MRS. DIXON ASKS QUESTIONS
"I HAD resolved," said Mrs. Dixon, at Bettina's dinner-table, "not to
accept another invitation to come here until you people had eaten again
at our house. But your invitations are just too alluring for me to
resist, and your cooking is so much better than mine, and I always learn
so much that--well--here we are! For instance, I feel that I am about to
learn something this very minute! (Now, Frank, please don't scold me if
I talk about the food!) Bettina, how did you ever dare to cook cabbage?
It looks delicious and I know it is, but I tried cooking some the other
day and the whole house has the cabbage odor in no time. Yours hasn't.
Now what magic spell did you lay on this particular cabbage?"
"Let me answer that," said Bob. "I want to show off! Bettina cooked that
as she always cooks onions and turnips, in a a large amount of water in
an uncovered utensil. Isn't that correct, Bettina? Send me to the head
of the class!"
"Yes, you're right. I did boil the cabbage this morning, and of course I
have a well-ventilated kitchen, but I don't believe the odor would be
noticeable if I had cooked it just before dinner."
"I never used to eat cabbage," said Bob, "but I like Bettina's way of
preparing it. She never lets it cook until it gets a bit brown, and so
it has a delicate flavor. Most people cook cabbage too long."
"Another question, Teacher. How did you manage to bake these potatoes
so that they are so good and mealy? Mine always burst from their skins."
"Well," said Bettina, "I ran the point of the knife around the outside
of the potato. This cutting of the skin allows it to swell a little and
prevents it from bursting. Then I baked it in a moderate oven. Another
thing. I've discovered that it is better not to pierce a potato to find
out if it is done. I press it with my fingers, and if it seems soft on
the inside, I remove it from the oven and press the skin until it
breaks, allowing the steam to escape. If I don't do that, a mealy potato
becomes soggy from the quickly condensing steam."
"Oh, Bettina, I'm so glad to know that! I like baked potatoes because I
know they are so digestible, but I never can make them like these. Now I
won't monopolize the conversation any longer. You men may discuss
business, or the war, or anything you choose."
The dinner that night was as follows:
Hamburger Steak Lemon Butter
Baked Potatoes Escalloped Cabbage
Bread Butter
Prune Soufflé
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Hamburger Steak= (Six cakes)
1 lb. of beef cut from the round
1/4 t-salt
1 t-onion salt or onion juice
1/8 t-pepper
Grind the meat twice and add the seasoning. Shape into cakes two and a
half inches in diameter and one inch thick, handling as little as
possible. Place on a hot pan and cook under the broiler twelve minutes,
turning when brown. Dot with butter and serve hot.
=Lemon Butter for the Steak= (Four portions)
2 T-butter
1/2 t-salt
1/2 T-lemon juice
1/2 T-minced parsley
1/4 t-paprika
Mix in order given and spread on hot meat of any kind, broiled steak,
chops or fish.
=Baked Potatoes= (Four portions)
Select potatoes of a uniform size. Wash thoroughly with a vegetable
brush. Run the point of the knife around the outside of the potato. Bake
in a moderate oven forty to sixty minutes.
=Escalloped Cabbage= (Four portions)
2 C-cooked cabbage
1 C-white sauce
1/8 t-paprika
1/4 C-bread crumbs
1 T-butter
Remove the outer leaves of a two and a half pound head of cabbage. Cut
in half (using but half for dinner). Wash thoroughly and cut in shreds
or chop moderately fine. Put in a large kettle of rapidly boiling water.
Boil for twenty minutes. Drain well, add one-half a teaspoon salt. Make
the white sauce, add the cabbage and paprika, mix well. Place in a
buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered crumbs and place in a moderate
oven until browned.
=Prune Soufflé= (Four portions)
1/4 lb. prunes
6 T-sugar
1 T-lemon juice or 1/2 t-lemon extract
2 egg whites
Wash the prunes thoroughly, cover with water, and allow to soak three
hours. Cook slowly in the same water until soft. Remove the stones from
the prunes, and save the pulp and juice. Add sugar, cook until very
thick (about three minutes). Stir constantly. Cool, add the lemon juice.
Cut and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Fill a well-buttered open
tin mould half full of the mixture. Place the pan in another pan filled
with boiling water. Cook in a slow oven until well raised, firm, and
light brown in color (about twenty-five minutes). Serve with the
following custard sauce:
=Custard Sauce= (Four portions)
2 egg yolks
4 T-sugar
1 T-flour
1/8 t-salt
1-1/2 C-milk
1/2 t-lemon extract
Beat egg yolks until light, in the upper part of a double boiler. Add
sugar, flour and salt. Mix well and slowly add the milk. Cook over the
lower part of the boiler until thick enough to coat a silver spoon. Beat
well, add the extract, and cool.