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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1957-01-24, Page 6Sampling, Famous European Cooking Dining in Europe is a social and leisurely affair and seldom is accomplished in less than an hour, while it often,; stretches through several hottrs;.: First courses differ :in various countries. In Switzerland we were served cheese tarts to begin, our meat. We encountered these delicate little starters several tunes and considered •them so - delectable at the Hotel, Corona in Cortina, Austria, which lies nestled in a cup made by the high Austrian Alps, that I asked Giovanetti, the chef, to tell me how to make them. ' •t Since he spoke no English and C spoke no German, this was a big order. With the gracious co- operation of three members•.of the hotel staff, waving hands Ind arms, talking, in unison and Interpreting back and forth, this Is what I learned: Make a plain pastry and cut It in four pieces after you have rolled it. Butter' each piece of pastry and pile one upon the, other. Tear off a piece big enough for a tart and roll it this . way and that, cut it with a round fluted cutter that makes it exactly the right size for the shallow little aluminum pan you are making the tart in and, with loving care, press it down to size. You'll need some Gruyere cheese (a mild, light semi -hard cheese) which you cut in tiny cubes: Fill the tart shell about two-thirds full of these tiny cubes. To a pint of milk add a beaten egg and season with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of nutmeg, Pour enough ; of this in the shell to cover the cheese. Bake about 20 minutes at 325° F. When I closed my notebook after getting this information and feeling the great satisfaction of accomplishment in spite of language barriers, I noticed that Giovanetti appeared uncertain of the result of his information. He gesticulated with great con- cern and the information was relayed to me that he didn't feel that I understood how his special crust was made. Unless I did understand, the tart would be a failure. A light then dawned on his face and he in- vited me to go with him to his kitchen (the interview had taken place in the manager's office). It was after dinner in the eve- ning and all the kitchen work - Fashion Note ers had left, so we had the huge clean kitchens under the hotel to ourselves, writes Eleanor Richey Johnson in The Christian Science Monitor. ° Our interpreter stood by while Giovanetti got dough out of his refrigerator and went through all the steps of making the tart. We then came to a barrier that seemed insurmountable. Euro- peans use centigrade instead of Fahrenheit in regulating their heat, After much talking back and forth, I concluded that the tarts must be baked in a moder- ately slow oven and when 'I asked, "325° F.?" Giovanetti beamed and•shook his head vig- orously in the -affirmative — so, here's hoping' it's right! Good trying! If you'd like a . new and dif- ferent''taste' for your turkey, place strips of bacon across the breast as it roasts..I was Tserved breast of young turkey prepared this way at Grand Hotel in. Rome. Drippings from the bacon had flavored the turkey with a delicate touch of that .elusive, something that makes for din-' ing satisfaction. In this same dining room I ate one of the specialities of the • house which is tender veal served with cream sauce and tiny, tender zucchini squash, so, popular in Italy. The veal was browned delicately, covered with cream, and Fooked gently for a short time -until tender. The succhini was sliced lengthwise in thin slices and cooked slowly in butter until tender. When served each piece of veal was garnished with several slices of the squash. Tender, small 'noodles were spooned beside the meat and the rich cream sauce (it may be made of either sweet or sour cream) covered the noodles. The blue and sunny coast of France along the Mediterranean known as La Cote d'Azur or the French Riviera is noted fop good food, Several good restaurants are built on the sea, and while eating the superb food, you may watch the ever-changing colors of the sea. I went with friends to La Re- serve de Nice, built on a rock overlooking,a harbor. One of the interesting hors d'oeuvres served (and it%was sufficient in itself for the first course) was an on- ion tart. The crust was made as Americans make biscuit dough, but without the baking powder. The sweet onions, sliced thin, were precookedpartially in but- ter and then placed in the un - baked tart shell along with a little of the juice in the pan. The tarts were seasoned and baked. This tart waS one of bout 12 hors d'oeuvres served, so our plates were piled high for the first course—that is French eat- ing along the Riviera! Another evening while in Nice, we dined at Raynaud's and tried the salad described in Fielding's Travel Guide. You can make it at home with ease. It is a mix- ture (you can work out your own proportions) of red peppers, yellow peppers, green peppers, Spanish onions, tomatoes, string ' beans, ripe olives, quartered, hard -cooked e g g s, potatoes, flakes of tuna, and anchovies. It's mixed and tossed as you watch and laced together with a special mixture of olive oil and vinegar. Try it, and imagine the blue Mediterranean outside: Good food ideas along La Cote d'Azur are not confined to res- taurants. At a tea in a home in Nice I was