MACARONI IN SCOLLOP SHELLS.--Take half a pound of macaroni, wash it, and
throw it into boiling water. Take the macaroni out, drain it, and throw it
into cold water. Then take it out and cut it into pieces not more than
half an inch in length. Take about a quarter of a pound of butter, melt it
in a stew-pan, and add about a cupful of milk, or still better, cream.
Stir it and dredge in enough flour to make it thick, or still better,
thicken it with a little white roux; now add some pepper and salt, about a
quarter of a grated nutmeg, two or three spoonfuls of grated Parmesan
cheese; add the cut-up macaroni and stir the whole well up over the fire
together and fill the scollop shells with the mixture, and throw some
grated cheese over the top. Bake the scollops in the oven till the cheese
begins to brown; then pour a little oiled butter over the top of the
cheese. If made with cream this dish is somewhat rich, but forms an
admirable meal eaten with plenty of bread.


MACARONI NUDELS.--The word nudel is probably derived from French _nouilles_
paste. It is made in a similar manner, or nearly so. French cooks use
only yolk of egg and flour. English cooks use beaten-up eggs, and
sometimes even reserve the yolks for other purposes and make the paste with
white of egg. In any case, the yolks, the whole eggs, or the white without
the yolks, must be well beaten up and then mixed in with the flour with the
fingers till it makes a stiff paste. This paste or dough is then rolled
out with a straight rolling pin--(not an English one)--till it is as thin
as a wafer. The board must be well floured or it will stick. A marble
slab is best, and if you are at a loss for a rolling-pin try an empty black
bottle. It is very important to roll the pastry thin, and it has been well
observed that the best test of thinness is to be able to read a book
through the paste. When rolled out, let each thin cake dry for five or ten
minutes. If you have a box of cutters you can cut this paste into all