A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband With Bettina's Best Recipes (11 page)

"You talk to him," said Mrs. Dixon. "I don't know a thing about a refrigerator; that's why I begged you to come."

"Well," considered Bettina, her red brown head on one side, "we want one that will hold not less than a hundred pounds of ice. The large ones are much more economical in the long run. Here, Mrs. Dixon, is a hundred-pound fellow. May we examine it, please?"

"Certainly, madam."

"No, this won't do. See, Mrs. Dixon, the trap is in the bottom of the food chamber. That is wasteful and inconvenient, because in cleaning it you would have to leave the door of the larger compartment open. That would let the cold air out and waste the ice. Anyhow, you know the trap is the sewer of the refrigerator, and has no business in the food chamber. The trap really ought to be in the bottom of the ice chamber, where it can be cleaned without removing the food, or opening the door of the food compartment. Besides, I prefer to have the ice put in at a door on the side of the front, not on the top. Yes, here is the kind I mean. I like this trap, too. See, Mrs. Dixon, isn't it fine? It has a white enamel lining and shelves of open wire that can be removed."

"It looks nice, doesn't it? And when I get some white shelf paper on those shelves it will be like an attractive cupboard."

"Oh, my dear! You mustn't do that! That would prevent the circulation of air through the ice-box, which is the very
thing that makes the food compartment cold. You see, that circulation of air goes on through these open-wire shelves. Another thing, I've seen people cover the ice with newspapers to keep it from melting, as they thought. But they were mistaken. Any friction causes warmth, and ice keeps better when there is nothing touching it."

"Well, if you like this one, I'll ask the price of it."

"It will be expensive, I'm afraid, but the most economical in the long run. Are you staying downtown to meet Mr. Dixon?"

"Yes, I'd like him to see the refrigerator. He takes such an interest in these household things I'm getting."

"Well, good-bye, dear. I must hurry home to get dinner. It won't take long, but I'll have to go, or Bob will get there first, and I'm a little sentimental about being there to greet him at the door."

Bettina's dinner that night consisted of:

Broiled Lamb Chops
Boiled New Potatoes New Peas in Cream
Vegetable Salad
Bread Butter
Rhubarb Pudding

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Broiled Lamb Chops
(Three portions)

3 chops
1 t-salt

Wipe chops and place in a red-hot frying-pan. As soon as the under surface is seared, turn and sear the other side. Turn down the fire a little, and continue to cook, turning chops often. Cook seven minutes if liked rare. When cooked, sprinkle with salt and spread with butter.

Creamed New Peas
(Three portions)

1 qt. peas
¹
/
₈
t-soda
½ t-salt

Shell one quart of peas, cover with cold water and let stand ten minutes, wash well, and drain off the water. Cover with boiled water and cook twenty to fifty minutes, according to age
of peas. A pinch of soda may be added to the water. It softens the skins on the peas. Add salt when the peas have cooked twenty minutes.

White Sauce for Peas
(Three portions)

1 T-butter
1 T-flour
¹
/
₈
t-salt
½ C-milk

Melt the butter, add the flour and salt, mixing well, and the milk, stirring constantly. Cook two minutes. Add the peas.

Rhubarb Pudding
(Three portions)

1 C-cooked, sweetened rhubarb sauce
2 T-flour
1 T-cold water
1 egg-white
¹
/
₈
t-salt

Add the water slowly to the flour and mix well. Add the rhubarb sauce and cook until very thick (about five minutes). Add the stiffly beaten white of egg, mix thoroughly and turn into moistened moulds. Serve cold with cream.

"T
HIS seems like old times!" remarked Mr. Dixon, as he and his wife strolled leisurely home from church with Bob and Bettina. "I haven't had this peaceful Sunday feeling since I was a youngster. Then all the Sundays were like this, cool, quiet and sunny—sprinkled all over with little girls in smooth curls and white leghorn hats, and little boys in uncomfortable, hot clothes a size too large, and newly polished shoes. I often recall the plentiful Sunday dinners, too!"

