The Boston cooking-school cook book

French and Italian chestnuts are served in place of vegetables. Chestnut Purée Remove shells from chestnuts, cook until soft in boiling salted water; drain, mash, moisten with scalded milk, season with salt and pepper, and beat until light. Chestnuts are often boiled, riced, and piled lightly in centre of dish, then surrounded by meat. Baked Chestnuts Remove shells from one pint chestnuts, put in a baking-dish, cover with Chicken Stock highly seasoned with salt and cayenne, and bake until soft, keeping covered until nearly done. There should be a small quantity of stock in pan to serve with chestnuts. Cucumbers Cucumbers may be obtained throughout the year, and are generally served raw. During the latter part of the summer they are gathered and pickled for subsequent use. Small pickled cucumbers are called gherkins. Sliced Cucumbers Remove thick slices from both ends and cut off a thick paring, as the cucumber contains a bitter principle, a large quantity of which lies near the skin and stem end. Cut in thin slices and keep in cold water until ready to serve. Drain, and cover with crushed ice for serving. Boiled Cucumbers Old cucumbers may be pared, cut in pieces, cooked until soft in boiling salted water, drained, mashed, and seasoned, with butter, salt, and pepper. Fried Cucumbers Pare cucumbers and cut lengthwise in one-third inch slices. Dry between towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again, fry in deep fat, and drain. Stuffed Cucumbers Pare three cucumbers, cut in halves crosswise, remove seeds, and let stand in cold water thirty minutes. Drain, wipe, and fill with force-meat, using recipe for Chicken Force-meat I or II, substituting veal for chicken. Place upright on a trivet in a saucepan. Half surround with White Stock, cover, and cook forty minutes. Place on thin slices of dry toast, cut in circular shapes, and pour around one and one-half cups Béchamel Sauce. Serve as a vegetable course or an entrée. Fried Eggplant I Pare an eggplant and cut in very thin slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pile on a plate. Cover