Flaked nuts, if sprinkled over puddings, custards, trifles or jellies, greatly improve the flavour and appearance. In the preparation of soups, stews, &c., the preliminary frying of the vegetables improves the flavour and dispenses with any insipidity. The oil should be fried until it is brown. =HOW TO COOK VEGETABLES.= =Artichokes= should be boiled until tender only. If over-boiled they become dark coloured and flavourless. =Asparagus= should be cut into equal lengths and tied into bundles. These should be stood on end in a deep stewpan, leaving the tops about an inch above the water. When the stalks are tender the tops will be cooked also. This plan prevents the tops falling off through being over-cooked. =Cabbage= should only be boiled until tender; if over-cooked it is pulpy and flavourless. Boiling too fast causes the unpleasant odour to be given off which is sometimes noticeable in a house when this vegetable is being cooked. The lid of the saucepan should not be used. =Cauliflower= must not be boiled until its crispness is lost. It must be only just tender enough to eat. It can be served 'au gratin' (120), or as in recipe No. 121. =Carrots= should be steamed, not boiled. The skins should then be wiped off and they should be served with a white or brown gravy. They are also nice if scraped, sliced and stewed in haricot broth (recipe 239). The smaller the carrots the more delicate will the flavour be. =Kidney or Haricot Beans= need to be carefully trimmed so that all stringy parts are cut away. They should be boiled until tender, and no longer, and served with thin white sauce. The smaller and greener they are the better. Old pods should remain unpicked until nearly ripe, when the solid beans can be used for haricot soup or entrées. The 'Czar' bean is the best to grow; it is the giant white haricot, and the seeds are delicious when picked fresh and cooked at once. There is the same difference between fresh and dried haricots, as between green and dried peas. Dried Haricots must be soaked in cold water for twelve hours before being cooked. They can then be stewed until tender--the water being saved for soup or stock. =Vegetable Marrow= should be steamed or boiled in its jacket. The flavour is lost if this is removed before cooking. =Mushrooms= should be fried very slowly in a small quantity of butter. They should be stirred during the process, and the heat employed must be very moderate indeed or they will be made tough. They can also be stewed, and served in the gravy when thickened with arrowroot.