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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-10-02, Page 2A Fur Coat Is A Fur Coat A fur coat is a fur coat is 'a fur coat in almost any woman's language. In Kabul, it is not only that but also about eight or nine months' occupation, full or spare time. For Afghanistan, being the centre of the caracul and broadtail industry for the world, provokes longings in fe- male hearts and a fine, free de- cision as to style, color, weight, and design. For one begins up here with the raw hide and works to finished elegance. We began in early spring last year. It was not the time to buy, but Mohammed Ali, our Pathan driver and general Imowledgeable factotum, took me down to the fur sellers' row which faces on Kabul River. This is a long series of shops, open to the weather at the front, in which rnen and young boys sit cross-legged on wooden benches, their long, nimble fin- gers rubbing delicately at the new hides, stretching and cos- iseting each small, fine skin. When they are pliable as satin gnd as lustrous, they are ready to be worked into coats. We rode up and down the row, Mohammed Ali comment- ing on the capabilities of this. merchant and that, and why this man got better skins than another. After mature consi- deration, we settled on Hadji Usef: he was long established, understood the idiosyncrasies of western taste, and indubit- ably had fine skins. Two or three times a year he also went up to Mazar -i -Sherif; the great shrine city on the burgeoning plain that fronts the Oxus Riv- er, to buy skins for the whole complex of furriers. As we stepped into his shop he rose and bowed, hands at his breast. He wore the hadji's beard, sign that he had made the trip to Mecca, and below his own fine caracul cap his lean face was serene and intel- ligent. Mohammed Ali explain- ed aur errand, before next fall, when the cold weather comes, the Memsahib desired a fur coat, full length, eut to the de- sign of the pitcure in her hand (1 yeildod up my clipping from Vogue) and of the finest grade of black broadtail fur. Hadji Usef bowed: he was go- ing north in about two weeks and would look for the fur spe- cified, He glanced at the pic- ture; his eyes raced over me, taking measurements; we shook hands, the bargain was made, writes Hazel H. Bruce in The Christian Science Monitor. I expected nothing for a few weeks and that is what I got. But when June came along and buyers from Paris, London, and New York began to coma up to Kabul for the spring skins, I becattle anxious t0 see What Hadji Usef had found for me. Mohammed AIi and I drove down to his shop. Everywhere were the skins, piled up in heaps, bursting out of bales. Some looked coarse and ill -conditioned, Some were gray, some black, and a few fine brown. And here and there In excited knots of men the mu- tation skins were being passed from hand to hand; these rari- ties are sometimes gray under- neath and golden -henna on the top. Some are black, flecked with silvery threads, some black underneath and pure walnut brown at the ends. These were the pick, the simon-pure, the Koh-inoors of the crop. I stopped and looked, too: there are never enough of these for coats; they are saved for HAIRCUT, ANYONE?—This chap cooks as if he's allergic to bar- bers — but that's just because he's proudly wearing the char- acteristic one -and -a -half -fool bearskin hat of his regiment, Her Majesty's Grenadier Guards. He is Major J. F. D, Johnston, M.C., pictured in Washington, D.C., where he's in charge of the Grenadier Guards regimental band and the mass- ed bands of the Scots Guards, starting a U.S. concert lour, fine collars With perhaps e snatching cap, or a small stole or muff. We moved on to Hadji tleef, and the first disappoint- ment of the deal: He had brought down ,sone broadtail from the north . it is never so plentiful as other skins. It had been a "bad year"; late rains and pasturage delay- ed, We might look at the skins he had found. One of them was like a piece of black moire: it folded over the hand with luxurious ease. Every satiny watermark was right, with no ridges or.inequal- ities. "This," we cried to the Hadji, "is it! Get us skins like thisl" A pitying smile came over the Hadji's thin lips. "I wish I could," he. told MO - hammed Ali. "That is one, that skin." "No others even in its class?" The Hadji looked doubtful. "There might be . . . later. The whole pack is not in, If Memsa- Mb would care to look at others , , .' 