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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1962-10-18, Page 3No More pees On rhe Or'elro' Barring wars, this is the first veer since 18113 when the regal atickety-clack of the Orient Ex- press is not heard over the wind- ing kilometers from Paris to Is- tanbul. It leaves behind e hc.tful. of memories, also an estimated 400 novels and short stories in 17 languages and 100 films which used the Orient as background in one way or another, Everyone from royalty to tour- ists, from foreign office couriers to (of course) spies rode the Orient Express in life and in fic- tion, which made the 1,400 miles from Gare de Lyon to the station in Istanbul in time too slow for today's traveler. Aside from its slowness, the reason for the disappearance of the Orient was both political and economic. There were too many Communist frontiers to cross, to many visas to obtain, too many bags to be opened by customs of- ficers, en route, too many meters of red tape to be unwound. The route it took three times a week across Eastern Europe was too circuitous, which accounted for the four nights one spent on this train, (Its competitor, the Simp- ion Orient, takes a shorter one through Switzerland, Italy and Greece,) And, of course, in the past few years fewer people rode the Orient, for it was easier to go by plane. This crack train followed a meandering route. From Paris it went to Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Sophia and Constantinople (Istanbul), A few years after service had started, a passenger could leave London's Victoria Station, ride across the sea to Ostend, and board a fast train whcih hooked up with the Orient, English ladies were fond of this connection, probably be- cause at least part of the way they were assured of hearing English spoken. The sleeping and restaurant car porters on the Orient had to speak not only Eng- • lish, but French, German, several Germanic tongues and all the Balkan ones. For the first six years of its operation, the journey was brok- ers at Nisc in Serbia, where the passenger boarded a horse-drawn coach, crossed the Danube and rode for many kilometers to a connecting train. Even when the entire trip was made by one train, in 1889 the running time to Is- tanbul was 67 hours and 35 min - Wee, later lengthened by several )hours after World War II, when e train took a longer route. Fthrom the first run of the Orient until the days just before World War II, her passengers received VIP treatment from customs guards. Bags usually were not opened and the train kept. on schedule. On the other hand, just before the two great wars there were cases where government agents removed spies as effort- lessly as possible. The Orient Express was the idea of Georges Nagelmackers, a Belgium engineer. He sold the idea of this deluxe express to the necessary governments, and so Eastern and Western Europe were linked by a through service. Prior to that it was possible to go all the way to old Constantin- ople by train actually by chang- ing trains many times — a jour- ney that must have been compar- able to travelling from New York to San Francisco in 1860. From its beginning, the Orient was the latest thing in luxurious train travel. Sleeping and res- taurant cars were on bogies. which meant smoother, quieter riding. All cars other than the restaflrant ones were of the eor- ridor variety, a system still used in Europe, and ideal for spies to move about in. The dining cars had small lounges at either end, so that travelers who had booked the second sitting would not have to stand while earlier diners lin- gered over their peches flambeea, Sleeping ears sometimes had beds, not berths, and they were decorated in Valenciennes lace and had Brussels carpeting. Sometimes wealthy Turks and Baltic nobility had their own silken rugs laid down, bighting came from silver -mounted Lib- erty lamps, and one record speaks of several cars that had Waterford chandeliers, Assuming in those early days that this meant candlelight, It could be ar- gued this was not the most prac- tical way of illuminating a train traveling at 60 mph, In the period between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I, there was one inconven- ient ruling. It said that no more than one waiter could serve a meal in a compartment, certainly a nuisance for royalty who could not be expected to set their feet into a restaurant car, where they might meet someone who was in trade or someone else who might assassinate them. It seemed there just wasn't room for a pair of waiters and a head waiter to turn around in such a small space. This manpower deficiency was made up by the lone waiter who was prepared to make crepe suz- ette in a compartment, a flaming gesture which must have caused Lloyds of London anxious mom- ents. Some of the elegance had dis- appeared by the time World War II started. After 1945 more of it had vanished, Some of the sleep- ing ears, modernized, were still in use after 50 years of service, Much of the mahogany panelling was intact, but seats that could be converted into berths had re- placed beds, and the lace and elegant lights had been removed. By 1947 the Wagon Lits Co„ which had been sold by Thomas Cook, had taken off the best cars, for the Russians — then occupy- ing Austria along with the Brit- ish, French and Americans — had a quaint habit of making off with them after they crossed the Danube into Communist satellite territory. By the end of 1945 the Orient left from Gare de Lyon in Paris. Departure time was early even- ing. As the Orient ate up the dis- tance you wondered about the passengers sharing your com- partment. Could that slim, aris- tocratic woman in black be a spy? What about the man in the baggy suit? Was he