Slice a generous pint of cold boiled potatoes. Put into the brightest of saucepans butter the size of a pigeon’s egg, and when it bubbles add an even tea-spoonful of flour (the sauce not to be thick), which cook a moment, and then pour in a cupful of milk (or, better, cream), salt, and pepper; stir with an egg-whisk until it boils, then mix in the potato-slices. When they are thoroughly hot they are ready to be served.
Stir two cupfuls of mashed potatoes, two table-spoonfuls of melted butter, and some salt to a fine, light, and creamy condition; then add two eggs well beaten separately, and six table-spoonfuls of cream; beat it all well and lightly together; pile it in rocky form on a dish; bake it in a quick oven until nicely colored. It will become quite light.
There is a machine which comes for the purpose of cutting shoo-fly potatoes; it costs two dollars and a half. The potatoes are cut into long strips like macaroni, excepting that the sides are square instead of round. They are thrown into boiling lard, sprinkled with salt as soon as done, and served as a vegetable alone, or as a garnish around meat.
The ruta-baga turnips are sweetest and best. Pare and cut them in pieces of equal size; put them into well-salted boiling water, and, when perfectly tender, drain them dry; let them remain a moment on the fire to evaporate the water, then mash them in a stew-pan, in which is hot butter, pepper and salt to taste. Stir them over the fire until they are thoroughly mixed, and keep them in the stew-pan until just before serving, as turnips should be served very hot.
Cut three good-sized turnips into slices, or parallelograms, as long as the turnip, and about half an inch thick. If they are not young and tender, they should be boiled until half done; but they should not be boiled at first if young. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a saucepan; when hot, put in the pieces of turnips, and fry them to a light-brown color. When done, add a heaping tea-spoonful of sugar; mix, and then pour in a tea-cupful of stock (boiling water would answer, but not so well); put this at the side of the fire to simmer until they are done, adding a little pepper and salt. Now put a little more butter, the size of a walnut, into a saucepan, adding a heaping tea-spoonful of flour; mix, and add a little lukewarm water. When smoothly mixed, add the sauce of the turnips; when both are well mixed, add the turnip slices; they are then ready to serve.