EXAMINATION DAY
"Children," said Mother Blair on New Year's day, "when you have all
finished whatever you are doing and have a whole hour to spare, I want
you to bring your receipt books into the sitting-room. I'm going to have
an examination."
Jack gave a loud groan.
"That's no fair, Mother. No exams in vacation!"
"Yes, it is fair, perfectly fair to have this examination in vacation
time, because you never have a moment while school is going on to give
me for it; now is my only chance. But it won't be a very long or severe
one. I fancy I can find out all _you_ know about cooking in a very short
time, Jack!"
Jack laughed and went upstairs for his book, and presently they all
gathered in the sitting-room by the fire. The three children sat in a
row on the great big sofa with the pillows tucked behind them, and
Mother Blair sat in front, exactly like a teacher. She had three pads
and pencils ready, and three packages well wrapped up, in her lap.
"It was just a year ago to-day that we got those books," said Brownie.
"Mine has heaps of rules in it, too."
"So has mine," said Mildred, turning the leaves. "I did not know I had
so many. And what fun we had making some of the things! Do you remember
your cheese dreams at the House-in-the-Woods party, Jack? And the
Hallowe'en things in the chafing-dish? And the attic picnic, Brownie?
I'm sorry we can't have all those parties over again, Mother."
"We'll have plenty more, dear, and better ones, too. But how many
receipts have you, Jack?"
Jack proudly displayed his camping receipts and a few others,
principally chafing-dish rules. "Lots!" he said.
"Not half enough. You've done only pretty well, Jack; but a beginning is
something, after all. But now, children, the examination is going to
begin. Here is a written question for each of you, and you are to write
the answer down on this pad."
"Dreadful," murmured Mildred, accepting her slip of paper and pad with a
long sigh. This is what she read:
"What would you have for luncheon, if you found in the refrigerator some
eggs, a little celery, cold boiled potatoes, a bottle of milk and
butter; and beside had in the house cookies and a basket of very poor
pears? Look up the rule for each dish in your receipt book."
"That's easy," said Mildred, happily, going to work at once.
Brownie's slip said:
"If you were ordering breakfast to-morrow morning, what would be the
nicest things you could think of? And could you make them all?"
And when Jack opened his folded paper he read:
"Plan a Sunday night supper with nothing but what you can make
yourself."
"Ask me a hard one," Jack said, waving his paper around his head.
Mother Blair took a book and began to read to herself while the pencils
scratched away on the pads and the receipt books were consulted over and
over. It was only a few moments before, "Done!" said Mildred, and
"Done!" said Brownie. Jack was a trifle slower, and they had to wait
for him to finish. It was not so easy an examination as he had thought
at first.
"Read the question first and then the answer; you begin, Mildred," said
Mother Blair. So Mildred read her question, and then taking her pad read
what she had put down:
"For luncheon I would have first, cream of celery soup, made by the rule
I copied under cream soups; I learned how to make those when Mother was
sick. After that I would have creamed eggs on toast. (You know I can
make those, Mother; I made them just last week.) And with them I'd have
hashed brown potatoes; that rule I know by heart. And then for dessert
I'd stew those poor pears, like apple sauce, you know, only I wouldn't
cut them up but keep them in halves the way Norah does; and I'd have the
cookies with them."
"Good, Mildred--splendid! I did not know you could manage so well Now
let's see what Brownie would have for breakfast."
"Cereal first; see the rule of cereal with dates,--only I'd leave out
the dates this time--and then I'd have muffins; of course, I can make
those. And coffee, and poached eggs. Do you think that is a good
breakfast, Mother?"
"Delicious, dear. I only wish it were breakfast time now. And how did
you get along, Jack?"
"You gave me the hardest of all," Jack grumbled. "But I did it, all the
same. I'd have cheese dreams, and corned beef hash first; then I'd have
pigs in blankets on toast; and camp coffee; and then corn cakes and
syrup to finish off with."
Jack smiled complacently. "That's what I call a good, substantial meal."
Mildred was screaming with laughter as he finished.
"Cheese dreams and pigs in blankets, and corned beef hash, Mother Blair!
For Sunday night supper!"
"You'd have regular Hallowe'en nightmares after that meal, Jack!" said
his mother, laughing too. "However, as you know how to make all those,
we will let you have them--on paper. Only when you get a supper for this
family you need not have quite so many things, especially if we have
company; they might not appreciate them. Now are you ready for the next
question?"
The examination proved such fun that they kept it up all the morning.
They told how to lay a table for breakfast, luncheon and dinner; how to
arrange a sick-room tray; what to give a little child who came in to a
meal; how to make fudge, and sandwiches, and tea and salads and cake;
how to put up jelly, and how to cook eggs in different ways; some of
these things Brownie and Jack did not know, but most of them they wrote
down on their papers very well indeed. And they planned all sorts of
meals, and that was the most fun of all, family dinners, and company
luncheons, and picnic suppers, and party meals for Thanksgiving and
Fourth of July and Washington's Birthday and other times. It really was
not so much of an examination as it was a game.
Finally Mother Blair said they had done enough. "You know so much more
than I thought you did that I'm satisfied," she said. "Really and truly,
children, I'm proud of you! You all get a hundred in your examination,
and you each have earned a prize beside for standing at the top of your
three classes."
