The Seaforth News, 1961-11-02, Page 2Beauty Contests
And Hot Biscuits
The Commissioner of Agricul-
ture of the State of Maine,; E, L.
(Dick) Newdick,recently attend-
ed a supper served in the base-
ment of a small-town Ivf a i n e
church; and during the course of
the merriment somebody asked
him if he didn't think the bis -
cuits were pretty good, Commiss-
ioner Newdick thereupon made
a fine statement which has not
been accorded the general notor-
iety it deserves. He said, "Well,
the five I had were good."
Mrs. 'Newdiek, seated beside
him, next made an observation
which is equally momentous, for
she said, "You had six!"
Now, a vast and irrefutable
moral is about to be inculcated,
so a more specific description of
the circumstances should be aff-
orded, Once a year the Maine.
Blueberry Industry gathers its
forces at Union Fair, held in the
town of Union, and holds a pro-
motional program known as the
Annual Maine Wild Blueberry
Festival. Many pleasant mo-
ments prevail, and in the eve-
ning the "M a i n e Blueberry
Queen" is selected,
This year she is Miss Monalee
Smith of the blueberry town of
Brooksville, and if you think hers
is is a minor distinction in the
general perspective, you should
have seen the 12 girls she beat,
The Miss America pageant, by
comparison, is a veritable cham-
ber of horrors, for the blueberry
barrens of Maine are certainly
not a single -product area. Any-
way, after an exhausting after-
noon program the several con-
testants, judges, committee, and
visiting dignitaries are whisked
from the crowd at the fair and
taken to thequiet dining room
under the church for a dinner.
Mr. Newdick, enroute to this re-
past in the feebleness of hunger,
was heard to philosophize: "In
Union, there is strength!" The
dinner was certainly memorable,
and much was made of the bis-
cuits.
Now these biscuits were creat-
ed by a petite matron of Union
whose name is Jackie Hawes,
Volunteering to assist in the pre-
paration of this supper, she right-
ly divided the work so the bis-
cuits fell to her, and while an-
other husked the sweet corn and
another rolled the pies (Maine
wild blueberry pies) she splashed
flour aroundon a breadboard and
came up with an acre and a half
of real down -Maine baking pow-
der biscuits which, however stal-
wart they appeared on the platt-
ers, failed to survive the engage-
ment They were hot, so the app-
lication of butter imbued them
friendly -like, and created what
the trade calls a desire,
To show you, sort -of, it is a re-
corded fact that Miss Smith, feel-
ing she should not over -indulge
before the judging was comple-
ted, slyly inserted a couple of
these biscuits in her purse, pro-
perly wrapped in a paper nap-
kin, and began eating diem as
soon as the coronation exercises
were over. Commission Newdick,
upon hearing this, wistfully said,
"why didn't I think of that?"
Mrs. Newdick, paying the high-
est compliment one Maine wo-
man can give another, afterward
asked Mrs. Hawes for her receet,
and notes were taken by your
correspondent during the collo-
quy.
Said Jackie, "I don't have any
receet, I just make them." Now,
all great and good cooks should
notice that, for Jackie adjusts her
biscuit quantity automatically to
the number of people she is going
to serve, She sizes up the com-
pany, and then governs herself
accordingly. Mrs. Newdick then
asked how Jackie had made the
NO
ISSUE 43 — 1961
PIN-UP GALS — The seamy side of the high fashion picture is revealed in this "back-
stage"
backstage" study of a dress fashion set-up at a well-known golf club. The models hove pinned-
in the dresses to make them fit and look well in front but thefrocks are open and un-
even in back. Cameraman shoots "false front" girls have put on for his sake.
particular batch of biscuits with
which she had - adorned the re-
past on this occasion, and when
stated this way the problem was
one Jackie could quickly answer,
The following is a quotation:
"I think it was six cups of flour
I used -'but I don't use a measur-
ing cup. I just take a tea -cup out
of the cupboard and dip. No, I
don't sift it. Then I kind of guess
how many cups I've used, and
put in two teaspoons of baking
powder for each cup. Somewhere
near. That would be, two -times -
six -12 teaspoons, wouldn't it?
So, now let's see—some salt. I
guess a tablespoon. You know,
you just put in some salt, but I'd
say about a tablespoon. Next you
have to have shortening, and you
want two good gobs' of it, a cou-
ple about the size of an egg—just
what it needs. (Business of hold-
ing up both hands with the fin-
gers indicating two medium -
large hens' eggs.) And then I
take a pastry cutter, one of those
things you mix shortening into
flour with, and if I don't have
,one handy I use my fingers, and
I get it feeling just right before I
put in the milk. How: much
milk? Oh, perhaps a quart, I'd
say. Then when it feels about
right, I take it on the board and
knead it some—not too much—
and cut the biscuits and put
them in the pans. Then I shove
them in a 450 -oven and take
them out when ' they're done. I
guess that isn't very much of a
receet, but that's the way I
make biscuits."
Commissioner Newdick, being
informed that his wife had now
acquired the Hawes' recipe for
baking -powder biscuits, looked
as if he had just heard that all
farm commodities' had gone up, a
dollar a bushel, an expression
much like one who has found,
five dollars he didn't know was
in the pockets of his. old pants,`
and he rapped on the table with
a salt shaker to gain attention,
and addressed the candidates for
the blueberry queen title some-
what as follows:
"Girls—you are all young and'
pretty, and a great credit to the
state. Many and various honours
will come upon you as you course
the highway of life,' and one of
you is to be honoured this eve-
ning with a coveted title, Bat I
hope all of you. will learn to
bake good biscuits," - By John
Gould in the Christian Science
Monitor
The reason so many women
like a strong silent man is that
they think he is listening.
MUSIC -MAKER — Ravi Shonkar, Indian sitar player, is
bringing Americans music of his native land on a coast-to-
coast tour, The sitar, a gourd and teakwood stringed instru-
ment, hos evolved in Indian through the centuries.
ebri Jane Andtiews.
Doesn't it take the cake that
a .cooky won the top national
prize at Pillsbury's 13th Grand
National Bake -Off, held this
year in the' Grand Ballroom
of the, 'Beverly Hilton Hotel in
Beverly Hills.
And the Pillsbury Company
needn't have brought 100 contes-
tants from all over the country
to California to . discover Mrs.
Alice H. Reese and her rich bar
shaped butter cooky 'with its
caramel and chocolate topping.
She's ' right from Minneapolis,
where Pillsbury has its ' head-
quarters.
* 'k *
This year was the tenth in
which Mrs. Reese had entered
the contest. She'sbeen cooking
since she was 12, she said, and
she didn't spend much, time per-
fecting: her "candy -bar cookies."
"They were 'pecan pillows' when
I made them yesterday," she
said when the "candy -bar" name
was announced at the award
luncheon. She had t h e idea,
made a batch, sent in' the re-
cipe, and didn't make them
again until she was notified that.
she was a finalist in the contest.
Then she made her second batch.
The third time she tried ner
new recipe was at the Bake -Off
Monday and then she made two
batches.
* -# *
She just couldn't believe she'd
won the grand prize of $25,000.
She and Mrs, Clara L. Oliver
of Wellsville, Mo., who wan the
second grand prize of $5,000
with her Hawaiian . coffee ring,
were' the last of the top prize
winners to be called to receive
their checks from Art Linkletter,
master of ceremonies. Each was
given an envelope and Mrs.
Reese told to read 'the name on
hers. If it were her name, she
would win' the $5,000' second
prize, but 'if it were Mrs. Oli-
ver's then Mrs, Oliver would be
the second' prize winner and
Mrs. Reese would receive ' the
other envelope with' the $25,000
grand prize. Television viewers,
including her husband back in
Minneapolis, saw her delight and
amazement when she read Mrs.
Oliver's name and realized that
she and her cookies had made it
to the top, writes Jessie Ash
Arndt in the Christian Science
Monitor.
* * *
Ages of the bakers -off ranged
from 12 to four -score years. The
most senior of the senior group
was Mrs. Dorothy Azone of
Boyne City, Mich.
Another "old-timer" was Mrs.
Ira S. Bailey of Anchorage,
Alaska, whose grandfather went
there in the gold rush and whose
parents took her to Hope, Alas-
ka, when she was a child, go-
ing north from Texas where she
was born. As they stirred up
their respective recipes — fac-
ing each other across their
stoves, placed back to back—she
and Mrs. Lee Mason. of E1 Paso,
Texas, exchanged greetings:
"Guess' you wanted to keep on
living in the largest state of the
Union, so you went to Alaska.,"
said her neighbour,
*
The youngest contestant was
12 -year-old Dean Townsend,
who lives on a farm near Lor-
etto, Neb, Dean, a 4,11 boy,
figured out his cake recipe
one with lots of rich filling be-
cause he likes cakes that quay
just because he has a "sweet
tooth."
From Hawaii was Mrs. How-
torn Kapaka, wife of en Arany.
sergeant, She came from Ger-
many eight years ago end the
receipe she used was one from
the Old County, but she had.
altered it a n d added a few
things that made a delicious
looking cherry walnut torte.
* * *
And now, here is the recipe
which won $25,000 for Mrs.
Reese.
CANDY BAR COOKIES
Cookies 3 cup of butter,
% cup sifted powdered sugar, 1
teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons
evaporated milk, 1/4 teaspoon
salt, 2 cups flour.
Caramel Filling — 1/2 pound
light . candy caramels, 'A cup
evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter,
1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1
cup pecans chopped.
Chocolate Icing — 1 cup semi-
sweet chocolate bits, 1/4 cup eva-
porated milk, 2 tablespoons but-
ter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup
sifted powdered sugar.
Cream butter, gradually add-
ing powdered sugar. Cream well.
Add vanilla, evaporated milk,
and salt. Mix well. Blend flour
and mix.
Boll out dough, half at a time,
to 1/2 -inch ,thickness. Out into
3x11/2 -inch rectangles or 2 -inch
squares. Place on ungreased
cooky sheet. Bake at 325 degrees
F. 12 to 15 minutes until lightly
brown: Cool. Spread filling on
each. Top with icing and decor-
ate with pecan halves.
For the caramel' filling: Com-
bine caramels and: evaporated
milk in top of ' double boiler.
Heat until caramels melt, stir-
ring occasionally. Remove from
heat. Add butter and powdered
sugar. Mix well. Stir in pecans.
Keep over hot water.
For the chocolate icing: Melt
chocolate pieces with evapor-
Caviar Shortage
Said Ta Threaten
People who love caviar are
due fora shock — soon they may
have to go short of this expen-
sive delicacy,
Caviar — the roe of the stLtr-
geon, lightly salted' — comes
from Russia and from the south-
ern waters' of 'the Caspian Sea,
off the coast of Persia,
More than 140 tons are obtain-
ed yearly from the Caspian, but
nowthe fishermen are beginning
to' worry about their future:
This is because the level of the
Caspian has been sinking' stead-
ily for about ten years and now
some of the sturgeon spawning
beds have become inaccessible.
Submarine subsidences and
dam projects are believed to be
the cause of the lower level.
Russia receives about a third
of Persia's annual production of
caviar. It was the Persians who,
centuries .ago, discovered the
delicacy. They called it "clam -
jar," which means "cake of
strength,"
Connoisseurs of caviar in the
United States today swear that
it has the power ' to soothe and
is a wonderful antidote for a
hangover. The U,S, has bought
sixty tons of caviar from Persia
this year. The nearest, city out-
side Persia where the delicacy
can be bought is Beirut, capital
of the Lebanon. But it costs
about $3 a spoonful if you buy
it there.
Today the sturgeon is the
only surviving member of a pri-
mitive family of fish,, The larg-
est specimens are about ten feet
long and weigh as much as 500
lbs.
Eleven years ago, when Per-
sian fishermen were earning
only about $1,50 a day for seven
months of the year,"it was 'caI-
culated that one giant sturgeon's
yield of caviar would pay one
of the men's wages for seven
years.
All sturgeons caught in Bri-
tish waters — very few are —
belong to the Sovereign under a
decree of Edward II. That is
why • the sturgeon is called a
royal fish.
In 1948 a sturgeon weighing
90 lbs. and measuring six feet
nine inches was landed at Looe,
Cornwall, by a fisherman who
sent it to Buckingham Palace
as a gift to the late King George
VI.
Should a sturgeon be caught
ated milk over low heat. Remove
from• heat. Stir in butter, van-
illa, and powdered sugar.
* * *
A masculinereaderwho does
his own cooking' says he never
buys sour cream now but makes
his own. Where he lives, a • half
pint of sour cream sells' for 42
cents, whereas a pint of "half
and half" sells for 30 cents. He
buys the latter, adds . 2 tables -
spoons of white vinegar to each
half pint, whips vigorously with
a fork, then lets it set ' in the
refrigerator for a few hours,
and— .presto! — sour cream.
He says it tastes the same as
the more expensive version.
in the part of the Thames which
comes' under the jurisdiction of
the Lord Mayor of London, It
may be claimed by him.
But so rarely, is a sturgeon
caught in the Thames that few
Lord' Mayors have been able to
exercise their rights'- however
fond of caviar they 'might have
been!
BETTE'S. FEELINGS HURT
$1,000,000 WORTH
"As she stared into the glass,
she wasn't happy with what she
saw," Thus unfolded a chillingly
unflattering portrait of 53 -year-
old Bette Davis in Modern
Screen magazine, which ' des-
cribed the actress as "a great and
passionate star whose love and
honors are slowly being washed
away by time and the tide:" An
affronted Miss Davis, presently
rehearsing her forthcoming
Broadway role in Tennessee Wil-
liams' "The Night of the Iguana,"
filed a $1 million libel suit against
Dell Publishing Co, Her lawyers
contended that . the article had
falsely characterized her as a
"pathetic, grotesque, ridiculous,
and eccentric person who occu-
-pied herself by morosely rumin-
ating about her past glories,"
.Bette herself put it in plainer
words: "They made me `sound
like a gone goose."
Boss — Yes, I know you can't
get married on what I pay you,
and someday you'll thank me
for.. it.
GETTING SHORTER Settinge
high altitude ' record for skirt
hems, this campus dress is call-
ed a shortee, On 'warm fall
days it's worn as shown..Later
It can team up with Mouses
and. sweaters.
GREAT CHICAGO FIRE SPARKED FIRE PREVENTION -- Here's how an artist saw the
scene as crowds jammed streets and bridges to escape the Great Chicago Fire, which
began on Oct, 9, 1871, Some 250 dead — destruction in terms of billions of today's dol -
kits 'that's the toll of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which sparked observance of
what is now Fire Prevention Week, The 40th anniversary of the great fire, Oct, 9, 1911,
was first obsssr'i,u cow Psa'w'pt" " Day )r `920 Presi pant Wilson .',s'.ted the drat
presidential proclamation of Fire Prevention Day, In 1.922, President Harding proclaimed
the first Fire Prevention Week, observed annually since then,