A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband With Bettina's Best Recipes (7 page)

Toast
(Four Pieces)

4 slices bread
2 T-butter

Toast slices of bread one-half an inch thick on the broiler directly under the flame, or on a toaster fitted for a burner on top of the stove. Brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other. When both sides are an even golden brown, butter one side, care being taken to butter the edges. Set the toast on an enamel plate or tin pie-pan in the oven, until all the pieces are ready for serving. Always serve toast very hot.

Apple Sauce
(Two portions)

4 apples
¹
/
₃
C-water
4 T-sugar
½ t-cinnamon

Wash, peel and core the apples. Add water and cook slowly in a covered utensil until tender. Remove cover, add the sugar and cook two minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top.

"S
O she is about to try her cooking on me, is she?" said Bettina's father to Bob, as he sat down at the table. "Well, I'll admit that I have looked forward to this all day. But there was a time when I was a little more skeptical of Bettina's culinary skill. You know, when mother was in California two years ago last winter——"

"Now, Charlie, you know that all girls have to learn at some time or other," interrupted Bettina's mother. "And I believe that Bob has fared pretty well, considering that Bettina is just beginning to keep house——"

"I should say so!" said Bob, heartily. "Why, I'm getting fat! I was weighed to-day, and——"

"Don't say any more, Bob! We'll rent the house and take to boarding! If you get fat——"

"No boarding-houses for mine! Not after your cooking, Bettina! I had enough of boarding before I was married. Say—how long ago that does seem."

"Has the time dragged as much as that? Well, I'll change the subject. Dad, how do you like my Japanese garden? I think it's pretty, don't you?"

"I certainly do, my dear. What are those feathery things?"

"Why, don't you know that, Father? And when you were a boy, you worked on a farm one summer, too! There's a parsnip and a horse radish, and a beet. Then there are a few parsley seeds and grass seeds on a tiny sponge! And see the little shells and stones that Bob and I collected for it."

"Yes, we found that pink stone up the river on a picnic a
year ago last May, before we were engaged, or were we engaged then, Bettina? And the purple one——"

"Oh, you needn't reminisce," Bettina interrupted hastily. "Eat your dinner."

"Every little stone
Has a meaning all its own,
Every little shell——
But it wouldn't do to tell."

"I composed that poem just this minute," said Bob, undisturbed.

"Will you help me get the dessert now, Robert? Are you ready, Mother? And Father?"

"Yes, indeed. A very fine dinner, Bettina. We never have steak fixed this way at home; do we, Mother? Can we try it some day soon?"

"I have something for dessert that you like, Dad. Guess what!"

"What is it? Oh, lemon pie! That is fine, I can tell you! But I know already that it won't be as good as your mother's! Still, we'll try it and see!"

That evening for dinner, Bettina served:

Devilled Steak New Potatoes in Cream
Baking-powder Biscuits Jelly
Cucumber and Radish Salad
Lemon Pie
Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Devilled Steak
(Four portions)

2 T-butter
1 T-onion
1½ lb. flank steak ¾ inch thick
2 T-flour
1 t-salt
½ t-pepper
¹
/
₈
t-paprika
1 t-mustard
1 T-vinegar
1 T-flour
2 C-water

Melt the butter in a frying-pan, slice the onion in it and sauté gently until golden brown in color. Remove the onion from
the butter, cut the flank steak into pieces three by two inches. Dredge these lightly in one tablespoon flour and sauté in the butter until well browned. Remove the meat from the frying-pan; add the salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, vinegar and flour. Mix all together and add the water slowly. Replace the steak in the pan, cover closely and simmer one hour, or until the steak is tender. Serve on a warm platter and pour the gravy over it.

Baking Powder Biscuit
(Fifteen biscuits)

2 C-flour
4 t-baking powder
¼ t-salt
3 T-lard
²
/
₃
C-milk

Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt; cut in the lard with a knife until the consistency of cornmeal. Add the milk, mixing with a knife. Pat into a rectangular shape, one-half inch thick, on a floured board. Cut with a biscuit cutter one and one-half inches in diameter. Place side by side in a tin pan. Bake in a moderate oven fifteen minutes.

Cucumber and Radish Salad
(Four portions)

1 C-diced cucumbers
½ C-diced radishes
2 t-chopped onion
1 t-salt
¼ t-pepper
4 T-salad dressing
4 lettuce leaves

Mix the cucumbers, radishes, onions, salt and pepper. Add salad dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Lemon Pie

Filling
1 C-sugar
½ t-salt
juice 1 large lemon
2 egg-yolks
1½ C-water
1 t-grated rind
½ C-flour
1 t-butter

Beat the egg yolks, add the sugar gradually and beat; add the flour, salt, water, lemon juice and rind. Cook in a double boiler until it thickens. Pour into the pastry shell, cover with meringue and bake in a moderate oven until the meringue is brown.

Pie Crust

1 C-flour
¹
/
₃
C-lard
¹
/
₈
t-salt
2 T-cold water

Cut the lard into the flour and salt with a knife. Add the water gradually, lifting with a knife that portion that was moistened first and pushing it to one side of the bowl, wet another portion and continue until all is moistened, using just enough water to hold together. Put together and place on a floured board. Roll the crust to fit the pan. Press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan. Prick the sides and bottom with a fork. Crinkle the edges of the crust; have the crust extend above the edge of the pan to make a deep shell for the filling. Bake the crust first to make it more crisp. Do not butter the pan. Bake from five to six minutes in a hot oven. When the crust is done, add the filling and cover this with the meringue.