Then she opened the packages she had had in her lap all this time and
brought out three books.
"Before I distribute the prizes I must make a speech," she said. "That's
the way it's always done at school, you know.
"Children: You have done so well in your cooking lessons that I am
going to give each of you a real cook book, for you know now how to use
one. There are many other dishes beside those you have learned already
that I am sure you will want to know how to make, too. All you have to
do is to turn to any rule here and follow it carefully, exactly as you
do in the books you have made yourselves. Mildred, here is your book-- I
present it with pride! It's a regular grown-up cook book, only it's a
very easy one. And, Brownie, yours is a little girl's cook book; you
will love it, and I present it with pride, too, my dear child! And
Jack--"
"I do hope mine has plenty of cake in it, Mother, and lovely desserts
all made with gelatine, and fancy salads with fixings on them; you know
those are the things I really like to make," said Jack demurely.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," laughed his mother, "but yours is a
regular boy's cook book, all about--"
"Camping!" interrupted Jack, as he saw its title. "Well, now, that's
about the right kind of a book for me, after all. Say, Mother Blair, I
think your prizes are great."
"So do I," murmured Mildred, who was deep in a rule for a perfectly
delicious dessert with whipped cream and nuts in it.
But Brownie did not say a word. She was reading the story in her book
about how some children learned to cook.
[Illustration]
INDEX
BEVERAGES
Cocoa, 33
Coffee, 87
Coffee, camp, 122
Grape juice, mulled, 226
Lemonade, 68
Lemonade, grape juice, 98
Tea, 84
BREADS
Baking powder biscuits, 34
Camper's bread, 144
Corn cakes, 126
Corn meal mush, fried, 142
Muffins, 83
Pancakes, 130
Toast, cream, 190
CAKE
Brownies, 22
Chocolate crackers, 49
Christmas, 16
Currant, 80
Gingerbread, "perfectly lovely," 46
Gingerbread men, 24
Macaroons, oatmeal, 17
Marguerites, 67
Nut, 224
Peanut wafers, 49
Spicy cookies, 64
CANDY
Chocolate cocoanut cakes, 237
Chocolate squares, 239
Christmas elves, 25
Coffee candy, 234
Fondant, 235
Nut creams, 238
Pinoche, 237
Pop corn balls, 21
CEREAL
Cereal with dates, 189
Oatmeal, 210
DESSERTS
Chocolate cream, 222
Custard, baked, 79
Custard, soft, 191
Custard, junket, 184
PUDDINGS:
Camp, 150
Cornstarch, almond, 202
Cornstarch, chocolate, 202
Cornstarch, plain, 201
Strawberries in box, 119
Strawberry cake, 118
Strawberry Russe, 118
Strawberry short cake, 115
ICE CREAMS:
Chocolate, 96
Fruit, 96
Parfait, 104
Plain, 95
Strawberries, frozen, 100
Strawberries and ice cream, 103
EGGS
Deviled, 51
Goldenrod, 190
Creamed, 177
Poached, 185
In ramekins, 213
Scrambled, 36
Spanish, 174
FISH
Baked, 149
Broiled, 129
Fish balls, 142
Panned, 132
Salmon, creamed, 214
Salmon, scalloped, 81
Salmon, steamed, 135
Sardines, hot, 215
Small fish, broiled, 132
Warmed over, 129
OYSTERS:
Panned, creamed, 176
Pigs in blankets, 173
Scalloped, 221
Stew, 36
FRUIT
Apples, baked, 190
Apple sauce, 208
Dates, stuffed, 69
Orange baskets, 68
Pineapple, stuffed, 178
Strawberries for first course, 116
JAMS AND JELLIES
Conserve:
Apple, 162
Cranberry, 162
Jam, 153
Grape, 158
Jelly:
Apple, 162
Made over, 199
Spiced fruit, 159
MEATS
Chicken, creamed, 112
Corned beef hash, 132
Dried beef, creamed, 207
Ham and eggs, 125
Meat pie, easy, 214
Pork, salt fried, 141
Stew, ten minute, 138
Veal loaf, 60
MISCELLANEOUS
Almonds, salted, 233
Covering jellies, 163
Icing for cake, 20
Laying the table, 74
Packing a freezer, 94
Sick room tray, 187
White sauce, 82
PASTRY
Tartlets, 20
SALADS
Chicken, 52
Fruit, 53
String bean, 225
Tomato, plain, 110
Tomato, yellow, 111
French dressing, 52
SANDWICHES
Cheese, 45
Cheese dreams, 35
Egg, 45
Ham, deviled, 140
How to make, 43
Lettuce, 45
Meat, 44
Orange marmalade, 63
Sardine, 45
Sweet, 45
Toasted sardine, 61
Tomato and cheese, 175
SOUPS
Chicken broth, 183
Cream, 182
VEGETABLES
Beans, baked, 143
Corn, boiled, 148
Corn, roasted, 148
Onions, boiled, 149
Potatoes:
Baked, 128
Baked and stuffed, 32
Boiled, 129
Creamed, 83
Fried, 135
Puff, 198
Scalloped, 174
Rice patties, 196
Tomatoes, Spanish, 212
End of Project Gutenberg's The Fun of Cooking, by Caroline French Benton