Four pounds of fish are enough to make a chowder for four or five people; half a dozen slices of salt pork in the bottom of the pot; hang it high, so that the pork may not burn; take it out when done very brown; put in a layer of fish, cut in lengthwise slices, then a layer formed of crackers, small or sliced onions, and potatoes sliced as thin as a four-pence, mixed with pieces of pork you have fried; then a layer of fish again, and so on.  Six crackers are enough.  Strew a little salt and pepper over each layer; over the whole pour a bowl-full of flour and water, enough to come up even with the surface of what you have in the pot.  A sliced lemon adds to the flavor.  A cup of tomato catsup is very excellent.  Some people put in a cup of beer.  A few clams are a pleasant addition.  It should be covered so as not to let a particle of steam escape, if possible.  Do not open it, except when nearly done, to taste if it be well seasoned.

Salt fish should be put in a deep plate, with just water enough to cover it, the night before you intend to cook it.  It should not be boiled an instant; boiling renders it hard.  It should lie in scalding hot water two or three hours.  The less water is used, and the more fish is cooked at once, the better.  Water thickened with flour and water while boiling, with sweet butter put in to melt, is the common sauce.  It is more economical to cut salt pork into small bits, and try it till the pork is brown and crispy.  It should not be done too fast, lest the sweetness be scorched out.

Salted shad and mackerel should be put into a deep plate and covered with boiling water for about ten minutes after it is thoroughly broiled, before it is buttered.  This makes it tender, takes off the coat of salt, and prevents the strong oily taste, so apt to be unpleasant in preserved fish.  The same rule applies to smoked salmon.

Salt fish mashed with potatoes, with good butter or pork scraps to moisten it, is nicer the second day than it was the first.  The fish should be minced very fine, while it is warm.  After it has got cold and dry, it is difficult to do it nicely.  Salt fish needs plenty of vegetables, such as onions, beets, carrots, &c.

There is no way of preparing salt fish for breakfast, so nice as to roll it up in little balls, after it is mixed with mashed potatoes; dip it into an egg, and fry it brown.

A female lobster is not considered so good as a male.  In the female, the sides of the head, or what look like cheeks, are much larger, and jut out more than those of the male.  The end of a lobster is surrounded with what children call ‘purses,’ edged with a little fringe.  If you put your hand under these to raise it, and find it springs back hard and firm, it is a sign the lobster is fresh; if they move flabbily, it is not a good omen.

Fried salt pork and apples is a favorite dish in the country; but it is seldom seen in the city.  After the pork is fried, some of the fat should be taken out, lest the apples should be oily.  Acid apples should be chosen, because they cook more easily; they should be cut in slices, across the whole apple, about twice or three times as thick as a new dollar.  Fried till tender, and brown on both sides—­laid around the pork.  If you have cold potatoes, slice them and brown them in the same way.