selling arms to Albania? And the silent man with a white goatee? What was he? The woman in black turned out to be a holidaying school- teacher from England, the man in the baggy suit was a Swiss who sold alarm clocks and the man with goatee a Swedish scientist. Only in the mind's eye and ear, now, can the knowing traveler sometimes have the feeling it is night, that he is in a train berth and the locomotive is whittling down the kilometers. He knows that outside in the corridor Rex Harison and Humphrey Bogart are plotting michief, And he hears the train whistle as it pass- es a nameless station somewhere in Eastern Europe, and it echoes and echoes. Can you hear it? WHAT MAKES HER TICK? — Young watchmaker seems in- terested in his work as he inspects gimmick watch worn by a oretty Frankfurt, W:y-t Germany, miss on the day that n local watch and clock s::aii opened. Watch really works. TABLE T.. LKS Jam At reA),16. FILLETS DORIA The French have a way with many foods, not the least of which is fish, For example, when they have cooked fish rapidly so that it is moist and flaky, they place it on a platter with fried cucumber, dribble with browned butter and parsley, et voila! , • , Fillets Doria. FILLETS DORIA 1 pound perch or sole fillets 3 medium cucumbers i.4i teaspoon salt r/s teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons milk lee teaspoon salt ]/4 cup flour 3A cup fine dry bread crumbs 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 clove garlic (optional) 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Thaw fillets, if necessary, and separate. Peel cucumbers, cut into 2 -inch lengths, then divide in quarters. Season with salt and pepper. Cook slowly, uncovered, in 2 tablespoons butter until easily pierced with a fork, turn- ing occasionally. When cooked, remove to a heated platter and 'let in a 200°F. oven to keep warm, Meanwhile prepare fillets. Combine beaten egg and milk. Season fillets with salt. Coat with flour, dip in egg mixture, then coat with bread crumbs. If desir- ed, heat garlic in cooking oil until brown then remove from pan. Have cooking oil very hot but not smoking. Add fillets, Fry quickly until brown on one side. Turn and brown on other side. Drain. Place on topof cucumber. Clean frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Heat until butter foams and turns a pale brown. Pour over fish. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve immediately. Mak- es 4 servings. With the coming of autumn, thoughts turn to chowder. Chow- der breathes comfort. It steams enjoyment. A favourite type is made with fish. Fish chowder was originally a fisherman's dish. Of recent years, however, it has been adopted by epicures. The following recipe is a very creamy and delicious version. FISH CHOWDER 1 pound cod or haddock fillets 1 cup water 1 cup chopped onion 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup diced potatoes cup chopped celery le bay leaf lee teaspoons salt ee teaspoon pepper 2 cups milk, scalded % cup table cream ?e cup dairy sour cream Parsley, finely chopped Thaw fillets if frozen. Skin if necessary. Cut into 1 -inch cubes. Add water and heat to simmering temperature. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, or until fish will separate in flakes. Strain, reserv- ing broth. In a deep saucepan cook onion in butter for 5. min- utes. Blend in flour. Add fish broth gradually. Cook and stir until smooth. Add potatoes, cel- ery. bay leaf, salt and pepper, Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Com- bine scalded milk, creams and sour cream. Beat until well blended. Add to potato mixture. Stir in cooked fish. Heat gently below simmering temperature for about 5 minutes, Remove bay leaf. Serve piping hot. garnished with a sprinkling of parsley. IVlaices 6 (ane-ei:p1 servings Note: this is an easy recipe to double it a larger quantity is rte - sired. One characteristic of -a good cools is her sense of adventure. She constantly seeks interesting food combinations, tries new re- cipes and improves old ones. Recently this characteristic helped a Halite,: homemaker win a prize for the beet fish recipe in a Maritime recipe competition. leer recipe, Baked Haddock a la ISSUE 40 -- 1902 Maritimes, was perfected over years of preparing the lovely fresh fish of her province. BAKED IIADDOCK A LA MARITIMES 2 pounds haddock fillets ei teaspoon salt Dash pepper 1 egg, slightly beaten Y's cup soft bread crumbs 2 tomatoes, sliced le cup chopped onion 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1,4 cup butter, melted ?4 cup grated Cheddar cheese Thaw fillets, if frozen. Cut into. serving -size portions. Place in a shallow, greased, baking dish or pan, Sprinkle with Ye teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper. Spread with beaten egg, Sprinkle with crumbs, Top with tomato slices. Season tomato with remaining 'l4 teaspoon of salt, Meanwhile fry onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Spread cooked veg- etables evenly over tomato slices. