  A LUNCHEON FOR THREE "OH, Bettina, what a perfectly charming table!" exclaimed Alice, while her guest from New York, in whose honor Bettina was giving the little luncheon, declared that she had never seen a prettier sight. "But it's your very own Christmas gift to me that makes it so," declared Bettina, with flushed cheeks. For Alice's deft fingers had fashioned the rose nut cups (now holding candied orange peel), and the rose buds in the sunset shades in the center of the table. "They are almost more real than real ones! I can scarcely believe that they are made of crÊpe paper." The square luncheon cloth on the round table was of linen, decorated with a cross-stitch design in the same sunset shades, so that the table was all in pink and white. A French basket enameled in ivory color held the rose buds, and another Christmas gift to Bettina was the flat ivory basket filled with light rolls. The luncheon napkins matched the luncheon cloth, as the guests noted, and "The menu matches everything else!" exclaimed Alice. "I'm glad you like it," said Bettina. "I have eaten chicken a la king often at hotels and restaurants, but until recently it never occurred to me to make it myself. And it isn't difficult to make either." "You must give me the recipe," said Alice. For luncheon Bettina served: BETTINA'S RECIPES (All measurements are level) Chicken a la King (Three portions) 2/3 C-cold, cooked chicken, diced 3 T-butter 1 T-green pepper, cut fine 1 T-pimento, cut fine 1/8 t-celery salt 2 T-flour 1½ C-milk ¼ t-salt 1 egg-yolk, beaten 3 slices of toast Melt the butter, add the green pepper, cook slowly for two minutes, and then add the flour. Mix well and add the milk slowly. Cook until creamy. Add the celery salt and the salt. When very hot, add the beaten egg-yolk. Mix well, and add the chicken and pimento. Reheat. Serve very hot on hot toast. (Do not cook the sauce any longer than absolutely necessary after the egg-yolk is added.) Bettina Salad (Three portions) 3 slices of pineapple 3 halves of pears 6 marshmallows 3 maraschino cherries 6 halves of nut meats 3 T-salad dressing 3 T-whipped cream 3 pieces of lettuce Wash the lettuce and arrange on salad plates. Lay a slice of pineapple on the lettuce and half a pear, the hollow side up, on the pineapple. Fill the cavity of the pear with salad dressing, and place one tablespoon of whipped cream on top of the salad dressing. Arrange two nut-halves, two marshmallows and one cherry attractively on each portion. Serve very cold. Hickory Nut Cake 1/3 C-butter 1½ C-sugar 2 eggs ½ C-chopped hickory nut meats 4 t-baking powder 2 C-flour ¾ C-milk ½ t-vanilla ½ t-lemon extract Cream the butter, add the sugar and mix well. Add the egg-yolks, the nut meats, and the flour and baking powder sifted together. Then add the milk, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat vigorously for two minutes. Add the whites stiffly beaten. Mix thoroughly and pour into two layer-cake pans prepared with buttered paper. Bake twenty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Ice with confectioner's icing. Bettina's Confectioner's Icing 2 T-cream ½ t-vanilla extract ½ t-lemon extract 1 C-powdered sugar Mix the cream and extracts. Gradually add the powdered sugar sifted through a strainer. Add enough sugar to form a creamy icing which will easily spread upon the cake. (More than a cup of sugar may be needed.) |
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