“LOCK THEM UP!”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 874, 18 January 1930, Page 11

“LOCK THEM UP!”

SNOWDEN'S REMEDY FOR DISSENTING DELEGATES STRONG WORDS AT HAGUE Reed. 3 p.m. THE HAGUE, Friday. The delay in the settlement of nonGerman reparations owing to persistent bargaining methods provoked another strong remark from Mr. Philip Snowden, who declared: It will either be necessary to postpone the conference until Judgment Day or lock up the Bulgarian, Austrian and Hungarian delegates and their debtors without food or drink until they reached an agreement. Mr. Snowden added it appeared to him after a fortnight’s discussion that there had been nothing but talk. The delegates thereupon decided to remain closeted together all night if necessary to frame an agreement. It is hoped the final protocol wili be finished today.

Lesson On Pastry-Making

lime and again one hears women assert that they “cannot make pastry”— seeming philosophically to accept their confessed ineptitude as some sort of characteristic of which they need not be ashamed and for which they cannot be held responsible. You’ve met them, haven’t you? Admittedly there is a degree of art in pastry making, but no difficulty that cannot be overcome by any home cook of ordinary intelligence. I know a bright little girl of 14 who mastered the art in one lesson, and in a somewhat wide experience, I have never seen that child’s pastry excelled—if, indeed, equalled. Now, what a child could so easily accomplish is surely not beyond the powers of grown women —if they will only divest themselves of the erroneous impression that they cannot make pastry. Believe me, by this admission you merely brand yourselves as inefficient, for you can! Let that parrot cry “I cannot make pastry” go by the board l To the beyinner in party-making I would suggest trying the rough puff formula. This requires little practice or skill, and if properly made and baked, may easily be taken for the real thing. There are a few simple points to be observed—strict cleanliness for one thing, and another that everything used in the process, including your hands, must he as cold as possible. Also, be careful not to touch the pastry with your hands more than is absolutely necessary and then very lightly. A marble slab is better than a board in pastry making; and the coolest spot should be selected for the process—especially during warm weather. Pastry demands a brisk oven. To ascertain when the oven is heated to the proper degree, put a small piece of the paste in before baking the whole, and then you can judge the heat. The temperature of the oven should be lowered once the pastry has risen, particularly in the case of pies with uncooked fillings. Note that the pastry must not be stretched over the pic, but eased on. A good plan is to invert the pie dish, before filling it —on the rolled-out pastry, and to cut round it wfth about an inch to spare. Then ease the cover on, so that it will be flush with the dish, the edges of which should have been previously wetted with cold water. Here is the formula for ROUGH PUFF PASTRY.

If you are a beginner, it will be as well first to try your hand on a small quantity. From the following I make a pie for six people:—Quarter lb of butter (separator for preference, or you may use half butter and half lard), one breakfast cup of flour, sifted with a level small teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt; about a gill of very cold water, and a squeeze of lemon. Sift the dry ingredients on to a board or table, reserving a little in the sifter for rolling out. Now with a knife chop in the butter coarsely, place the materials in a very