"Don't get your hopes too high!" said Bettina. "Though I will promise you one treat, wild roses on the table. Bob and I walked out into the country last evening and found them."

"What can I do?" inquired Mrs. Dixon, when she and Bettina were alone in the kitchen.

"You can sit here and talk to me while these potatoes are cooking and the veal birds getting done. You see, the birds have already cooked three-quarters of an hour this morning before I went to church. The waxed beans are in the fireless cooker; I have to make the butter sauce for them. And you see I have the new potatoes all prepared, standing in cold water. I have only to cook them in boiling salted water till they are done. That won't take long, as they aren't large. I set the table on the porch this morning. Bob can make the coffee in the percolator in a little while, when we're ready. He usually starts it when we come to the table, and then it is ready in time to serve last. By the way, if you like the Thousand Island dressing we are to have for the head lettuce, I'd like to give you the recipe. It is a very popular one just now."

"Oh, I've eaten it! Frank is very fond of it, and used to order it every chance he had at the hotel. Will you really tell me how to make it? So many good dinners now end with the salad and cheese and coffee, and I think Thousand Island dressing on head lettuce makes a splendid salad."

"Of course I'll show you. Well, the iced cantaloupe, which is our first course, is in the ice-box. Our dessert today is just cake with chocolate cream frosting, and coffee. It is such a simple Sunday dinner, but that's the kind I believe in!"

BETTINA'S SUNDAY DINNER

Iced Cantaloupe
Veal Birds Boiled New Potatoes
Gravy
Waxed Beans Butter Sauce
Bread Butter
Head Lettuce Thousand Island Dressing
Salt Wafers
Cake with Chocolate Cream Frosting
Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Veal Birds
(Six portions)

1½ lb. veal steak
4 slices bacon
1 T-butter
½ C-crumbs, fresh
½ t-salt
¼ t-paprika
2 T-milk
2 T-fat

Cut veal from the round (veal steak) into strips, four by two and a half inches. Put the trimming and four slices of bacon through the food chopper. Cook the chopped meat three minutes in the butter. Add to this the fresh bread crumbs, salt, pepper and milk. Spread this mixture on the strips of veal. Roll and tie securely with white cord, roll in flour and sauté until browned a little on both sides, in two tablespoons fat in frying pan. Place in a casserole or small covered pan. Season each bird with salt and a small piece of butter. Pour an inch and a half of water into the pan. Cook an hour, or a little less, in a moderate oven. Gravy may be made by adding four tablespoons of water to two level tablespoons of flour,
mixing carefully and gradually pouring into the stock in which the meat has been cooked. Bring to a boil.

Thousand Island Salad Dressing
(Six portions)

½ C-olive oil
2 T-lemon juice
2 T-orange juice
1 t-onion juice
¼ t-salt
¼ t-paprika
1 t-Worcestershire sauce
¼ t-mustard
1 t-chopped parsley

Place all the above ingredients in a pint fruit jar, fit a rubber on the jar cover, and shake vigorously until the dressing is well mixed and creamy. Pour over tomatoes, asparagus, peas, beans, spinach or lettuce. Serve as a salad.

Cake with Chocolate Cream Filling
(Six portions)

½ C-butter
1 C-sugar
1 beaten egg yolk
1½ C-sifted flour
2 t-baking powder
¼ t-mace
½ t-vanilla
½ C-milk
1 egg-white, stiffly beaten

Cream the butter, add the sugar, yolk of egg, dry ingredients and milk. Stir well, add the flavoring, beat two minutes, cut and fold in the egg white. Bake in a large round buttered pan in a moderate oven for thirty minutes. The pan should be seven inches in diameter. Cover with confectioner's icing.

Confectioner's Icing

2 C-powdered sugar
3 T-milk
1 t-vanilla
12 chocolate creams

Mix vanilla and milk, add powdered sugar. Mix until stiff enough to spread. Cut creams in half and arrange on the cake.

"A
REN'T you a bit timid about driving?" asked Bettina, as she stepped into the car beside Mrs. Dixon.

"Not now. You see, I've been practicing every evening with Frank, and he says that I am as good a driver as he is! Oh, Bettina, we are having so much fun these days! The little house is a great success, and I'm really learning to cook! I've had some dreadful failures; but Frank doesn't seem to mind. You see, I know he gets a good meal downtown at noon, and so I don't worry about him."

"Look, Charlotte! What lovely goldenrod! We must stop and get some! Don't you love it?"

"Indeed I do! I have a rough brown waste-paper basket that it looks stunning in. I set the jar of goldenrod right inside! Frank is very fond of it."

"Charlotte, you're just like a bride yourself—thinking about Frank's likes and dislikes."

"Am I?" laughed Mrs. Dixon as her color rose. "Well, lately Frank seems just like his old self! He appreciates everything so, and is so nice at home! And it seems that he can hardly get home quickly enough! We have enjoyed getting things settled and planning our future. Next year we may build a house of our own, but I don't care to have it too large to manage easily."

"Are you going to stop here?" asked Bettina, as Mrs. Dixon slowed down after a peaceful stretch of level road.

"Yes, I want to show you something."

A short path led to a small house close to the road, but almost hidden in a tangle of flowers and wild grapevines.

"Isn't this a cunning little rustic place?" asked Charlotte. "Two friends of mine started it. See" (pointing to the sign over the door), "it's called 'The Friendly Inn.' Inside you'll find that quotation about living in a house at the side of the road and being a friend to every man. You know that one. These girls live on that farm over there. When they came home from college they wanted something to do—some way to earn money—but they didn't care to leave home. This is such a splendid road that the autos swarm past all summer long. These girls opened this little tea room, and serve luncheons and tea here all summer. Most of their supplies come directly from the farm. It is just a pleasant drive from the city, and many people like to come out here in the afternoon. I'll introduce you to the girls."

Bettina found the inn-keepers charming, and after a short conversation, she and Mrs. Dixon ordered:

Tomato Cup Salad Iced Tea
Bread and Butter Sandwiches
Vanilla Ice Cream Chocolate Sauce
Marshmallow Cakes

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Tomato Cup Salad
(Six portions)

6 tomatoes
1 C-diced cucumbers
¼ C-chopped green peppers
¼ C-sliced radishes
1 T-chopped onion
1 t-salt
¹
/
₈
t-paprika
6 T-salad dressing

Wash cold firm tomatoes of a uniform size. Cut a slice from the stem end and scoop out seeds and pulp. Save the pulp. Sprinkle the inside with salt. Invert for five minutes. Mix the cucumber, green pepper, radishes, onions, tomato pulp, and salad dressing. Fill with the mixture and refill the shells. Have all of the ingredients cold and serve at once. If the mixture stands in the tomato cups very long it becomes watery. The tomatoes may be prepared and kept cool, and the mixture
prepared, all but the onion, and placed in the ice-box until ready for use. Never put anything containing onion in the ice-box. Serve the tomatoes on crisp lettuce leaves.

Chocolate Sauce for the Ice Cream
(Six portions)

1 C-sugar
1 square of chocolate
¹
/
₈
t-salt
2 T-flour
1 t-butter
1 t-vanilla
2 C-boiling water

Mix the sugar, flour and salt. Add the square of chocolate and boiling water. Allow to boil four minutes, stirring constantly. Add the butter and vanilla. Serve hot or cold with ice cream.

Marshmallow Cake

Use any white cake recipe. Bake in gem pans. Cover with White Mountain cream icing. Just before the icing is ready to spread, add quartered marshmallows. Do not add the marshmallows while the icing is hot, as they will melt, and the little "bumps" are attractive when spread on the cake.