often customary to commence dinner with a dish of sparghetti, and should
the dinner consist as well of soup, fish, entree, salad, and sweet, the
sparghetti would be served before the soup. Take, say, half a pound of
sparghetti, wash it in cold water, and throw it instantly into boiling
salted water; boil it till it is tender, about twenty minutes, drain it,
put it into a hot vegetable-dish, and mix in two or three tablespoonfuls of
grated Parmesan cheese; toss it about lightly with a couple of forks, till
the cheese melts and forms what may be called cobwebs on tossing it about.
Add also two tablespoonfuls of tomato conserve (sold by all grocers, in
bottles), and serve immediately. This is very cheap, very satisfying, and
very nourishing; and it is to be regretted that this popular dish is not
more often used by those who are not vegetarians, who would benefit both in
pocket and in health were they to lessen their butcher's bill by at any
rate commencing dinner, like the Italians, with a dish of sparghetti.


MACARONI--ITALIAN FASHION.--This is very similar to sparghetti, only
ordinary pipe macaroni is used. Take, say, a teacupful of macaroni, wash
it, break it up into two-inch pieces, and throw it into boiling water that
has been salted. Strain it of off, put it in the stew-pan for a few
minutes, with a little piece of butter and some pepper and salt. Add a
tablespoonful of tomato conserve, and serve it with some grated Parmesan
cheese, served separate in a dish.

Some rub the stew-pan with a head of garlic. This gives it what may be
called a more foreign flavour, but this should not be done unless you know
your guests like garlic. Unfortunately, the proper use of garlic is very
little understood in this country.

MACARONI CHEESE.--Some years back this was almost the only form in which