slices nor even wiped them with damp
cloths. There was no need--her hands and knife were as clean as could
be. Washing and wiping spoiled the flavor, she said. I agree with her.
After the ham was taken up, she poured in milk, half cream, shook it
well about in the hissing hot fat until it had taken up all the
delicious brown essence caked on the skillet bottom. This milk gravy was
poured over the slices in the platter. A practice I have never
followed--my gravy is made with water rather than milk, and served
separately.

Invalids and gourmets may be indulged with boiled ham, broiled over live
coals. Slice very thin, lay for half a minute upon a shovel of glowing
fresh coals, take up in a very hot dish, butter liberally, dust with
pepper and serve very hot. To frizzle ham slice as thin as possible in
tiny bits, and toss the bits till curly-crisp in blazing hot butter.
Excellent as an appetizer or to raise a thirst.

For ham and eggs slice and fry as directed, take up, break fresh eggs
separately each in a saucer, and slip them into the fat when it is
bubbling hot. Dip hot fat over them to cook the upper side--take up with
a cake turner, and arrange prettily as a border around the ham. Sprigs
of watercress outside add to the appetizing effect. Serve with hot
biscuit, or waffles or muffins, and strong, clear coffee.

Tart apples cored but not peeled sliced in rings and fried in hot fat,
drained out and sprinkled lightly with sugar, add to the charm of even
the finest ham. So does hominy, the full-grained sort, boiled tender
beforehand, and fried till there is a thick, brown crust all over the
skillet bottom. The secret of these as of all other fryings, is to have
grease enough, make it hot enough to crisp whatever goes into it
instantly, then to watch so there shall be no scorching, and take out
what is fried as soon as done, draining well. Among the paradoxes of
cookery is this--frying with scant grease makes greasy eating, whereas
frying in deep fat, sufficiently hot, makes the reverse.

Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced, deserve frying in ham fat. Well
drained, dusted with salt, pepper, and sugar, they are delicious, also
most digestible. Frying is indeed the method of cookery most misprised
through its abuse. In capable hands it achieves results no-otherwise
attainable.

A perfect mutton ham is a matter of grace no less premeditation. It must
be cut from a wether at least four years old, grass fed, grain finished,