  A LUNCHEON IN THE COUNTRY "OH, Charlotte, I've just come from the loveliest luncheon," said Bettina, coming face to face with Mrs. Dixon in front of her own home. "You have? Another for Alice?" "No, this was in the country—on the interurban, at Cousin Kate's. Frances, her daughter, who was married last spring, has come home on a visit, and Cousin Kate was entertaining for her." "Tell me about it!" "Oh, it was just an informal luncheon, but I couldn't help thinking how delicious everything was, and at the same time inexpensive. In fact, I wrote down several of Cousin Kate's recipes after the guests had gone, and I'm sure that there aren't many such inexpensive luncheons that are also so good." "You must let me have some of the recipes." "Of course I will. Come in now, and copy them." "I can't possibly, Bettina. As it is, I'm afraid that Frank will be home before I am. It's almost six o'clock now." "Is it? Then I must hurry in and start dinner; I want to make some muffins. I hate to have Bob eat a cold dinner just because I've been out in the afternoon; in fact, I usually spend more time than usual in the morning fixing some dessert that he especially likes, if I'm to be out in the afternoon. Good-bye, Charlotte!" "Good-bye, dear!" The luncheon menu was as follows: BETTINA'S RECIPES (All measurements are level) Oyster Cocktail in Pepper Cases (Six portions) 6 green peppers 1 pint oysters 5 T-tomato catsup 1 T-lemon juice 1 T-horseradish ½ t-salt ½ t-tabasco sauce Cut the stem end from the sweet green peppers. Remove the seeds and allow to stand in iced water. Pick over the oysters to remove any shells, and surround with chipped ice until ready to serve. Mix the catsup, lemon juice, horse radish, salt and tabasco sauce. Fill each pepper with four oysters, and put on tablespoon of the mixture on the top. Serve very cold. Cheese Timbales (Six portions) 1 T-butter 1 T-flour ½ C-milk ½ t-salt ¼ t-paprika ¼ C-fresh, soft bread crumbs ¼ C-grated American cheese 1 egg Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix well, gradually add the milk, cheese and bread crumbs. Cook three minutes, and then stir in the egg, well beaten. Butter six timbale moulds well. Place the cups in a pan of hot water and cook fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. Allow to stand three minutes, and remove from the moulds. Serve hot with creamed peas. Bettina's Green String Bean Salad (Six portions) 1 C-cooked green beans ¼ C-cut celery ¼ C-pimento, cut fine 1 hard-cooked egg, diced 1 t-salt ¼ t-paprika ½ C-salad dressing 6 pieces of lettuce Mix thoroughly the beans, celery, pimento, egg, salt and paprika. Add the salad dressing and serve on a piece of crisp lettuce. Devil's Food Cake (Twenty-four pieces) 2 C-brown sugar 1 C-milk ½ C-butter 2 eggs 3 squares chocolate 2 C-flour 1 t-soda 1 t-vanilla Cream the butter, add one cup sugar. Mix egg yolks, the other cup sugar, one-half cup milk and chocolate; cook two minutes, stirring constantly. When cool, add this to the first mixture. Add the rest of the milk, vanilla, the flour and soda sifted together. Beat two minutes. Add stiffly beaten egg whites. Fill two tin pans prepared with waxed paper, bake in a moderate oven twenty-five minutes. When cool, ice with white icing. |
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