told by one of . the guests about Somerset Mang - ham's project of bringing avo- cado seeds from California to his home at "La Mauresque" near Nice. When his crops became large his cook invented new methods of cooking them. This' is said to be his most popular method of cooking avocados. Halve an avocado and scoop out the pulp which you . mash and season. Line the shells with'par- tially cooked bacon and replace the pulp on the bacon. Make an. indentation in the center and break an egg into it—then bake.' PERVUKHIN GETS NEW SOVIET POST. — First Deputy Premier Mikhail Pervukhin (Left) has, succeeded Maxim Saburov (right) as head of the Soviet State Economic Commission, .which has charge of all short term industrial planning. The' change, was madefollowing disclosure that while overall production in- creased 11 per cent in 1956 over the preceding year, quotas were "unfilled" in such "vital Industries as metal, cement, coal and timber. "LOOK, MA, NO HANDS!" — A picture of glee is 10 -month-old Patty Lisehora cis she proudly balances an her mother's out- stretched hand. Her "daring" is inherited. Her mother, Marion, thrills spectators by diving on horse -back into a pool ofwater from a 40 -foot tower. BLF.TAJ 1 HS dam AAndvews. With the mercury slipping zeroward, in many places, these different, easy -to -prepare hot drinks will be favorites. Here is a variety of novel recipes which can be used for gala parties — or even for small family gath- erings around the television set. These zestful hot drinks will set one's ' insides atingle on frosty evenings and will add variety - and color — to this season's entertaining. * * * HOT FRUIT DRINK This would be good for for- mal dressy party. 11/2 cups sugar '7 cups water 8 cups cherry juice 3 cups pineapple 'juice 3 cups grapefruit juice 1 cup crushed pineapple 1 teaspoonful ground cloves Combine sugar, water, pine- apple juice and crushed pine- apple and heat to boiling point. Add cherry and grapefruit juice. Put in ground cloves and re - .heat to make drink piping hot Serves about 24 punch cups. * * * TOMATO DRINK This is good with crackers and cheese as an evening snack, or it can be used as an appetizer. 6 cup's"tomato juice 1/2 cup grated parsley, fresh 11/ teaspoons butter 1 cup water Combine ` ingredients a n d bring to near boiling point. Then simmer for half an hour. Strain juice to remove parsley. Putin glasses; add twist of lemon. Makes about 12 small glasses. • *. * * APRICOT. ANGEL Here is another easy -to -pre- pare hot beverage that is color- ful as well. L quart apricot nectar 1 cup grapefruit juice. 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/2 cup water Combine ingredients and heat to near. boiling. Pour intocups in which have been placed sev- eral slices of maraschino cherry. Makes .a little over •one quart. Sugar if desired. * * GRAPE FUNdll This will be another party ia- vorite. It tastes spicy and looks very attractive. 3 quarts grape juice 1/2 cup :ginger. ale 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 4' teaspoons sugar I,h cup apricot nectar Combine ; ingredients a n d bring to near boiling point. Simmer •fo± ten minutes. Pour into puneb bowl. Makes a little over two quarts. * * PRUNE PLEASURE . 1 quart prUne jute.. 14 cup' apple .juice .:tablespoons milk 9?, cup wateir.: Heat ingredients to desired temperature. Add sugar if needed. Makes a little over one quart. - STEAMING A,P.PLE DRINK This is a zesty drink for cold winter days after' ice skating Or tobogganing parties. Good with popcorn or doughnuts. • 2 quarts apple juice 4 teaspoons sugar 1 1 -inch stick of cinnamon Juice from 1/2 lemon 1 teaspoon ground cloves Heat all ingredients and sim- mer for twenty minutes. Put in tall mugs. Serves about eight. 'Sews Backstage For Fifty Years The Gaiety, Daly's, ,Prince's the Adelphi-these old homes of musical comedy conjure up col- orful memories and tuneful mel- odies for tissie Thornton. For more than half a century this stanch backstager has been keeping musical comedy artists looking as though "they had just come out of a bandbox." She has been wardrobe mis- tress at one time or another to most Of the big theatrical man- agers in London. Whale Steaks and Fresh Raccoon! The doors of the New York city -owned Washington Market — a place where you could buy whale or buffalo steak — closed for good New Year's Eve. The city contends it was losing $137,000 a• year on the 144 -year- old landmark on lower West Street. It will sell the building to the highest bidder. A modern loft or industrial structure prob- ably will rise on the site. "This is 'a heavy blow to all of us," commented David Sper- ling, former president of the Washington Market Merchants' Association. He said the unusual feature of the market was that it brought . together, in 48 stalls under one roof, specialty food stores with e wide range of products. Mr. Sperling is proprietor of a butcher shop which provides whale steak (for the Scandinavi- an Lenten trade) at 79 cents a pound; buffalo steak at $1.50 a pound; fresh raccoon and oppos- um at 65 cents a pound; and deli- cacies such as cottontail rabbit, jackrabbit, bear. elk, moose, car- ibou, and ptarmigan. The Grossi brothers, Tony and Frank, were equally unhappy about having to move their veg- etable stand. "I have travelled all over the world," said Frank, and "and every city and little town has a public