To make a stew, which is the basis of a number of other dishes, take 1/2 lb.  German lentils and scald for a minute or two in boiling water to make sure that they are thoroughly clean.  Drain, and put in good-sized saucepan with plenty of fresh boiling water, and allow to simmer very gently for an hour.  In another stewpan melt 1 oz. butter, and into that shred very finely two or three onions.  Cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes to bring out the flavour.  They may brown or not as preferred, but there must not be the least suspicion of burning.  Turn the lentils into this pan, add some chopped celery if at hand—­it is very good without, but to my taste most dishes are improved by celery—­and allow to simmer an hour longer.  See that there is plenty of water—­there should be a rich brown gravy.  Add seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, Jamaica pepper, parsley, &c.  A few tomatoes may be added, or carrots, turnips, &c.  A few ozs. macaroni, par-boiled in salted boiling water and added an hour or less before, will make one of the many pleasing varieties of this dish.  Serve like a mince, garnished with sippets of toast or fried bread, or toasted Triscuits.

Savoury Pot-Pie.

Line a pudding basin with suet paste [Footnote:  See pastry.], and fill in with lentils cooked as above, and tomatoes, or any vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, cauliflower, beetroot, &c., to keep the mixture from being too heavy, for whatever may be thought to the contrary, there is a much larger proportion of solid nutriment to the bulk in pulse foods than in the “too, too solid flesh” which we esteem so highly.  And, at the risk of wearying readers with reiteration, I must say again that herein lies the danger.  Quite a number of people have told me that they would like such foods, but they could not take enough to keep up their strength, and were reproachfully incredulous when, ignoring the gentle insinuation as to other people’s capacity, I told them the great difficulty was to take little enough!  But we must finish the pot-pie.  Put a thin round of paste on the top.  Wet the edges and press together, tie down with greased paper, and steam 2 to 3 hours.  Turn out and send to table with suitable hot garnish.

The same paste may be made into little balls or flat cakes and put to cook with lentil stew, but great care must be taken to see that there is plenty gravy, and that they cook very gently, for if they “catch” ever so slightly they are spoiled.  All danger of this can be avoided by steaming in a basin or jar instead of cooking in open pan.

Savoury Brick.