cold basin and mix with the water and lemon juice to a pretty stiff dough—still with the knife. Turn on to the board, and roll out lightly, remembering to roll the pastry from you all the time. Fold it in three, to resemble an envelope, and then in two. from left to right. Turn closed side to the left and roll again. Repeat this process several times. At the last rolling endeavour to keep the paste as nearly as possible that of the shape of your piedisn. This can be accomplished by less folding. Cut the cover out as advised, place over the pie, glaze by brushing over with milk, and bake. This pastry should rise in leaves, just as puff pastry, but is “shorter” to the palate, really “melting in the mouth”. It has the distinct advantage over puff pastry —that it can be made in a few minutes at once. It is suitable for apple or meat pies, tarts, tartlets, or patties. In the case of pies, it is as well to use a little more flour. PUFF PASTRY. (A Simple Method.) Take one pound flour and thipe-quarters of a pound of butter. Sprinkle the board with flour, cut the butter into pieces, and roll with a rolling pin on the flour. Put the flakes on a plate, add a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt and same of baking powder to the flour. Make to a flexible paste with a little cold water, roll out lightdv. and lay the flakes of butter over. Fold and pinch the edges, repeat four times. Get as much air as possible. Last time roll out to required thickness. Bake in a brisk but not too hot oven. PASTRY FOR FAMILY PIES. (Mrs Beeton’s Recipe.) Pies.—lngredients for paste for two pies of moderate size: l|lb of flour, 41b of butter or lard, rather more than J pint of water. Rub the shortening lightly into the flour, and mix it to a smooth paste with the water; roll it out two or three times, and it will be ready for use. This paste may be converted into an excellent short crust for sweet tart by adding to the flour, after the butter is rubbed in, two tablcspoonfuls of fine sifted sugar. Lastly I shall copy for your benefit the formula for puff pastry evolved by the great Sovcr, who is said to be the doyen of pastrycooks. S OYEIUS PUFF PASTRY.

To every lb of flour allow the yolk of 1 egg. the juice of 1 lemon, 4 saltspoonful of salt, cold water, 1 lb of fresh butter. Put the flour on to tlie paste-board: make a hole in the centre, into which put the yolk of the egg. the lemon-juice and salt; mix the whole with cold water (this should be iced in summer, if convenient) into a soft flexible paste. Handle it as little as possible; then squeeze all the buttermilk from the butter, wring it in a cloth, and roll out the paste; place the butter on this, and fold the edge of the paste over, so as to hide it; roll it out again to the thickness of aquarter of an inch; fold over onethird, over which again pass the rol-lir.g-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a square; place it with the ends, top and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again, ns before. Flour a baking-sheet, put the paste on this, and let it remain on ice or in some cool place for 4-hour; then roll twice more, turning it as before; place it again upon the ice for a i-hour, give it two more rolls, making seven in all, and it is ready for use when required,

Vegetarian Dishes Both Novel And Attractive

A letter in last week’s mailbag—it was signed “Four Vegetarians”—contained a request for some hints as to the constitution of a well-balanced \egetarian meal. Also, from time to time, I have received other letters asking for vegetarian recipes that are a little out of the ordinary*. The complaint of “Pour Vegetarians” Is that there is a definite lack of variety in their daily fare. In this they are by no means unique. Monotony is more often the rule than the exception in the case of those whose diet contains no meat. Cut off as he is from so many dishes whose variety is stimulating to the appetite, the vegetarian is sometimes apt to lose interest in his meals, and consequently often eats less than id necessary for the maintenance of perhealth; or else to neglect a principle of vital importance to bodily wellbeing—that of selecting a well-balanced diet. For a satisfying dinner in which meat has no place there should be at least three vegetables, besides potatoes. On this food authorities are in complete agreement. The vegetables may* either be served separately or else in combination, and one of them should contain milk, eggs, or cheese. Add to these a dish, a sweet or a dessert, and the inner should meet all needs. As regards variety in the dishes erved, a meatless meal can be every it as attractive and appetising as one i which a meat course plays the prinnal part. Where the home cook is willing to oend a little extra time and docs not esent the extra trouble involved, ' umberless ways of treating foods liich, strictly or otherwise, come unlcr the heading of “vegetarian” will present themselves. This is a matter for individual taste, and the woman who delights in concocting novel dishes will meet with a very great reward. In the meantime, it must be remembered that* the main object of Kitchencraft is to smooth the path of the overburdened housewife, and that the rule observed in furnishing the majority of its recipes is to present dishes which are simple of contrivance. Therefore, from a host of recipes on hand, I have endeavoured to select a number of vegetarian dishes which, while having the attraction of novelty, can yet be achieved with the minimum of etflbrt. T think that “Four Vegetarians”—and others—will appreciate any of these: A VEGETABLE CURRY. Shell some green peas. Wash the husks and boil them for half an hour, then strain, and use the liquor for stock. Cut up some spring onions (with most of the green) and wash and cut up some carrots and potatoes. Put the vegetables in a saucepan with a small piece of butter, and lightly brown them. Then add the stock (hot), the shelled peas, one tablespoon of chopped parsley, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Mix one taldespoon of flour, a dessertspoonful of curry powder, and a little salt to a thin paste with water. Add a tablespoonful of vinegar, pour into the saucepan, and stir until the curry thickens. Serve w r ith a border of boiled rice. N.B.—Tinned peas will serve if fresh peas are cither too dear or not available. A very savoury dish is DEVILLED SPAGHETTI.

