COOKIKQ UUSHROOUS. 159 



good a few days without being covered over. To re- 

 warm them put the mushrooms into a stewpan, strain 

 the butter from them, and they will be ready for use. 



Mushroom Powder. — (A valuable addition to 

 sauces and gravies when fresh mushrooms are not ob- 

 tainable.) Ingredients : One-half peck of large mush- 

 rooms, two onions, twelve cloves, one-fourth ounce of 

 pounded mace, two teaspoonfuls of white pepper. Mode. 

 Peel the mushrooms, wipe them perfectly free from grit 

 and dirt, remove the black fur, and reject all those that 

 are at all worm-eaten ; put them into a stewpan with 

 the above ingredients, but without water ; shake them 

 over a clear fire till all the liquor is dried up, and be 

 careful not to let them burn ; arrange them on tins and 

 dry them in a slow oven ; pound them to a fine powder, 

 which put into small dry bottles; cork well, seal the 

 corks, and keep it in a dry place. In using this potvder, 

 add it to the gravy just before serving, when it will re- 

 quire one boil up. The flavor imparted by this means 

 to the gravy ought to be exceedingly good. This should 

 be made in September, or at the beginning of October, 

 and if the mushroom powder bottle in which it is stored 

 away is not perfectly dry it will speedily deteriorate. 



Mushroom Pow^der.^This is for use as a condi- 

 ment. The finest full-grown mushrooms — which are 

 the best fiavored — should be selected and prepared for 

 drying, and dried as stated under the heading of "Dried 

 Mushrooms," except that it is better to dry them in an 

 oven or drying machine so that they may be dried 

 quickly and become brittle. Grate or otherwise reduce 

 them to a fine powder, and preserve this in tightly- 

 corked bottles. 



To Dry Mushrooms. — Wipe them clean, take away 

 the brown part and peel off the skin ; lay them on sheets 

 of paper to dry, in a cool oven, when they will shrivel 

 considerably. Keep them in paper bags, which hang in 



