Macaroni is a nutritious and economical food, and should be used more freely than it is. Much of the dislike for it arises from ignorance as to the proper mode of cooking. It is made from the choicest varieties of wheat, - a grain which contains all the substances needed as food, though not in the proper proportion. Wheat lacks water and fat. Macaroni, being only wheat flour and water made into a hard, dry paste, is not palatable unless cooked, till tender, in plenty of water or other liquid, and seasoned well or combined with other foods, particularly some form of fat, as butter, milk, cheese, eggs, or meat broth.

Macaroni is prepared in a variety of forms, - spaghetti, Italian paste of fanciful shapes, vermicelli, and round, tubular, and flat macaroni. The paste, while soft, is rolled into sheets, and cut with fancy cutters, or it is forced through metallic plates which have perforations, sometimes in the form of small rings with the centre of the hole filled. It is then dried thoroughly, and will keep in a dry place a long time.

Suggestion to the Teacher.

The meat used in this lesson is taken from that which was cooked in Lesson V. Use the boiled mutton for the minced meat on toast; the smothered beef for the hash and cottage pie. The broth in which the meat was boiled will answer for the gravy. The toast should be browned in the oven, for the pupils will have a special lesson in toasting over the coals. Impress upon them the importance of care in preparing these dishes. Save the bones and remnants, with the addition of some new meat, to start stock for next lesson.