  A FIRELESS COOKER FOR AUNT LUCY "WELL, Uncle John! Hello!" said Bob, as he came into the kitchen. "Is Aunt Lucy here, too?" "No, she isn't," said Uncle John, shaking his head solemnly, "and the fact is, I shouldn't be here myself if it weren't for a sort of conspiracy; eh, Bettina?" "That's so, Bob," said Bettina, coming in from the dining-room, her hands full of dishes, "and now I suppose we'll have to let you in on the secret. Uncle John has just bought a beautiful new fireless cooker for Aunt Lucy. Haven't you, Uncle John?" "Well!" said Bob, heartily. "That's fine! How did you happen to think of it?" "Well Bob, she's been dreading the summer on the farm—not feeling so very strong lately, you know—and this morning she was just about discouraged. It's next to impossible to get any help out there—she says she's given up that idea—and at breakfast she told me that if the spring turned out to be a hot, uncomfortable one, she believed she'd go out and spend the summer with Lem's girl in Colorado. I naturally hate to have her do that, so I concluded to do everything I could to keep her at home. I telephoned to Bettina, and she promised to help me. The very first thing she suggested was a fireless cooker, and we bought that today. I believe your Aunt Lucy'll like it, too." For dinner Bettina served: BETTINA'S RECIPES (All measurements are level) Meat Balls (Three portions) 1 C-raw beef, cut fine ¼ C-bread crumbs 2 T-milk 1 egg-yolk ¼ t-salt 1/8 t-paprika 1 t-chopped parsley ¼ t-onion salt ¼ t-celery salt 3 T-bacon fat Soak the crumbs, milk and egg together for five minutes. Add the beef, salt, paprika, parsley, onion and celery salt. Shape into flat cakes one inch thick, two and a half inches in diameter. Place the fat in the frying-pan and when hot, add the cakes. Lower the flame and cook seven minutes over a moderate fire, turning to brown evenly. Serve on a hot platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve with egg sauce. Egg Sauce for Meat Balls (Three portions) 3 T-flour 2 T-butter 1 t-chopped parsley 1 C-milk ¼ t-salt ¼ t-paprika 1 hard-cooked egg, cut fine Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix well, add the milk, and cook for two minutes. Add the hard-cooked egg sliced, or cut in small pieces. Serve hot with the meat balls. Marshmallow Pudding (Three portions) 2 t-granulated gelatin 2 T-cold water 1/3 C-sugar ½ C-boiling water 1 t-lemon extract 1 t-vanilla 1 egg-white Soak the gelatin in cold water for three minutes. Add the boiling water, and when thoroughly dissolved add the sugar. Allow to cool. Beat the egg-white stiff. When the gelatin begins to congeal, beat it until fluffy, add the extracts and then the egg-white. Beat until stiff. Pour into a moistened cake pan. When hard and cold, remove from the pan, cut in one inch cubes and pile in a glass dish. |
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