The I Hate to Cook Book (34 page)

Next we come to those smart little fruit-with-wine desserts which gourmets approve so highly, and which, when you hate to cook, are hard to beat. These give you maximum effect with minimum pain. Nor are they expensive, as they may seem at first blush.

A satisfactory domestic port, sherry, muscatel, or sweet sauterne costs little more than a dollar. You pay more than that for a good bakery cake, which is gone in two days. If you put the wine where no one else can find it, it lasts for months, because most of these recipes call for very little.

As for Kirschwasser and other brandies and liqueurs—which cost more—the solution is to get someone to share the load. Find someone else who hates to cook—this won’t be hard—and split a bottle between you. Be sure you pour your half into an ugly mason jar and label it
COOKING BRANDY
. Then you won’t be so apt to bring it out for company and drink it up.

     STRAWBERRIES IN PORT     

Pour port wine over slightly sugared ripe strawberries in sherbet glasses, chill them, and serve.

     STRAWBERRIES IN BRANDY     

Put the strawberries in a glass bowl, pour brandy over them, and chill. Just before you serve them, sprinkle well with powdered sugar.

     DESERT DESSERT     

6 servings

5 oranges, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup chopped toasted almonds

¾ cup shredded dates

cup orange juice

cup brandy

Mix these things together in a pretty bowl, chill for at least two hours, and serve in sherbet glasses.

     MELON WINE COMPOTE     

cantaloupe balls

honey-dew balls

watermelon balls

powdered sugar

sweet sauterne or muscatel

Put the balls in a bowl, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on them, and half cover with the wine. Chill for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.

     PEARS SICILY     

8 servings

¼ cup chopped almonds, toasted or untoasted

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 drops almond extract

4 big pears, halved, with cores removed

¾ cup sherry

Mix together the almonds, butter, and almond extract, then put this in the pear cavities. Put the pear halves in a baking dish, pour the sherry over them, and bake at 350˚ for half an hour. Serve hot or cold.

     MEDITERRANEAN MELONS