupful cold water, stirring constantly. Let it boil up, add one scant teaspoonful salt, one-fourth teaspoonful pepper, one teaspoontul of catsup, simmer two or three minutes, pour over spaghetti, set it into the oven and let it bake 10 or 15 minutes. Squash Puff. — Press dry cooked squash through a sieve; to a half pint add two tablespoons of melted butter, quarter of a cup of milk, seasoning of salt and pepper, and two beaten egg yolks. . Mix thoroughly, fold in two beaten egg whites, and turn into a buttered mold, set in a pan of hot water and bake in the oven until the center is firm. Serve turned from the moldand accompanied by a rich cream sauce made from one tablespoon each of flour and butter with a cup of scalded cream or rich milk and seasoning of salt, pepper, celery salt and mace. This can be baked in individual molds if desired. Scalloped Squash. — Two cupfuls of boiled squash run through a colander, and then let cool; two eggs, a tablespoonful of melted butter, half a cup of milk; pepper and salt; half a cupful of bread crumbs- Beat eggs, butter and milk and squash light; season; pour into a buttered bake dish, sift crumbs over it and bake, covered, half an hour ; then brown lightly. Slewed Summer Squash. — Wash, pare, cut into pieces after removing the seeds, cook in a small quantity of water until tender ; drain and press dry, salt slightly and serve on golden-browned toast with a cream dressing made as follows : Into half a pint of rich milk stir one teaspoonful of cornstarch, let boil until slightly thickened, then pour it over the toast and squash.