CHAPTER CXXXVII
A LUNCHEON FOR POLLY
"NOW that this delicious little luncheon is over, Bettina," said Alice, "I want to ask you something. How did you make the croquettes that cunning shape?"
"With a conical ice cream mould, Alice," Bettina answered. "It is very simple. And I'll tell you another thing. I made those croquettes yesterday, not today."
"You don't mean that you fried them yesterday?"
"Yes, I did, Alice. In deep fat."
"But they were warm, not cold."
"Yes, for I reheated them in the oven a few minutes before I served them. They really are as good as new when treated that way. I had always supposed that croquettes had to be served immediately after they were fried, and you know frying in deep fat is really a nuisance when it has to be done at the last minute. For instance, today I had the biscuits to make, and the soup and sweet potatoes to prepare. And I believe in being leisurely when giving a luncheon, so I certainly would not serve croquettes if they had to be made that day. I tried reheating them once when Bob and I were here alone and discovered that they were delicious. So I've always, ever since, fried my croquettes the day before."
"Hereafter I'll serve croquettes at luncheon myself," said Alice. "You have taught me something."
For luncheon that day Bettina served:
Cream of Pea Soup Toasted Sticks Pork Croquettes Glazed Sweet Potatoes Creamed Green Beans Biscuit Cherry Butter Head Lettuce French Dressing Date Pudding Cream Coffee
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Cream of Pea Soup= (Four portions)
1 C-peas 1 C-water 1/4 t-sugar 2 T-flour 2 T-butter 2 C-milk 1 t-salt 1/4 t-paprika
Cook the peas, water and sugar slowly for fifteen minutes. Strain, and rub all the pulp through the strainer. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix thoroughly and gradually add the milk. Boil one minute and add the pulp and liquid from the peas. Cook one minute. Serve in hot soup plates or bouillon cups.
=Toasted Sticks= (Four portions)
3 slices of bread 1 T-butter 1/2 t-salt
Cut the slices of bread one-half an inch thick. Butter, and sprinkle with salt. Cut into strips, the length of the slice and half an inch wide. Place on a tin pan, and cook directly under a fire or in an oven until a delicate brown. Serve warm.
=Ground Pork Croquettes= (Four croquettes)
1 C-chopped, cooked pork 1/8 t-paprika 1/4 t-celery salt 1/8 t-onion salt 1/4 t-salt 1 T-pimento, cut fine 1/2 T-butter 1 T-flour 1/3 C-milk 1/3 C-crumbs 2 T-egg 1 T-water
Melt the butter, add the flour, paprika, celery salt, onion salt, salt and pimento. Gradually add the milk and cook thoroughly for one minute. Add the meat and allow the mixture to cool. When cool, shape into the desired shape, preferably conical. Roll in the crumbs, dip in the egg and water mixed, then dip in the crumbs and allow to stand for fifteen minutes or more. Fry in deep fat.
=Date Pudding= (Four portions)
2 egg-whites 1/2 C-sugar 4 T-flour 1/8 t-salt 1 t-baking powder 1/2 C-dates, cut fine 1/2 C-nut meats, cut fine 1/4 t-vanilla
Beat the egg whites thoroughly, add the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well, add the dates, nuts and vanilla. Pile lightly in a well-buttered baking-dish. Place the dish in a pan of hot water and bake thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Allow the pudding to remain in the oven a little while after the heat is turned off. If cooled slowly, it will not fall. The pudding may be baked in individual moulds if preferred, and may be served with whipped cream.
## CHAPTER CXXXVIII
FURS TO PUT AWAY
"A PENNY for your thoughts!"
Bettina started in surprise. "Why, Ruth, I didn't see you coming up the walk!"
"I knew you didn't. But what on earth are you doing out here on your front steps? Enjoying the weather?"
"Indeed I am! Isn't it a wonderful spring day? But my thoughts weren't very poetic, I must admit. I was just wondering if it was too early to put away my furs for the summer. I'm always tempted to do that when the first signs of spring appear, and then I'm generally sorry a few days later."
"I'll have to put mine away soon, too. Do tell me, Bettina, just how you go about it."
"Well, I always hang mine in the sun for a while, then I beat them well, comb them out with a steel comb, and wrap them up."
"With moth-balls?"
"That is a good way, but not at all necessary. I always wrap mine in a newspaper--a good tight package. Moths don't like printer's ink, you know, and furs so wrapped are perfectly safe."
"Then, Bettina, you don't need to add that you label the package, for I know that you do, you thoroughly thorough housekeeper!"
Bettina laughed. "Well, Ruth, I do label it. Labelled packages are so much better to have, for very often you need to get something out in a hurry."
For dinner that night Bettina served:
Broiled Steak Lyonnaise Potatoes Bean Salad Bread Butter Date Rocks Coffee
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Lyonnaise Potatoes= (Two portions)
2 T-onion 2 T-butter 1/4 t-paprika 1/2 t-salt 1 C-cold boiled potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes 1 t-chopped parsley
Place one tablespoon of butter in a frying-pan and when hot add the onion. Let the onion cook until it is brown. Add the salt and parsley, the rest of the butter, the potatoes and the paprika. Stir well. Cook until the potatoes are well browned.
=Bean Salad= (Two portions)
1 C-kidney beans 1/2 C-celery, cut fine 2 T-nut meats 1 t-salt 3 T-chopped pickle 1/3 C-salad dressing 2 pieces of lettuce
Mix the beans, celery, nut meats, green pepper, pickles and salt. Add the salad dressing. Serve very cold on lettuce leaves.
=Date Rocks=
1 C-sugar 1/2 C-lard and butter mixed 1-1/2 C-flour 1/2 t-baking powder 2 eggs 1 t-cinnamon 1/2 t-powdered cloves 1/2 t-vanilla 1/2 C-dates, cut fine 1/2 C-nut meats, cut fine 1/8 t-salt
Cream the butter and lard, add the sugar, and mix well. Add the two eggs well beaten. Mix and sift thoroughly the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Add the dates and nuts. Stir these dry ingredients into the first mixture. Add the vanilla. Mix thoroughly and drop from the end of the spoon upon a well larded and floured baking pan. Bake fifteen minutes in a moderate oven.
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