would cause water to fall off in drops, reject it, as it would be of little use for the table. A good potato should be of a light cream-color, and when rubbed together a white froth should appear round the edges and surface of the cut, which indicates the presence of starch. The more starch in the potato, the more it will froth; consequently the more froth on the potato the better it will be when cooked. The strength of its starchy properties may be tested by releasing the hold of one end, and if it clings to the other, the potato is a good one. These are the general principles followed by potato-buyers, and they are usually to be fully relied upon. About one seventh part of the potato is nutritious, and this is chiefly farinaceous, and is accompanied by no inconsiderable portion of saline matter, more especially of potassa, which renders it highly antiscorbutic, and a powerful corrective of the grossness of animal food. When forming part of a mixed diet, no substance is more wholesome than the potato. Even the wild potato found in the Yellowstone Country is thought one of the best of edible wild roots.

Boiled Potatoes.—To retain the highest amount of nourishment, potatoes should be boiled with their skins on. When so treated, they are twice as rich in potassa salts as those which have first been peeled. It is a good plan to place them in the oven or on top of the range after boiling them, thereby allowing all surplus moisture to escape. Before sending to table they should be peeled, and, if convenient, thoroughly mashed, as they are more easily digested, and when they are lumpy or watery they escape proper mastication, and in this way cause serious derangement of the system. Under no circumstances allow the aged, dyspeptic, or those in delicate health to eat them except when mashed. The so-called potato "with a bone in it," a favorite dish of the Irish peasant, is a potato only half cooked, being raw in the centre; and a more indigestible thing cannot well be imagined.

Lyonnaise Potatoes.—The same as sautéed, except that a little onion is fried brown and the potato then added.

Potatoes au Cochon.—Slice two hot, mealy potatoes; cut the slices into squares; put them in a saucepan, and add scalded cream enough to cover them, salt, and white pepper. Cut into very small pieces half an ounce of fat, boiled, salt pork; add a tablespoonful to the potato; simmer until thoroughly blended together; pour the contents of the dish into a small au gratin dish (or vegetable baker); grate a little Parmesan cheese over it; add a small bit of butter; place in the oven a moment to brown, and serve in the same dish.

Potatoes au Gratin.—Nearly fill the gratin pan with hot boiled potatoes, cut into small pieces; cover with milk; strew over them grated cheese or part cheese and grated crumbs; add a little butter, and bake brown in a quick oven.

Potatoes Sautéed are cold boiled potatoes cut into small slices and slightly browned in a frying-pan, shaped, and turned out on a hot dish (as you would an omelet), and seasoned with parsley, salt, and pepper.

MISCELLANEOUS BREAKFAST DISHES.

Artichokes (French).—Trim the ends; remove the choke, and quarter each artichoke; pour boiling water over them, and drain. Put them in a stewpan, and to each artichoke add a gill of white wine and one of clear soup; season with salt, pepper, and a little lemon-peel; when done, remove the artichoke, and boil the sauce down. Cream an ounce of butter; add half a teaspoonful of flour, and by degrees add the sauce; simmer until thick, and send to table with the artichokes.

Artichokes (French), Fried.—Wash and cut away the leaves of two artichokes; remove the inside choke; cut the bottoms into neat pieces, and cover them with water containing one third vinegar. Drain; season with salt and pepper; dip them in beaten egg; roll them in fine cracker dust, and fry in plenty of hot fat.

Chicken Croquettes.—Cut up the white meat of one cold boiled chicken, and pound it to a paste with a large boiled sweetbread, freed from sinews; add salt and pepper. Beat up one egg with a teaspoonful of flour and a wine-glassful of rich cream. Mix all together; put it in a pan, and simmer just enough to absorb part of the moisture, stirring all the time; turn it out on a flat dish, and place in ice-box to become cold and firm; then roll it into small neat cones; dip them in beaten eggs; roll in finely powdered bread crumbs; drop them in boiling fat, and fry a delicate brown. Handle them carefully.

Some add a little nutmeg, but I have found the above recipe more satisfactory without it, especially among my Philadelphia patrons.

Chicken, Devilled.—Prepare a mixture of mustard, pepper, and salt, moistened with a little oil. Put a small quantity of oil in a frying-pan; add just onion enough to give it flavor, and toss the chicken about in this a moment. Remove; rub or brush the moisture over the chicken, and broil. Serve with a sharp, pungent sauce, made of drawn butter, lemon juice, mustard, and chopped capers.

Chicken, Fried.—Cut up half an onion, and fry it brown in a little butter. Divide two ounces of butter into little balls; roll them in flour; add to the onion, and fry the breast of the chicken in this, as well as the legs and side-bones, to a delicate brown. Take them out, and add to the sauce a few cut-up mushrooms, a gill of claret, salt, pepper, and a piece of cut sugar; simmer slowly; pour over the chicken and serve.

The Southern way of frying chicken is as follows: Slice and cut into small dice half a pound of salt pork; flour the chicken, and fry in the pork fat; dissolve a heaping tablespoonful of flour with a little cold milk; add to it gradually half a pint of boiled milk that has been seasoned with butter, pepper, and salt; simmer until thick; arrange the chicken on a hot dish, and pour the sauce round it. Toast may be placed under the chicken, if desired.

Crabs, Soft-shell.—These should be cooked as soon as possible after being caught, as their flavor rapidly deteriorates after being exposed to the air. Select crabs as lively as possible; remove the feathery substance under the pointed sides of the shells; rinse them in cold water; drain; season with salt and pepper; dredge them in flour, and fry in hot fat.

Many serve them rolled in eggs and cracker dust; but thus they are not as good.

Filet of Sole, Sauce Tartare.—Remove the head, fins, tail, and skin from a medium-sized flounder; lay the fish flat on the table, and with a sharp knife make a deep cut through to the back-bone the whole length of the fish. Cut the upper side lengthwise from the bone; now remove the bone from the lower part, and cut the fish into pieces crosswise, each piece to be about two inches in width. Season each piece; roll it up and tie it with strong thread; dredge them in flour, and fry in plenty of hot fat (they may be dipped in egg batter and rolled in bread crumb if liked); remove the thread; arrange them neatly on a hot dish; garnish with parsley, and send to table with sauce tartare (which see).

Hamburg Steak, Sauce Piquante.—Select a thick rump steak, and with a stiff-backed kitchen knife scrape away