Under the title which I have selected for this chap-ter, I propose to place before you a few dishes of a savoury nature, some of which will be found, I think, suitable for the breakfast, or luncheon table, and some of them worthy of a place as entremets in the choicest of dinner menus.

Although many people must be aware that there are numerous ways of cooking eggs nicely, why is it that so few attempt to go beyond the ordinary methods which have obtained in English kitchens since good King Arthur ruled the land? It is the same with maccaroni: how rare a thing it is to see that most invaluable article of food dressed otherwise than in the time-honoured baking-dish. And, in the many uses of cheese, what ignorance we betray! Whether taken independently, and made the most of alone, or combined together, and treated in some artistic fashion, we possess in these three things the elements of certain dainty dishes which, in their way, are excellent. Singularly adapted to the climate in which we spend our exile, and inexpensive, they are at the same time invested with a certain amount of refinement that to many people is no slight recommendation.

The accessories which are more or less necessary in this branch of cookery arc:- good butter, cream occasionally, a little clear gravy, herbs and onion as used for omelette making, the tomato, cold vegetables, and carefnlly sifted bread-crumbs. The remains of fish, game, and poultry; grated ham, corned beef, and tongue, and slices of sausages, may be also occasionally made use of by an ingenious cook. Let us first consider a few ways of serving eggs :-

"AEufs sur le plat"

This simple, yet capital method of doing eggs in a hurry, should be noted. Melt a table-spoonful of butter in an omelette-pan, and slip two eggs into it, carefully avoiding breaking the yolks; let them set in the butter, as a poached egg sets in water; the moment they are sufficiently firm, let them slide off into the hot dish ready to receive them, pouring the butter in which they were cooked over them. Put in the eggs the moment the butter melts; for, when first they go in, the pan should not be too hot: a drop or two of tarragon vinegar may be shaken over the dished eggs, or a tiny bit of maitre d'hotel butter the size of a pea may be allowed to melt over each of them. If after dishing the eggs, you return the pan to the fire, and brown the butter before pouring it over them, you have "aeufs au beurre noir"

Eggs broken gently over very thin shavings of cheese, (which have been placed in melted butter in an omelette-pan over the fire) and allowed to set, are called "aeufs au fromage": they should be dusted with pepper, and salt before serving.

I have frequently mentioned "buttered-eggs"* in connection with fish, vegetable cookery, and toasts. By some, the dish is called "scrambled eggs," which is perhaps the more accurate title, being a translation of the French "aeufs brouilles" the name given to it by our "lively neighbours." Do not forget the many ways in which you may serve this composition, and proceed to make it thus :-

* The "rumbled eggs" of Ramasamy.

Break three eggs into a bowl with a salt-spoonful of salt, a table-spoonful of cream or of milk, and a dust of pepper : mix them well: melt a piece of butter the size of an egg in your omelette-pan: pour in your mixture, stir it about unceasingly until it is lightly set, and turn it out. Tomato pulp may be mixed with the eggs, and any nice meat such as ham, tongue, corned beef, game, etc, may be minced up, and added to them. The cream is by no means necessary, neither is the milk, but with the poor eggs of the Indian fowl, I think the assistance they give is very perceptible.

By adding grated cheese you have "aeufs brouilles au fromage:" "asparagus peas," and truffles are also grand additions recommended by Gouffe.

People who do not dislike the flavour of the onion will find their "buttered eggs" improved if a few thin slices of white onion be fried in the butter before the egg mixture is poured into it.

Remember that a aeufs brouilles are served in France in the same way as an omelette, i.e., spread upon a hot dish alone or above a puree of vegetable. Many people think that the composition should be associated with toast, and nothing else.

"AEufs au jus"

Suppose that you have a nice break-fast-cupful of gravy saved from the joint which was served at last night's dinner. Choose a little pie-dish, and pour some of the gravy into it, so as to cover the bottom well; flavour it with a little minced shallot, or any sweet herb, set it in the oven, and when it is hot, break into it as many eggs as will fill the dish nicely without crowding; shake some bread-crumbs over the eggs, and some little pieces of minced anchovy, or the remains of any cold fish; return the dish to the oven for three or four minutes, so that its contents may partly set; then pour the rest of the gravy evenly over the surface, add another layer of fine crumbs, and bake for five or six minutes. Be careful not to let the eggs harden.

"AEufs a la Suisse"

Choose a shallow pie-dish, and butter it liberally. Pour over the bottom of the dish a layer of cream a quarter of an inch deep, over that shake a coating of well grated cheese a quarter of an inch deep : if wide enough to hold them without crowding, slip in one by one as carefully as you can, - to avoid breaking a single yolk, - six eggs; give them a dust of black pepper, and salt, and gently pour a little more cream over the surface, coating it over again with grated cheese. Let the dish remain in the oven until the eggs are set without being-hard, - the time will depend upon the state of the oven, - brown the surface by passing a red hot iron backwards and forwards over it, about an inch above the cheese, and serve. The cream should be really thick and rich, or the effect of the little entremets will be "poor indeed." This dish may be added to by first placing a layer of previously boiled maccaroni in the pie-dish, the cream being poured over it, then the cheese, and so on.