market. But the greatest city in the world should not have a market? "Washingtonmarket was es- tablished on this spot in an•open shed in 1812. This building was' put up in 1883. It is a landmark, a sight for tourists to see."" ' Frank wondered whether -the politicians wduld "sell the Sta- tue of Liberty for old bronze next." The "good old days of 'real musical comedy" for Miss Thornton are brought back by tunes like those from "The Mer- ry Widow," "Maid of the Moun- tains," "Pompadour," "Gipsy Love," "Tlie Blue. Mazurka,'.' and "The Waltz Dream." • "Those were the days;' .Miss Thornton says, "when' we put nine shows on the road twice a day." She was working under George Edwardes' management at Daly's. Those were the days when the wardrobe mistress started from scratch and the management had the dresses for the whole pro- duction made in her Wardrobe. Nowadays the costumes are :often turned, out by a theatrical costumer, - *the wardrobe mis- tress still makes the understud- ies' dresses and has a big job to do in maintaining the ':cos- tunies in bandbox condition. The theater is Cissie Thorn - ton's life. She tried to retire a few years ago but the theater drew her backstage again, which ,is not surprising since she was carried on the stage when she was two weeks old and has been on the stage, backstage, in• the wings or the wardrobe ever since. Her mother was a wardrobe mistress to the theater in Brad- ford, Yorkshire. While still in her teens, Cissie was called on to design costumes in her moth- er's absence. She told the story over a radio program to Finland recently. "Make me some little Lap- landers' costumes;' the manager asked her, when he learned her mother was not working. The chorus Laplanders were duly fitted out and Cissie's.life work was decided. "I have never looked back , since then, and never wanted to do any other work," she said, "it has always been thoroughly happy and satisfying for me." Work in the theater has an . infectious gaiety, Cissie thinks, which inspires enthusiasm for the humblest job. ' "I have gone into the theater feeling • like a piece of chewed string," she said, "and after an hour or so I have felt the at- mosphere speeding my scissors and nudging my needle." No one expects an eight -hour - day n the theater, she explains, and few get it. When I managed. to get hold of her for a talk over tea,. she had just come from„ Brighton where she was .dress- ing an ice show. She was on her way to buy shoes- and stocking! and .tights for the chorus in five holiday pantomimes which were being rehearsed for Christmas. "Dancers have very much larger feet than they did 20 years .ago," she observes. - By Melita ISnOwles in The. Christian Science Monitor. Found Emerald Worth Fortune With its wonderful glowing green beauty, the emerald has earned the nickname Of •"the lovers' stone." If flawless, it is t•ztwice as valuable as a .diamond of the -game° weight. Imagine, then, how 'a middle- aged -lawyer felt when, only last year, he found a huge emerald weighing "eleven pounds while doing ; a week -end's prospecting at a quarry near Tzaneen, South Africa: It b roke into pieces as he was chiseling it out of the surround- ing quartz. Even so, one piece alone is a hexagon eightinches long and three inches across. The smallest broken piece let enough light into the emerald to con- vince the finder that it was of top quality. First estimate of -the value of his find was $1,500,000. Emeralds have been blazing their way into the headlines lately. In the • High Andes of Columbia, sixty miles' north of Bogota, South America, an old emerald mine is once more turn- ing outthese fascinating stones. This minehas been operated irregularly in recent .years but has'now gone back into full pro- duction following the discovery bf new and valuable deposits. Long before the Spaniards arriv- - ed,in the 1530's, Andean Indians worked this mine, using the.,„ flawless gems for personal and temple decoration. Emeralds soared to tremendous popularity in Britain in 1922 when it was known that the en- gagement ring of Princess Mary (now the Princess Royal) was to feature a solitaire emerald. Her evident preference for emeralds finally dismissed the slight prejudice against them due to their colour, which for some reason or other was always con- sidered unlucky. The emerald has always been the emblem of success in love and is said to promote friendship. Emeralds were once used as charms. It was believed that when an emerald was worn by a woman born in May it helped to bind ,r her lover to her for ever. And should he ever prove unfaithful to her, the emerald would give her warning by changing its colour! • MAKE IT CLEAN SWEEP OVER THE U.S. — Lew Hoad (left)_and Ken Rosewall pose with the Davis Cup after they won two con- cluding singles matches from Sam Glammalva and Vic Seixas of American .dt. Adelaide, Australia, to give the Australians a clean 5-0 sweep in the. Davis Cup competition. It was the second straight year Australia beat 5-0. NEW JET BOMBER TAKES OFF — This is one of the first official photos of the B=58 bomber. The 16 tires on the main' `landing gear of the. B-58' Hstler create a cloud of . dust as the supersonic bomber takes off on a; test flight. The delta -wing bomber is powered by four J-79 jet engines with :afterburners. The new plane carrieva crew of three, is 95 feet long, and has a wingspan of 50 feet: