Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
HOUSE
HOLD
lINTS

A-.-Jl-.
The list of dishes sanctioned through long
custom among the various nations as spe-
cially suited to the spring festival or Eas-
ter season is large one, and the house
wife who dotes on tradition In culinary
methods for the respective holidays finds a
wide assortment to draw from.
She may bark back to the old English
habit of leg of mutton for her Easter
dinner, stuffed with ground ivy and &C.
companied by a generous piece of boiled
bacon or ham, or she may follow the OK
ample Of the Greeks and Christians Of the
east, with her lamb "seethed" or roasted
with the addition Of fine herbs.
If the blood of the Latin races courses
through her veins she will want turkey
for Easter quite as much as for Thanks
giving or Christmas; while chickens, ducks,
hareS rabbits and red-fegged cartridges
are all in excellent Easter form.
While the piece de resistance varies In
the different countries, they all agree in
the free use of eggs for Easter.
From the small country boy who brings
in his hat full of the white-shelled treas
ure trove from his secret hiding place in
the hay NOV, and demands that they be
cooked for his PAS breakfast, to the
Persian shah on his throne, the egg stands
first on the Easter menu.
Easter Eggs-Varied indeed are the ways
in which eggs may be cooked; but accord
ing to "Pasch" lore plain boiled egg
must break the Lenten fast. If there are
children in the family, it adds greatly to
the joyousness of the occasion to have
these eggs tinted and variously inscribed.
Nor is this difficult thing to do. Trace
what you will upon the egg shell with
liquid fat. allow it to cool; and harden,
then boil in water to which a dye has been
added. You do not need. to buy dyes for
coloring egg shells Onion skins boiled
few moments in water give beautlTul
shade of yellow. Parsley or spinach fur
nish delicate green and beets or a piece OF
Japan red calico the crimson.
Many Of the Easter gifts this year come
with special reference to the service OF
boiled eggs.
/ There are quaint little three minute egg
timers" set in frames of tartan plaid, DC
traying their Scottish origin. Egg cups
have been brought out in quantities once
more, many of them hand-painted with
buttercups daisies and primroses.
There are egg scissors for deftly shipping
off the top of the shell when one wants to
emulate the dainty English fashion of
eating the egg from the shell; egg cookers
with thick cosies for cooking the egg on
the table while one is leisurely disposins
of her fruit and cereal.
|. Even the up-to-date chatting dish and egg
skinner, all of which goes to show that
the egg cooked even in the simplest way, Is
deemed worthy of appropriate accessofieT
AS every girl who goes to cooking school
knows, boiled eggs are boiled no longer,
instead, they are put into boiling water.
covered closely and allowed to remain there
from six to twenty minutes. according as
one likes his esgs-soft, medium or hard.
Cooked in this way they are much more
digestibe, the white remaining of a jelly
like consistency instead of horn.
For egg salad, deviled eggs or picnic
eggs, put into warm water bring the water
n ci rflt,1 nof1y
twenty minutes Take out carefully and
pour cold water over them. When cool
remove the shells.
An egg salad may be simple or complex.
If the former, cut the boiled eggs into
slices and arrange overlapping each other
In a salad bowl lined with the crisp white
leaves of lettuce Sprinkle some finely
chopped parsley over the eggs, then cover
with mayonnaise or, preferably, French
dressing, to which little made mustard
has been added. Equal quantities of egg
and chopped celery, with a good dressing
makes an excellent salad, adding, if de-
sired, a few sardines or anchovies.
Daintiest of Easter salads is a bird s
nest salad. This may be arranged on a
low glass dish or individually. Make the
nests of the white heart leaves of lettuce
curled about to form little hollow. In
each or these nests place five little speckled
eggs, made of cream cheese, rolled into
shape. Then sprinkle with fine chopped
parsley. Pour a French dressing under
the leaves Of the dainty nests.
A water lily salad for an Easter lunch
con looks almost too pretty to eat, but
tastes as good as it looks. Cut the whites
OF hard-boiled eggs into pointed petal-like
strips. Save out two or three yolks, but
mash the rest. Mix with mayonnaise, and
fill the calyX of the arranged petals with
the mixture Put the remaining yolks
through me sieve orr potato r1cer, over
the petals to simulate pollen and cut let
tuce leaves into points to resemble the
outer green. Use French dressing.
For. the salad and cheese course nastur-
tiums will be found most effective, using
both the leaf and the blossom. Arrange
on or pretty dish; and in the center of each
blossom tuck a little roll of cream cheese,
to represent the pistil of the flower
AS omelettes are always in order for
Easter, suggestions as to their making may
not come amiss. There5'is knack in the
evolution OF the perfect omelette. 1t Is not
enough that the eggs employed are abSo-
lutely fresh, the whites and yolks beaten
TO Just the right consistency, which is not
too light, the pan hot, absolutely smooth
and well creased, the salt measured out
with misers hand and the proper amount
of liquid allowed; there must be the judg-
ment born of practice the deft hand and
faculty There are certain fixed rules
VI Piopoi tioi tHdt Apply u Tic iHdhiHs
OF every omelette. To each egg goes one
tablespoonful of liquid, which may be
cream, stock, water or milk But after
this variations may follow. OF the plain
omelettes there are two kinds-the ordi-
nary one that holds it's own so well that
you have to be on your guard against it's
becoming tough and the French Omelette.
which New York society girl described
to me as lone Of those perfectly lovely,
Shiny omelettes, don't you know"
TO make II, break four eggs into a
bowl, add four tablespoonfuls cream or
water and beat with fork until a spoonful
can be taken up. And a scant half teaspoon
full of salt and a quarter teaspoonful of
white popped or dash of paprika. Grease a
hot omelette pan, using a tablespoonful of
butter or olive Oil MIA GO ON the fire and turn