For the Unexpected Guest
Entertaining can be made easy by some forethought, and a little girl
should be made to realize that hospitality, of all things, should be
genuine. In the case of expected company it is well to get whatever is
needed in plenty of time, but the unexpected guest should receive none
the less cordial greeting while the housekeeper hurriedly reviews her
resources in the way of material available.
One of the most important lessons to teach the little girl is that of
making simple dishes so attractive that no hesitation need be felt in
asking friends to share the family fare. This is particularly true in
the case of dishes for supper. They should not require much extra work,
but be quickly prepared and preferably of what one happens to have in
the house. For a light supper it is desirable to have one hot dish,
beside a warm bread, cold meat, fruit, cake and tea.
[Illustration: TABLE SET FOR AN EASTER LUNCHEON]
If the child has become proficient, she should be allowed as a special
favor to make the baking-powder biscuits by herself. Have her use a
small cutter not more than two inches in diameter, as small biscuits are
more appetizing; and be sure to have them baked to a light brown.
POTATO SALAD
Potato salad makes a good chief dish for the unexpected guest and is
easily prepared. The child should be told to select medium-sized
potatoes, at least one for each person and after scrubbing with a brush
to get perfectly clean, put on with boiling water enough to cover and
boil gently until tender, then drain and set aside to cool. This can be
done at dinner time, when the fire is hot, and save extra trouble. When
the potatoes are cold the skins can be easily removed, and the potatoes
then cut in thin slices. Next she should peel and cut in very thin
slices one small onion (unless the family taste prefers more) and
arrange the alternate layers of sliced potatoes and onions, well
seasoned with salt and pepper, in a pretty salad bowl. It looks
attractive, too, tossed lightly on lettuce leaves arranged on a small
platter. Over the whole then pour the boiled salad dressing, or the
French, as the family prefer, and when the potato salad is ready to
serve it should be garnished with sprigs of parsley and slices of
hard-boiled egg.
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
Scalloped oysters make a fine supper dish on a cold night, and there are
several ways they can be prepared. The one I like best I will give
first. The child should butter a number of thin slices of bread and
spread on the bottom of a dripping-pan, laying on next a layer of
oysters, with pepper and salt; then another layer of the thin buttered
bread, another layer of oysters, and the top finished with a layer of
bread, well seasoned. Over the whole pour the oyster juice and one-half
cupful of milk. This will require from twenty to twenty-five minutes in
a hot oven, when the bread on top will be toasted crisp. Many people
like scalloped oysters prepared with crackers, and in that case the
rolled cracker-crumbs are used instead of the bread, but the taste of
the two dishes is different.
CREAMED OYSTERS
Cook one pint of oysters in their own liquor or in a few spoonsful of
salted water until they curl at the edges. Have ready a thick cream
sauce, stir in the oysters, and cook a few moments longer. Serve in
baskets made by removing the inside of the light rolls, brushing with
melted butter and browning in the oven. Make handles from crust, and
insert after filling.
[Illustration: CREAMED OYSTERS IN BASKETS]
FRIED OYSTERS
To fry oysters, select large, choice ones, and dry in a napkin. Taking
one at a time, roll in cracker crumbs, season with salt and pepper, dip
in beaten egg, and cover thoroughly again with the rolled cracker.
Spread out on a bread board and allow to stand a little while for this
covering to set, then cook either in a skillet with a small amount of
butter, or in deep fat, until lightly browned. Lift on to a piece of
wrapping paper to drain, but keep hot, and serve garnished with parsley
and sliced lemon.
WELSH RAREBIT
This is another good dish for an evening supper. Crumble half a pound of
grated cheese, and put in a chafing-dish or a double boiler. Season with
half a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of prepared mustard and a
dash of red pepper. When it begins to melt, stir constantly, and as soon
as it begins to look the least bit "stringy," pour in slowly a quarter
of a cup of cream and one beaten egg. As this blends, add a teaspoonful
of butter, cook until smooth, and serve immediately on rounds of hot
toast or square soda crackers.
FRITTERS, APPLE AND BANANA
Fritters help out nicely, too, for company, and can be fried in a small
quantity of very hot fat instead of in the deep fat if mother prefers.
Sift one cup of flour, add one-quarter teaspoon salt, a tablespoon
sugar, two-thirds of a cup of milk, one tablespoonful melted butter, and
the yolk of one egg, beaten light. Stir to a smooth batter, add the
stiffly beaten white, and lastly several sour apples, cut in thin
slices, or three bananas, cut a little thicker. Drop by the spoonful in
the smoking hot fat, set where they will not scorch, and if in a frying
pan, turn over as soon as brown around the edges. Serve with powdered
sugar.
[Illustration: TRAY ARRANGED FOR WELSH RAREBIT]
MILK TOAST
Put on in a double boiler two cups of milk, one tablespoonful of butter,
salt to your own taste, and allow to come to a boil. Have ready four
squares of nicely browned toast, put in a hot vegetable dish, pour over
the milk, clap on the cover, and serve at once. Some people like the
milk thickened with a teaspoonful of flour that has first been moistened
with a little cold milk, but I prefer it without.
* * * * *
Every housekeeper should impress on her young daughter the importance of
keeping on hand a small quantity of canned goods to provide for the
unexpected guest, and this should include sardines, salmon, shrimps,
lobster, French peas, olives and orange marmalade. These things will all
keep for months in a cool place, yet are indispensable in an emergency.
The can of shrimps, opened and placed in cold water for a little while,
will taste as good as the fresh, and the salmon, with the skin and bones
removed, will be ready on short notice to be served in a number of ways.
CANNED FISH SALADS
For salad, take either shrimps, lobster or salmon, and after breaking in
small pieces, add an equal amount of celery, season with salt and
moisten with salad dressing. Serve on lettuce.
CREAMED CANNED FISH
If our small cook wishes to serve a hot dish, however, in a hurry for
company, she can make to use with her canned fish, the favorite white
sauce. For this she must first melt one tablespoonful of butter and add
to it one tablespoonful of flour, a quarter teaspoonful of salt, a dash
of pepper, and lastly, after mixing well, one cupful of milk, stirring
all the time until thick. After boiling two minutes put in the can of
lobster, shrimps or salmon, broken in small pieces, and allow to boil
gently for three minutes more. Then serve on rounds of buttered toast,
garnished with parsley.
SARDINE CANAPES
If only sardines happen to be left in the reserve stock and yet
something hot is needed, let the mother show the child how to make that
rather unusual dish, sardine canapes. After removing the bones and
tails, the sardines should be rubbed to a paste and mixed with an equal
quantity of chopped hard-boiled eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, a
teaspoonful of lemon juice and half a teaspoonful of Worcestershire
sauce. Then she must cut circles of bread, toast or fry them brown in
butter, and spread on the sardine paste. Send to the table immediately,
garnished with circles of the hard-boiled white of egg.