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in a hot oven (450°F,) for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Makes 6 servings. k h r If you arewatching your pen- nies these days, be sure to put pink salmon on your market list, According to word received from the Department of Fisheries of Canada there is a record pack of the pink variety of canned sal- mon this year. This thrifty, adap- table food product can be a home maker's' best friend. Although it is paler in colour than the red varieties, canned pink salmon is every bit as fla- voursome and nutritious. Used in combination with other foods it makes a wide variety of whole- some hot dishes. Sometime try combining it with crisp green cabbage in a creamy sauce to be served on toast. For a little fillip, toss in some dill seed and chop- ped onion, The following direc- tions tell how, and make a dish which perfectly befits its name, Pink Salmon Delight. PINK SALMON DELIGHT 1 can (71/2 ounces) pink salmon I medium onion, finely chopped 4 tablespoons butter, melted 3 tablespoons flour le teaspoon salt ?i teaspoon pepper 1 cup milk 1,e teaspoon dill seed le cup cream 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 tablespoon lemon juice Toast points Drain and flake salmon into bite -sized pieces, saving liquid. In a saucepan cook onion in but- ter for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk and salmon li- quid . gradually. . Cook, • stirring constantly, until thickened. Add dill seed, cream, and cabbage. Cook over low heat for 3 min- utes. Stir in salmon and lemon juice. Reheat. When mixture is piping hot, serve at once on toast. Makes 4 servings. Modern, Etiquette -h Ann., Ashim, Q. My daughter has become engaged to a ,young man whose home is in a distant city. She has not met his mother, but would like to write her a note, Don't you think his mother m,hould be the first to write? A Fes, his mother should write 1 letter of welcome to your daughter — and. i! necessary, her son should ask his mother to do this. tm, What is clone with the wrapper 00 a lump of sugar when dining in a restaurant? Do you put it on the tablecloth, in the saucer of your coffee sup, or in the ashtray? A There's no rile for this. You only put it on the table- cloth for later clearing by the waiter along with the crumbs,. 11 ,you put it into the ashtray, there's danger of a fire, and if put • into the _saucer, Cott could cause the cup 10 tip over when replacing -it en he .tracer after tipping, Just What Is A "Family" Movie?, Everybody fa your s family movies, but nobody seems to know what they are. In recent years the clamour has increased for Hollywood to make more family films, and to make fewer of those with go -called adult themes. When it comes to defin- ing a family film, however, ex- perts disagree. Even a family may fight about it, The latest attempt to define the berm was made on July 23 by Boxaffiee Magazine, a publi- cation respected in motion pie - tura trade circles, It asked for definitions, from movie produ- cers, directors, theater mana- gers, educators, critics and com- munity leaders. Needless to say, their definitions did not agree, nor did they always define. W alt Disney, for example, said that in his opinion a fam- 111 film is "a picture emphasiz- ing laughter and adventure which, for a while anyway, makes people forget their trou- bles and those oe the world." This describes one kind of family film, but it seems to ex- clude such films as "King of Kings" and "The Ten Command- ments" and other Biblical and religious subjects which are short on laughter and conven- tional adventure, and long on tragedy, world troubles and ethi- cal problems. Other worthwhile themes of wide interest might be excluded by the laughter - adventure definition. Other attempts at definition included such requirements as these: "A family movie is one presented in such a manner as to offer appeal for all ages, Pt must have sufficient depth to captivate an adult audience, but with enough simplicity to hold the interest of a child." Or: "A family filar should not lower the intellectual plane of adults to that of children . . . Or: "A family picture is wholesome in content, portrarying truth or beauty. It do es not ridicule goodness. It leaves one with a feeling of well-being after hav- ing seen it." All of these are partial des- criptions of an ideal family film, but they seem to ask the almost impossible, or to specify the un- definable. Same people get a sense of well-being groan watching a mas- terful and majestic tragedy. Some are depressed by seeing "Pollyanna." Among those questioned by Boxoffice Magazine was James Dunagan of Pasadena, manager of the Crown Theater. His de- finition of a family film was "one that appeals to a person from the age of 10 years on, and is devoid of sex content. Even subtle remarks do not go over the heads of the average 10- year-old 0-year-old of today," Dunagan'g definition was more forthright than most. Though they don't always so so, most people who speak about a family film mean one that does not deal with sex at all, or deals with it only in a mistily romantic way. This is indeed one of the considerations, but it in only a negative defini- tion. A film becomes suitable for family viewing not only through what it does not say, but through what it says. Too often we tend to Blas- 'y as family film that which is harmless, flavourless, empty and insipid. Nobody has Yet come forward with a defini- tion of film which will enter- tain, stimulate and enrich the entire family. He who makes such a movie will be doing us a great sociological service, and will make himself a million dol- lars — whether or not he can define what he has done. In- dependent Star -News lPasadena, Calif.) FREEZING MAKES TOUGH MEAT TENDER Rapid freezing makes steaks lighter and brighter, say au- thorities art the Oklahoma Ari - cultural Experiment Station in Stillwater. It also makes the neat more uniformly tender. An impartial taste panel rated frozen steaks better than not - frozen steaks — in flavor, tend- erness, and over-all satisfaction. The only thing the taster., didn't like about the frozen beef was the amount of juiciness. Q. Is it still considered proper for a man to ask permission to smoke when with a group of women he knows do not smoke? A. Yes, this is still the cour- teous and thoughtful thing to do. What Do You Know About NORTHWEST AFRICA? '••SPAPII !:!lies ST;... +�SMARA +�,�.irAAIUN SEMARA VILLA CISNEROS *se5a:Steel i3 !t IL MiLES 0 200 AFRICA e eeete Fashion Hint