which all require much the same treatment, is over-cooking. There seems to be a popular notion, somehow, regarding vegetables, that the more you cook them the better they are, and after all the substance and flavour has been boiled out of them, people wonder how anyone can relish such stuff! Each vegetable should get just the bare amount of cooking necessary, and no more. If they have to wait for some time before serving, stand over boiling water as directed above. Most vegetables may be cooked entirely by Steaming. This conserves all their own juices which contain the various valuable natural salts, alkalies, &c., so necessary to health, and which we so vainly try to make up by the addition of crude minerals. Carrots, Turnips, Potatoes, and all root vegetables and tubers, are best cooked by steaming. Steamers with perforated bottoms to fit the various sizes of saucepan are now to be had from any ironmonger. A very good way to cook carrots, turnips, and parsnips, is to make up a good white sauce, put in Queen pudding-bowl or some other such dish, lay in the carrots, parsnips, &c. Cover and steam till cooked. If rather old, they may first be par-boiled. This should be done before the skin is removed. Beetroot should always be steamed by preference, but quite as much care must be taken not to break any of the fibres, or it will "bleed" as in boiling. When tender, which will take from two to four hours, pare and cut in slices. It may either be dressed with vinegar, lemon juice, &c., to serve cold, or fried and served with white or tomato sauce as a hot vegetable. Green Peas may also be steamed in a jar or basin like stewed fruit. A very little water and a little lemon juice should be added. If to be boiled, have a small saucepan with fast boiling water to barely cover, a little sugar, salt, lemon juice, and sprig of mint. Boil fast till tender. Drain and serve with butter only. French Beans may be cooked in same way. Remove stalks and "strings" and cut across diamondwise. Broad Beans, Kidney Beans, &c., usually require to have the tough white sloughs removed. To facilitate this, pour boiling water over, when they may be slipped off quite easily. Cook same as green peas. To Re-heat Peas, &c., Put a little butter in saucepan, a finely minced shallot or spoonful grated onion, and some tomato free from skin and seeds. Simmer till cooked, lay in the vegetables to be warmed up. Make thoroughly hot and serve. Cauliflower. Trim and lay in cold salt water for some time, then boil or steam till just done. Trim off all the green leaves--it is best not to do this before cooking, as it is not so ready to break--lay in vegetable dish, and pour white sauce over. Cauliflower au Gratin. Prepare exactly as above. Coat with the sauce, sprinkle all over with bread crumbs or grated cheese, or a mixture of both, put some butter in little bits over it, and bake a light-brown in moderate oven. Artichokes.