Meringue

2 egg whites beaten stiff
5 T-sugar (powdered preferred)
½ t-lemon extract

Do not beat the egg-whites until ready for use. Then beat until stiff and add the sugar and extract, beating only a minute. Pile the meringue lightly on top of the filling, and bake the whole slowly. If baked too quickly, the meringue will rise and then fall. Bake only until it turns a golden brown.

"H
ERE, Bettina, let me mash those potatoes! It's fine exercise after a day at the office!" And Bob seized the potato masher with the same vigor that he used to handle a tennis racquet.

"Good for you, Bob! They can't have a single lump in them after that! About the most unappetizing thing I can think of is lumpy mashed potato, or mashed potato that is heavy and unseasoned. More milk? You'd better use plenty. Here! Now watch me toss them lightly into this hot dish and put a little parsley and a lump of butter on the top. There, doesn't that look delicious?"

"I should say so! And look at the fancy tomatoes, each one with a cover! What on earth is inside?"

"Just wait till you taste them; they're a new invention of mine, and I do believe they'll make a splendid luncheon dish for the next time that Ruth is here, or Alice brings her sewing over. I'm practising on you first, you see, and if you survive and seem to like them, I may use them for a real company dish."

"You can't frighten me that way! Creamed chicken?"

"Creamed veal. Don't you remember what we had for dinner last night? There were two chops left and I made it of them. I know it is good when made of cold veal roast, but I had never tried it with cold veal chops—so again I am experimenting on you, Bobby!"

"You don't frighten me so easily as that! I've just caught a glimpse of something that looks like cocoanut cake, and I'll be happy now, no matter how the rest of the dinner tastes!"

"There, everything is on, Bob! Let's sit down to dinner, and you tell me all about your day!"

Dinner consisted of:

Creamed Veal Mashed Potatoes
Stuffed Tomatoes Bettina
Bread Butter
Sliced Peaches Cream
Cocoanut Cake
Iced Tea

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Creamed Veal
(Two portions)

1 C-cooked veal chopped
½ C-white sauce (medium)
3 rounds of toast

Mix the veal and sauce. Heat and serve hot on rounds of toast.

Mashed Potatoes
(Two portions)

4 potatoes
2 C-water
1 t-salt
½ T-butter
½ t-salt
¼ t-paprika
1 T-milk

Wash and peel medium-sized potatoes; cook in boiling water (salted) until tender. (About twenty minutes.) Drain and shake over the fire a minute or two until they are a little dry. Either mash with potato masher, or put through potato ricer. Add butter, salt, paprika and milk. Beat till very light, fluffy and white. Reheat by setting the saucepan in a larger kettle containing boiling water. Place over flame. More milk may be needed. Pile them lightly on the hot dish in which they are to be served.

Stuffed Tomatoes Bettina
(Two portions)

2 firm, good-sized tomatoes
3 T-fresh bread crumbs
2 T-left-over cooked vegetables (peas, beans, celery or corn)
1 T-chopped cooked ham or cooked bacon
¹
/
₈
t-paprika
1 T-egg
1 t-melted butter
½ t-salt

Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and cut a slice one inch in diameter from the blossom end, reserving it for future use. Carefully scoop out the pulp, being careful to leave the shell firm. To the tomato pulp, add bread crumbs, left-over vegetables, chopped meat, egg, melted butter, salt and paprika. Cook the mixture four minutes over the fire. Fill the shells with the cooked mixture. Put the slices back on the tomatoes. Place in a small pan and bake twenty minutes in a hot oven.

"W
HAT kind of tea is this?" Ruth inquired one Sunday evening on the porch.

"Why, this is a mixture of green and black tea," said Bettina. "I like that better for iced tea than either kind alone."

"I like tea," said Fred, "although perhaps that isn't considered a manly sentiment in this country. I hope you do too, Ruth. Nothing seems so cozy to me as tea and toast. And I like iced tea like this in the summertime. An uncle of mine is very fond of tea, and has offered to send me some that he considers particularly fine. I believe that Orange Pekoe is his favorite."

"I think that has the best flavor of all," said Bettina, "though just now we are using an English breakfast tea that we like very much. And the green tea mixed with it for this is Japan tea."

"I've heard my uncle say that 'Pekoe' means 'white hair,' and is applied to young leaves because they are covered with a fine white down. Uncle also says that black teas are considered more wholesome than green because they contain less tannin. I tell you, he's a regular connoisseur."

"I see that I must become an expert tea-maker!" said Ruth. "I'm learning something new about Fred every day. Bettina, do tell me exactly how you make tea. Fred can listen, too, unless he already knows."

"Well, let's see, Ruth. I take a level teaspoonful of tea to a cup of water. I put the tea in a scalded earthenware tea-pot—that kind is better than metal—and pour boiling water over it—fresh
water. Then I cover it and allow it to steep from three to five minutes. Then I strain and serve it. You know tea should always be freshly made, and never warmed over. It shouldn't be boiled either, not a second. Boiling, or too long steeping, brings out the tannin."

"But how about iced-tea? That has to stand."

"It shouldn't steep, though. I make it just like any tea and strain it. Then I let it cool, and set it on the ice for three or four hours. I serve it with chipped ice, lemon and mint."

"Mother always added a cherry to her afternoon tea," said Ruth.

"That would be great," said Bob. "I don't care much for hot tea, but I believe I would be willing to drink a cup for the sake of the cherry."

"Ruth," said Bettina, "I know now what I will give you for an engagement present since Fred likes tea, too. A silver tea-ball. Surely that will symbolize comfort and fireside cheer."

"Speaking of firesides," asked Bob, "what material have you decided upon for your fireplace? It seems to me that we're talking too much about tea-making, and not enough about house-building."