'The Memsahib would not: having seen perfection, who could do with less? The Hadji, shrugged; perhaps later .." And so began for Mohammed Ali and me our weekly pilgrim- age down to furriers, row. See- ing us start off, other Ameri- cans grinned: "There they go again. You have to learn to take what you can get up here!" But that was a base retreat, though for almost three months nothing happened. It was September first before the summons came. Mohammed Ali and I went down to the river bank with the tired amus tomedness of soldiers on the march: This time we were sur- prised. The "pack" had come in: there were eight skins that had the quality of the first. Hadji Usef solemely gave me his pon and I signed my name on the back of each skin and he put them away in his locked case And that was the way it went: October brought eight more; November was more pro- lific: twenty came. "How many do I need?" we asked. The Hadji ran his experienced eye down my frame. "Forty-four." We got the last skin on the first December day: there were flecks of snow cloud in the sky and the wind blew out of the great hills with howling force. "I must have the a coat soon," I shivered. The Hadji nodded, "Next week." And, hopeful, we left again. The one thing it is wise to get from "home" is lining for a coati I had had mine sent weeks be- fore and now we took it down. The shop was humming and warm; the boys were working by the light of a dropped bulb and now I saw for the first time my coat taking shape. Each man was working on One strip, stitching, matching, and shap- ing, but recognizably it was go- ing to be a coat! By December fifteen l: tried it on: it was too tight in the sleev- es and the collar was too large. The Hadji looked thousagtfu, but agreed it should be a6pped out. December eighteen, the lin- ing was too long. But oh, it was a beauty. The skins lay smooth- ly on the throat and glistened like silver in the half light. De- cember twenty, Mohammed Ali discovered a seam where the graining was not perfect, "Look here!" he called atten- tion sternly. "How would you like to have them say to Mem- sahib in San Francisco and New York: "Where did you get that coat? T h e seaming doesn't match!" The Hadji gave us a level look and ripped it out with his own hands. Then came the day we were to take delivery, but Mohammed Ali discovered, under the col- lar, one inferior skin. "Did you know this?" he ask- ed the boss. "I did," Hadji Usef said cold- ly. "But Memsahib had spent so much I didn't think . . "If she can pay for 44 skins," our faithful retainer told him with equal coolness, "she can pay for 45. Take it out — and God be with you!" It was Christmas morning when the coat was delivered. It hung in silky folds from neck to hem: to my fond eye, it seem- ed perfection and I had the af- fection for it that one has for a thing one has seen grow. I thought of the pictures I had seen in the Hadji's shop: hand- some women wearing his fur coats had sent the prints back from Moscow, Paris, and Rome, On one of them .I had read: "This coat was marveled at in London, admired in New York, and reveled in in Nome!" It was well I had read that, for on Christmas morning we al- so received the work that we were posted for Bagdad; and a fur coat in Iraq belongs in the same category as the Eskimo's refrigerator, The masterpiece of Hadji Usef would spend the winter in a storage vault at home. Obey the traffic signs — they are placed there for YOUR SAFETY. SHE'S THE TOPS — Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America of 1959, waves as she rests on the balcony of hotel overlooking the Atlantic City beach. Here's a wonderful platter meal to set before the family some cool autumn day—tender potatoes, plump boiled onions, , and gay carrot or turnip strips, encircling bacon -garnished salt cod, and accompanied by a sa- voury white sauce to splash over all, Well known, in Atlantic coast Communities, this dish is the flsherfolk's version of the fam- ous "boiled dinner." It is eco- nomical, satisfying and delicious. Salt Cod Boiled Dinner 1 pounds boneless salt cod. 6 small whole potatoes 6 small whole onions 1 medium sized turnip, cut in