The Boston cooking-school cook book

soft, remove from oven, and serve at once. If allowed to stand, unless the skin is ruptured for escape of steam, they become soggy. Properly baked potatoes are more easily digested than potatoes cooked in any other way, as some of the starch is changed to dextrin by the intense heat. They are better cooked in boiling water than baked in a slow oven. Boiled Potatoes Select potatoes of uniform size. Wash, pare, and drop at once in cold water to prevent discoloration; soak one-half hour in the fall, and one to two hours in winter and spring. Cook in boiling salted water until soft, which is easily determined by piercing with a skewer. For seven potatoes allow one tablespoon salt, and boiling water to cover. Drain from water, and keep uncovered in warm place until serving time. Avoid sending to table in a covered vegetable dish. In boiling large potatoes, it often happens that outside is soft, while centre is underdone. To finish cooking without potatoes breaking apart, add one pint cold water, which drives heat to centre, thus accomplishing the cooking. Riced Potatoes Force hot boiled potatoes through a potato ricer or coarse strainer. Serve lightly piled in a hot vegetable dish. Mashed Potatoes To five riced potatoes add three tablespoons butter, one teaspoon salt, few grains pepper, and one-third cup hot milk; beat with fork until creamy, reheat, and pile lightly in hot dish. Potato Omelet Prepare Mashed Potatoes, turn in hot omelet pan greased with one tablespoon butter, spread evenly, cook slowly until browned underneath, and fold as an omelet. Potato Border Place a buttered mould on platter, build around it a wall of hot Mashed Potatoes, three and one-half inches high by one inch deep, smooth, and crease with case knife. Remove mould, fill with creamed meat or fish, and reheat in oven before serving. Escalloped Potatoes Mash, pare, soak, and cut four potatoes in one-fourth inch slices. Put a layer in buttered baking-dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and dot over with one-half tablespoon butter; repeat. Add hot milk until it