Place in an agate pudding dish 6 pared and halved (lengthwise) raw sweet potatoes.  Scatter over them three tablespoons of sugar, 2 large tablespoons of butter cut in small bits, and about 1/2 a cup (good measure) of water.  Stand in a hot oven and bake about 3/4 of an hour.  Baste frequently with the syrup formed in the bottom of the dish.  The potatoes when baked should look clear and the syrup should be as thick as molasses.  Serve in the dish in which they were baked.  Should the oven of the range not be very hot, the dish containing the potatoes may be placed on top the range and cooked about 25 minutes before placing in oven to finish baking.

SWEET POTATO CROQUETTES

To 1 pint of hot mashed potatoes, or cold boiled ones may be used, squeezed through a fruit press; add 1 tablespoon of butter, pinch of salt, 2 eggs, whites beaten separately.  When cool, form into small cone-shapes, dip in bread crumbs, then into egg, then into crumbs again, and fry in deep fat.  Drain on paper and serve on platter garnished with parsley.

POTATO CHIPS

Aunt Sarah’s way of making particularly fine potato chips:  She pared six large white potatoes, one at a time.  As she wished to slice them to fry, she rinsed the potatoes, rolled them on a clean cloth to dry them.  She sliced the potatoes thinly on a “slaw” cutter.  She patted the sliced potatoes between old linen napkins, until all moisture was absorbed, then dropped them into hot fat, consisting of two-thirds lard and one-third suet.  Place only one layer of potatoes at a time in the fat.  The chips quickly turn light brown; then remove with a perforated skimmer to a colander lined with coarse brown paper, to absorb any remaining fat.  Should the fat be the right temperature, the chips will be entirely free from grease.  Dust salt over the chips while hot.  She never allowed chips to stand in salt water, as many cooks do.  She usually made potato chips when frying doughnuts, and always fried potato chips first; after frying doughnuts in the fat fry several large slices of potato in it, as the potato clarifies it.  Six large, thinly sliced potatoes will make about five quarts of potato chips when fried and may be kept several weeks in a dry place.  The potato chips may be re-heated by placing in a hot oven a few minutes before serving.

FRIED EGGPLANT

Pare the egg-plant, cut in slices one-half inch thick, sprinkle salt on slices; let stand under heavy weight several hours.  Wipe slices dry with a napkin and dip in a mixture of white of one egg, and one tablespoon of water, then dip them in fine rolled bread crumbs and fry a rich brown in deep fat.  Drain and serve.  Catsup should always be served with eggplant.

BAKED “STUFFED PEPPERS”