strips 2 cups thin white sauce 2 hard -cooked eggs, chopped 2 tablespoons minced parsley 34, pound sliced bacon OR salt pork, diced Rinse salt cod thoroughly un- der cold running water. Cover with cold water and let soak overnight. Before dinner time, repare and cook the vegetables. Make a thin white sauce and add to it the chopped, hard -cooked eggs. Fry bacon or diced salt pork until crisp. Drain fish, cover with fresh cold water and bring to boiling point. Drain and taste. If fish seems too salty, cover with fresh water and again bring to boiling temperature. Place hot, drained cod on a large heated platter. Garnish with crisp bacon curls or salt pork. Quickly bor- der the platter' with the steam- ing vegetables and sprinkle them with minced. parsley. Serve ac- companied by the egg sauce. Makes 6 servings. 5 *, 5 Of all the fish in the harvest from the sea, the salmon holds first place. Some reasons for its popularity are the delicious fla- vour, fine firm texture, and at- tractive colour of the flesh. Most of the annual British Columbia catch of salmon is taken during the summer and early fall. Thanks to modern transportation and refrigeration, it is shared across the country. Throughout the early Fall, both fresh and frozen salmon steaks should be in good supply. Enjoy them baked, broiled, fried, steam- ed, or poached. Here is a tempt- ing, west coast recipe for Baked Salmon Steaks with Dill Sauce. Baked Salmon Steaks With Dill Sauce 2 pounds salmon steaks Salt and pepper Melted butter or other fat 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion 1/teaspoon dill seeds 1 tablespoon flour % cup boiling water 1 (6 oz.) can evaporated milk s/s teaspoon salt Few grains pepper 1 tablespoon minced parsley 1 tablespoon, lemon Mice Have steaks cut about 1 -inch thick, Season on, both sides with salt and pepper. Place in a shal- low, greased baking dish and brush with melted butter, Bake in a hot oven (460°F.), allowing 10 minutes cooking time per inch thickness. If steaks are frozen, double the cooking time, They are cooked when flesh will flake and is opaque. While steaks are baking, pre- pare sauce, Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, over low heat. Add onion and dill seeds; cook gently until onion is yel- low and transparent. Blend in flour. Add boiling water; cook stirring constantly over low heat until sauce has thickened. Add milk gradually. Stir in season- ings and parsley. Heat thorough- ly. Stir in lemon juice. Serve over cooked steaks. Makes 6 servings. * M $ A whole planked fish, togeth- er with three or four of the season's most colourful and de- corative vegetables, makes a fes- tive and delicious dinner. Any fish suitable for baking or broil- ing may be planked. Some com- monly planked varieties are shad, haddock, lake trout, white- fish, and small salmon. The American Indians, we are told, taught early settlers on this continent how to secure a fish to a hardwood plank and then grill it by tilting the plank up before a hot fire. Over the years, as the modern kitchen range dis- placed the campfire and the open fire -place, plank cooking almost vanished. Today however, the use of planks for cooking and serving is being revived. Hardwood cooking planks fashioned of oak, hickory, or maple come in various sizes and shapes for individual or family service. They should be about 1% inches thick and grooved around the edge to catch cooking juices. If you are purchasing a plank, follow the manufacturer's instructions for seasoning it, Planking in the modern sense is more a method of serving than of cooking fish. The fish may be stuffed or not, as desired, The general procedure is simple.' The fish is placed skin -side down in the centre of a well oiled, pre- heated plank, then baked, Short- ly before the allotted cooking time is up, the plank is removed from the oven and surrounded with a border of mashed pota- toes, often put through a pastry tube. Freshly cooked vegetables of contrasting colour and -tex- ture are arranged in the space between the fish and potatoes. The plank is then returned to the oven and baking continued until the fish is cooked and the potatoes are lightly browned, For serving, the plank Is placed in a holder or on a large platter. The home economists Of Can- ada's Department of Fisheries tell us that a work -saving way to "plank" a fish is on aluminum foil. Here are their tested direc- tions for foil "planking" a 3 to 4 pound fish.. Foil "Planked" Fisk 1 dressed fish weighing 3 to 4 pounds Salt Minted bread dressing Melted fat or cooking oil Duchess potatoes 6 medium-sized tomatoes a/s cupdry bread crumbs, but- tered 12 small whole carrots, cooked and buttered Lemon slices Parsley sprigs Wipe fish with a damp cloth. Sprinkle on the inside with salt. Stuff with Minted Bread Dres- sing (see recipe). Place fish in centre of a lightly greased rec- tangle of heavy aluminum foil on a baking sheet. It is recom- mended that a double thickness of the heavy foil be used and that it be turned up at the edges to hold cooking juices. Have it extend well beyond the fish and all sides. Brush fish with melted fat. Bake in a hot oven (450°F,) allowing 10 minutes cooking time for each inch of stuffed thick - tress, measured with a ruler at the thickest part. Ten minutes before the cook- ing time is up, remove "plank" from oven and quickly arrange a border of Duchess Potatoes (see recipe) around fish, at foil edge. Remove a slice from top of each tomato, season tomato and sprinkle with buttered crumbs, Place tomatoes and but- tered carrots between potato,s and fish. A suggested arrange- ment is to place 3 tomatoes on either side of fish and pile car- rots at either end. Return "plank" to oven and bake food for 10 minutes or until fish will flake on testing with a fork and pota- toes are lightly browned. Slide foil onto a large serving platter, lifting by the edges. Re- move top skin from fish. Garn- ish fish with lemon twists and nestle sprigs of parsley between tomatoes. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings. * 5 m Minted Bread Dressing la cup chopped onion afi cup chopped celery 3 tablespoons butter r teaspoon salt 34 teaspoon dried mint 3 cups soft bread crumbs Pan-fry onion and celery in butter 1Or about 5 minutes or until tender, Add cooked vege- tables and seasonings to bread crumbs; mix thoroughly, Thib quantity Of stuffing is sufficient for a 3 to 4 pound dressed fish, a ' 3 Duchess Potatoes 6 medium-sized potatoes 1 egg, separated Ye cup soft butter Salt and pepper to taste Ilot milk (about 34 cup) Peel potatoes, cut into uni- form pieces,and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well; mash. Beat egg yolk slight- ly and add to potatoes. Stir in butter. Add hot milk gradually and beat potatoes until very light. The amount of milk need- ed will depend on the meatiness of the potatoes. Season mixture to taste. Force through a pastry tube onto the greased foil to. form a wall, mounds, or any de- sired pattern, If a pastry tube is not available, drop from a tablespoon, onto foil. For a glazed look, brush potatoes with egg white. Brown in a hot oven (450°F.), Makes G servings. Crooks' Jokes Some of the cheeky tricks pulled off by criminals read like a joke. There was the hat, stealer who haunted the plat- forms of South African rail- ways, Just as a train drew out he would dart forward and snatch the hat from the head of an astonished passenger lean- ing out of the window, Then there was the man who stole a dictionary from a Chica- go shop, and when arrested told the police that he wanted to look up the word "larceny." Another American hoaxed the authorities when he was due to leave prison. He persuaded the prison doctor that he wanted to go straight, but he had such an ugly face that he never had a fair chance. The government paid for him to have plastic surgery, which s0 altered his appearance that he was able to go back to his for- mer crimes on his release and it was years before he was caught. The bus was jammed with heavily laden shoppers and as a pretty girl entered a man im- mediately rose. Before he had spoken a word, the girl said: "It's kind of you, but I prefer to stand," Politely raising his hat, he said: "Yes but ---" "Really, I mean it," she said. "But I --" Again she interruped him, "I assure you I'd rather stand," "But," the man Shouted des- perately, "I'm trying to get out!" FISH STORY — Angling for a new idea in shoe design, Enzo Albanese of Rome comes up with this striking "fish line." fT HAPPENED TO A DOG—"Rudolph of Hesse" is brought up short as he spots what seems to Ise a personal advertisement c' the In, ',nal, State Fair. .