Boiled macaroni.—For
this have ready a large pot of boiling salted
water, throw the macaroni in whilst it is at the
full boil, and keep it boiling fast all the time,
stirring it now and again. As soon as on lifting
a small piece and biting it you find the pipe is
crisp yet tender, dash in half a pint of icy cold
water to throw it off the boil at once, and drain
off the macaroni carefully. It is then ready
for use, though it is not so pappy as macaroni
cooked à l'Anglaise is apt to be, when for a
Neapolitan it would be utterly ruined by over-
cooking. Macaroni cooked thus and then tossed
in any nice gravy or sauce, or mixed with hot butter
and seasoned, is a capital accompaniment to many
kinds of meat. Be sure it is cooked in plenty of
water. Almost every kind of macaroni takes a
special time to cook, which must be learned by
experience, though in general from twenty to thirty
minutes is allowed. For the tomato purée, stalk
and quarter some good tomatoes, and boil them in
a little water well seasoned with pepper, salt, and
a bunch of herbs (parsley, bay leaf, and a good
spray of fresh or dried basil) and when thoroughly