Iwo and a-half tablespoons of butter, one cup of gratetj tasty cheese, one quart cooked spaghetti, one tablespoon of minced onion, two cups of milk, two and a-half tablespoons of flour, half a teaspoon Worcester sauce. Add onion to melted butter and cook for a few minutes. Now add the flour and the milk (slightly warmed). Cook the mixture until it has thickened, stirring constantly. Add Worcester sauce and salt to taste. Put the spaghetti in a baking dish pour the sauce over it, and sprinkl t with grated cheese. Bake in a moderately hot oven until the cheese has melted. Enough for eight persons. Even spinach may be prepared in nany novel ways. Here is one which will appeal. SPINACH CHARTREUSE.

Put three pounds of well-washed spina Pan containing a tablespoon of butter, and cook until tender, keeping it well pressed down. Drain and rub through a sieve. Butter a round mould; have cooked turnips and carrots cut the length of the side of the mould and half an inch wide. Arrange them alternately round the mould and put hard-boiled, sliced eggs between the vegetables and at the bottom of the mould. Then put in the spinach, after mixing it with two tablespoons of cream, the beaten yolk of an egg, and salt and pepper. Pour melted butter over tlie whole, cover with a piece of buttered paper, and steam gently for half an hour. Turn on to a hot dish and serve. The following is a new way to tempi the appetite with asparagus: BAKED ASPARAGUS. Boil a couple of bundles of asparagus in the usual way, using only the tender part. Slice several hard-boiled eggs. Make a pint of white saucf: and mix with it some finely-minccd parsley. Put a layer of the asparagus in a buttered baking dish, cover generously with the sauce, then put a layer of egg, next a layer of asparagus, and so on until the dish is full. Cover with breadcrumbs and bits of butter, and bake for 20 minutes. Should you contemplate making the undermentioned dish, do not keep it waiting after it is cooked. Therefore do not actually bake it until you are certain it can be served right away. CHEESE PUFF PUDDING. Grated cheese, six ounces; breadcrumbs, four ounces; one fresh egg; about half a pint of milk; seasoning to taste. Thickly butter a piedish. Mix the crumbs and cheese, and put them in a dish. Separate the yoke ami white of the egg; beat the yoke, mix with a teacupful of milk and stir into the crumbs, etc. Then add as much more milk as is needed to form a thick batter; the amount will depend on whether the crumbs are very stale. By the way, they must not be crumbs dried in the oven, such as are kept in store for crumbiirg fish or rissoles. Season the mixture carefully (most people prefer it with plenty of pepper). At the last lightly stir in the white of egg, beaten to a froth. Be careful to mix it in thoroughly; if it is left just on the top it will taste tike a tough skinBake the pudding in a moderatelyhot oven until browned. Serve at once in the dish. Either fresh or tinned peas may be employed in the following dish. PEAS WITH CHEESE. Season three cups of cooked peas with salt and pepper, mash them through a sieve, add a pint of hot milk and half a tablespoon each of butter and flour mixed. Stir until smooth, add the yolks of two eggs well beaten, and lastly fold in the whites, beaten very stiffly. Put into a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and halve for almost an hour in gentle heat. A dish which you may like to try is SPANISH EGGS. Half an ounce of butter, a dessertspoonful of chopped onion, a dessertspoonful of parsley, half a cupful of tomato sauce, one and a-half ounces of soft cheese, two fresh eggs, pcppei and salt, and hot buttered toast,