RECIPES FOR COOKING MUSHROOMS. 279 



wipe the mushrooms. Put a tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan ; 

 when hot, throw in the mushrooms, skin side down ; cook just a 

 moment, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Arrange the 

 rounds of bread, which have been slightly toasted, in the bottom of 

 your " bell " dish ; heap the mushrooms on these ; put a little piece 

 of butter in the center ; cover over the bell, which is either of glass, 

 china, or silver ; stand them in a baking pan, and then in the oven 

 for twenty minutes. While these are cooking, mix a tablespoonful 

 of butter and one of flour in a saucepan, add a half pint of milk, or you 

 may add a gill of milk and a gill of chicken stock ; stir until boiling, 

 add a half teaspoonful of salt and a dash of pepper. When the mush- 

 rooms have been in the oven the allotted time, bring them out ; lift 

 the cover, pour over quickly a little of this sauce, cover again, and 

 send them at once to the table. 



Another Method. Wash and dry the mushrooms ; arrange them at 

 once on the " bell plate." The usual plates will hold six good sized 

 ones. Dust with pepper and salt ; put in the center of the pile a 

 teaspoonful of butter ; pour over six tablespoonfuls of cream or milk ; 

 cover with the bell ; stand the dish in a baking pan, and then in a 

 hot oven for twenty minutes. 



These are arranged for individual bells. Where one large bell is 

 used, the mushrooms must be dished on toast before they are served. 

 The object in covering with the bell is to retain every particle of 

 the flavor. The bell is then lifted at the table, that the eater may 

 get full aroma and flavor from the mushroom. 



Puree. Wash carefully a half pound of mushrooms ; chop them 

 fine, put them into a saucepan with a tablespoonful of butter, and 

 if you have it, a cup of chicken stock ; if not, a cup of water. Cover 

 the vessel and cook slowly for thirty minutes. In a double boiler, 

 put one pint 'of milk. Rub together one tablespoonful of butter and 

 two tablespoonfuls of flour ; add it to the milk ; stir and cook until 

 thick ; add the mushrooms, and press the whole through a sieve ; 

 season to taste with salt and pepper only. 



Cream of Mushroom Soup. This will be made precisely the same as 

 in the preceding recipe, save that one quart of milk will be used 

 instead of a pint with the same amount of thickening, and the 

 mushrooms will not be pressed through a sieve. 



