Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks: Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food

as a _hors-d'oeuvre_. Remove the outer leaves, leaving only four or five of the small centre ones, cut off the root close to the radish, and wash clean in cold water. Take the radish with the left hand holding it by the centre leaves, cut the skin from the top downward to near the leaves, in several parts, but without detaching it, and as seen in the cuts above; do the same carefully with the body of the radish, and it will look more like a rose than like a radish. After having prepared two or three, it will be comparatively easy. The centre leaves must be eaten, as well as the body of the radish; they contain a substance that helps the digestion of the radish itself. _Salsify, or Oyster-Plant._--Scrape them, and throw one by one as they are scraped into cold water, with a few drops of vinegar; when they are all scraped, move them a little, take out of the water, and throw them in boiling water with a little salt, boil till tender, and drain; place them warm on a warm dish, and serve with brown butter, a _maître d'hôtel_, or white sauce. _Fried._--When boiled as above, drain them. Then dip each in batter for frying vegetables, drop them in hot fat, and take them off with a skimmer when done, turn into a colander, salt them, and serve hot. _In Béchamel._--While the salsify is boiling as directed above, make a _Béchamel_ sauce; drain the salsify when done, and turn it into the _Béchamel_ sauce as soon as the latter is finished; keep on the fire for about two minutes, stirring the while, and serve warm. They are prepared and served in the same way with the following sauces: _cream_, _poulette_, and _white_. _Skirret._--Prepare, cook, and serve in every way like parsnips. _Sorrel._--Sorrel is found in a wild state nearly everywhere; that is, where green plants vegetate. It is an excellent vegetable, good to eat all the year round, but especially in the spring and summer. It is very healthful, containing the pure oxalic acid as