X Ruth Inspects Bettina's Kitchen

"I should say so!" said Bob, heartily. "Why, I'm getting fat! I was weighed today, and——" "Don't say any more, Bob! We'll rent the house and take to boarding! If you get fat——" "No boarding-houses for mine! Not after your cooking, Bettina! I had enough of boarding before I was married. Say—how long ago that does seem." "Has the time dragged as much as that? Well, I'll change the subject. Dad, how do you like my Japanese garden? I think it's pretty, don't you?" "I certainly do, my dear. What are those feathery things?" "Why, don't you know that, Father? And when you were a boy, you worked on a farm one summer, too! There's a parsnip and a horse radish, and a beet. Then there are a few parsley seeds and grass seeds on a tiny sponge! And see the little shells and stones that Bob and I collected for it." "Yes, we found that pink stone up the river on a picnic a year ago last May, before we were engaged, or were we engaged then, Bettina? And the purple one ——"

"Oh, you needn't reminisce," Bettina interrupted hastily. "Eat your dinner." "Every little stone Has a meaning all its own, Every little shell—— But it wouldn't do to tell."

"I composed that poem just this minute," said Bob, undisturbed. "Will you help me get the dessert now, Robert? Are you ready, Mother? And Father?" "Yes, indeed. A very fine dinner, Bettina. We never have steak fixed this way at home; do we, Mother? Can we try it some day soon?" "I have something for dessert that you like, Dad. Guess what!" "What is it? Oh, lemon pie! That is fine, I can tell you! But I know already that it won't be as good as your mother's! Still, we'll try it and see!"

That evening for dinner, Bettina served: Devilled Steak New Potatoes in Cream Baking-powder Biscuits Jelly Cucumber and Radish Salad Lemon Pie Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

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Devilled Steak (Four portions) 2 T-butter 1 T-onion 1½ lb. flank steak ¾ inch thick 2 T-flour 1 t-salt ½ t-pepper 1/8 t-paprika 1 t-mustard 1 T-vinegar 1 T-flour 2 C-water

Melt the butter in a frying-pan, slice the onion in it and sauté gently until golden brown in color. Remove the onion from the butter, cut the flank steak into pieces three by two inches. Dredge these lightly in one tablespoon flour and sauté in the butter until well browned. Remove the meat from the frying-pan; add the salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, vinegar and flour. Mix all together and add the water slowly. Replace the steak in the pan, cover closely and simmer one hour, or until the steak is tender. Serve on a warm platter and pour the gravy over it. Baking Powder Biscuit (Fifteen biscuits) 2 C-flour 4 t-baking powder ¼ t-salt 3 T-lard 2/3 C-milk

Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt; cut in the lard with a knife until the consistency of cornmeal. Add the milk, mixing with a knife. Pat into a rectangular shape, one-half inch thick, on a floured board. Cut with a biscuit cutter one and one-half inches in diameter. Place side by side in a tin pan. Bake in a moderate oven fifteen minutes. Cucumber and Radish Salad (Four portions) 1 C-diced cucumbers ½ C-diced radishes 2 t-chopped onion 1 t-salt ¼ t-pepper 4 T-salad dressing 4 lettuce leaves

Mix the cucumbers, radishes, onions, salt and pepper. Add salad dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Lemon Pie

Filling 1 C-sugar ½ t-salt juice 1 large lemon

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2 egg-yolks 1½ C-water 1 t-grated rind ½ C-flour 1 t-butter

Beat the egg yolks, add the sugar gradually and beat; add the flour, salt, water, lemon juice and rind. Cook in a double boiler until it thickens. Pour into the pastry shell, cover with meringue and bake in a moderate oven until the meringue is brown.

Pie Crust

1 C-flour 1/3 C-lard 1/8 t-salt 2 T-cold water

Cut the lard into the flour and salt with a knife. Add the water gradually, lifting with a knife that portion that was moistened first and pushing it to one side of the bowl, wet another portion and continue until all is moistened, using just enough water to hold together. Put together and place on a floured board. Roll the crust to fit the pan. Press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan. Prick the sides and bottom with a fork. Crinkle the edges of the crust; have the crust extend above the edge of the pan to make a deep shell for the filling. Bake the crust first to make it more crisp. Do not butter the pan. Bake from five to six minutes in a hot oven. When the crust is done, add the filling and cover this with the meringue.

Meringue

2 egg whites beaten stiff 5 T-sugar (powdered preferred) ½ t-lemon extract

Do not beat the egg-whites until ready for use. Then beat until stiff and add the sugar and extract, beating only a minute. Pile the meringue lightly on top of the filling, and bake the whole slowly. If baked too quickly, the meringue will rise and then fall. Bake only until it turns a golden brown.

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CHAPTER XIII

BOB HELPS WITH THE DINNER

"H ERE, Bettina, let me mash those potatoes! It's fine exercise after a day at the office!" And Bob seized the potato masher with the same vigor that he used to handle a tennis racquet. "Good for you, Bob! They can't have a single lump in them after that! About the most unappetizing thing I can think of is lumpy mashed potato, or mashed potato

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that is heavy and unseasoned. More milk? You'd better use plenty. Here! Now watch me toss them lightly into this hot dish and put a little parsley and a lump of butter on the top. There, doesn't that look delicious?" "I should say so! And look at the fancy tomatoes, each one with a cover! What on earth is inside?" "Just wait till you taste them; they're a new invention of mine, and I do believe they'll make a splendid luncheon dish for the next time that Ruth is here, or Alice brings her sewing over. I'm practising on you first, you see, and if you survive and seem to like them, I may use them for a real company dish." "You can't frighten me that way! Creamed chicken?" "Creamed veal. Don't you remember what we had for dinner last night? There were two chops left and I made it of them. I know it is good when made of cold veal roast, but I had never tried it with cold veal chops—so again I am experimenting on you, Bobby!" "You don't frighten me so easily as that! I've just caught a glimpse of something that looks like cocoanut cake, and I'll be happy now, no matter how the rest of the dinner tastes!" "There, everything is on, Bob! Let's sit down to dinner, and you tell me all about your day!"

Dinner consisted of: Creamed Veal Mashed Potatoes Stuffed Tomatoes Bettina Bread Butter Sliced Peaches Cream Cocoanut Cake Iced Tea

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Creamed Veal (Two portions) 1 C-cooked veal chopped ½ C-white sauce (medium) 3 rounds of toast Mix the veal and sauce. Heat and serve hot on rounds of toast. Mashed Potatoes (Two portions) 4 potatoes 2 C-water 1 t-salt ½ T-butter ½ t-salt

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