The Laurel Health Cookery: A Collection of Practical Suggestions and Recipes for the Preparation of Non-Flesh Foods in Palatable and Attractive Ways

not at hand, set them in a cold place, and peel just before serving. Do not mix cut, colored fruits (like strawberries) with cream dressings. Lay the pieces between the layers and on top of the salad. It is seldom suitable to serve fruit salads with lettuce; some glass dish with decorations of leaves, vines and flowers is prettiest. As a rule, do not mix many kinds of fruit in one salad. One flavor often destroys another. Many of the fruit salads are suitable for desserts. Cut oranges in about the middle of the section or just each side of the membrane, leaving that out if convenient; then cut into pieces crosswise. Cut grape fruit in halves, then around the inside next to the skin, and after removing the pulp, carefully separate it from the membrane. When juicy fruits are to be used with any but fruit juice dressings, they should be drained. The juices may be used for nectars, other salad dressings or for pudding sauces. Soak currants or pitted sour cherries in syrup made of one part sugar and two parts water, for an hour or longer, then drain. For most salads, bananas are better cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced across. Pare, quarter and core choice, fine flavored apples, one at a time, cut the quarters into not too thin lengthwise slices, place three or four of the slices together and cut across into small wedge-shaped pieces. Never chop apples for salad. Both apples and bananas should be prepared just as short a time before the meal as possible and should be cut right into the dressing. After being coated with the dressing they will not turn dark. Shred fresh pineapple according to directions, p. 44. For nut and cream dressings cooked pineapple is preferable. After draining and drying canned sliced pineapple, lay two or three of the round slices together and cut into wedge-shaped pieces about ¼ inch across at the large end. Keep orange, lemon, grape fruit or tangerine cups in cracked ice or ice water until just before serving, then drain and wipe dry.