ve for shortening, add 3 pints boiling water, 2 or 3 onions sliced
thin, 1 quart potatoes sliced and pared, a sprinkling of pepper, large
spoon flour mixed in 1 cup of cold water. Let the onions boil a few
moments before adding the potatoes and flour. Five minutes before serving,
add 1 dozen crackers, split and moistened with hot water, or make
dumplings as for any stew.

DRY STEW.

Place slices of pork in the frying pan and fill full with chipped
potatoes; pour over a little water and cover tightly, and cook until the
pork begins to fry, then loosen from the bottom with a wide knife and
pour over more water, and so on until done. Pepper and salt and a bit of
butter.

OLD-FASHIONED STEW.

Place 6 large slices of pork in the kettle with nearly a quart of water,
let it boil half an hour, then add 8 sliced potatoes and 2 sliced onions,
and when nearly done add a little flour, pepper and salt, and a lump of
butter.

CHOWDER.

Cut 4 slices of salt pork in dice, place in kettle and fry, add 6
good-sized onions chopped fine, let fry while preparing 8 potatoes, then
add 1 quart boiling water and the potatoes sliced thin. Season with salt
and pepper to taste. Boil one-half hour.

_Miscellaneous._

BACON, BROILED OR FRIED.

The first essential is to have the bacon with a streak of lean and a
streak of fat, and to cut or slice it as thin as possible. Then lay it in
a shallow tin and set it inside a hot stove. It will toast evenly and the
slices will curl up and be so dry that they may be taken in the fingers to
eat. The lard that exudes may be thickened with flour, a cup of sweet new
milk and a pinch of black pepper added, and nice gravy made. Or if
preferred, the bacon, thinly sliced, may be fried on a hot skillet, just
turning it twice, letting it slightly brown on both sides. Too long in the
hot skillet, the bacon gets hard and will have a burned taste.

BRAINS.

Lay the brains in salt and water for an hour to draw out the blood. Pick
them over and take out any bits of bone and membrane. Cook for half an
hour in a small quantity of water. When cooked drain off the water, and to
each brain add a little pepper, nearly an even teaspoon of salt, a
tablespoon of butter and 1 beaten egg. Cook until the egg thickens. Or
when the brains are cooked, drain off the water, season with salt, pepper
and sage.

PORK AND BEANS.

Pick over and let soak over night 1 quart beans; in the morning wash and
drain, and p