The San Francisco call., 1910-04-24
| 7 HE Splendid Diner Oat Dzveas Upon Its Bsaatch-
Ing S1ueetness, Its Soothing Sabfleties ana Deas
Deftv qvith the Necron,ancy of Crusts and Filings

is insidious, fascinating thing, that
one. She makes for lightness, my siren
shortening. Did she have too much
lard she would make for grease; if too
much butter, for sogginess. She turns
to neither. She suggests airiness and
dawns and white clear. silver, moon
lit nights, where all is peace and still
ness and full, pale rapture. So thus we
come, on wings of phantasy, to flour.
Let it be the pastry flour-this flour
of yours. The bread -four is made from
spring wheat, the pastry flour from
winter wheat. The pastry flour is
coarser. 1t will be crustier, cru1nbier
lighter, more fanciful. 1t will help the
effects of pale moonlight and full joy
Good sound country butter is good
enough for most things (if you're sure
the trusts haven't handled ito, and the
best lard has it's satisfying uses. Now
madam, the cold water for your hands
mind! l don't suspect you, but ice cold
your hands must be If you're to get
that new hat.
THE SHORTENING
ing, three to one Gt sounds like some
monetary issue, doesn't it?). Don't
overmix. Allow the lard to show
streaks of individuality. Take three
cupfuls OF the winter flour and mix
your shortening with IT, Mix with your
fingers thoroughly. Crumble it through
the palms to see if it be right. If it
holds together firmly yet indicates a
gratifying graininess it is right If it
doesn't little more shortening, if you
please. If 1t assume anything of the
attributes of paste, you've got too much
shortening. Your pastry will be greasy.
miry, the thing of the dishclouts. But.
of course. it won't be so. It'll be lust
clinging and grainy, as I told you.
So, into a vessel with it, add a little
little water. Iced water mind! Measure
1t carefully as the grocer measures but
ter. Trickle It in so that it doesn't
get ahead Of you. There, there-plen-
ty. Turn your fork round and round,
round and round and round. being care
ful that 1t touches the sides of your
bowl. You must get your paste so that
It's just paste, just the very borderland
Of dryish paste. 1t must evolve from
a dry, clinging graininess Of the short
ening stage to the very hairline of dry
ish paste. Not more than that. If .t's a
little too dry, it's not irreparably
spoiled. If it's a little too wet. it's
fixed, follied, done for
You roll it out then to something
thinner than cooked pancake II YOU
know how thin that ought to be. Line
your pie with little grease IL you like
grease, though I use flour. Preserve
me from grease in a crust. Now line
your pan with your paste. Caress its
surface with 1uttering skilled hands
Cor f1uttering skilled paper) reinforced
by the white of an egg. Your fruit
oughtnt to sog, If your oven be right.
but we'll make assurance doubly sure.
The white of the egg will armor 1t.
Freight your ravishing bark with the
rich cargoes which belong to her
pumpkin, or apple, or squash, or n,ince
or cranberry, or any of the rapturous
loads which will make of us temporar
lily finer vessels). Crisscross it with
little lattice squares over the top If it
isn't a covered pie. l know this is
heresy and sin, but many sins and
heresies are pleasant
1 am aware that a crisscrossed pie
is viewed by some authorities as proof
of predestined evil; but what are con-
stituted authorities between friends? 1t
makes for crumbIing crumbiness, and
actual, crinkling, crusting comfort OF
course, If you have covered pie you
cover it. And the method OF IT is this:
Fix your top paste on as carefully as
you would your hat. Take little strip
of moist linen about fingernail wide