Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-01-28

Correspondence on topics Of interest to the ladies
u solicited. Address: Editor HOnMAK11e'
CoLulM. Oxfofd Democrat. South Fafis. Ne
"Little Things.

sounds Incredible, and yet 1t came on
luscious, mellow, the slightly Drowned
skin curling enticingly from the "mest"
OF the apple, which looked for all the
world IKE flaky snow with tiny crystals
of Ice sprinkled over It'll Sounds good,
doesn't it9 Quite foreign to the usual
run of baked apples, the skin Of which
sometimes resembles parchment, the In
terror nothing which in any way pleases
the palate. And this wonder apple dis
tinctly did please the palate. The par
ticles, which resembled tiny crystals,
were sugar, glazed by the cooking pro.
cess. And 1t was warm; showing that,
wonder of wonders, 1t had not been
baked lsst week!
As ate 1t I thought Of oil the baked
apples had eaten, not only in restau-
rants, but in private homes, and l was
forced to confess that even In private
homes seldom had seen such an apple
as I was eating. Was it because house
wives were careless, that because an
article of food was simple and easily
prepared they took no time over It?
Wishing to see the proprietor of the
restaurant, whom knew, and remember
ing that baked apple, I went back to that
same restaurant for my dinner. l will
say nothing about that dinner, the tooth
some roast lamb With the rich brown
gravy, the unbelievably dsky mashed
potatoes, because I want to get to the
point of my story, my interview with
the chef. persuaded my friend to let
me see him after the rush hours were
over. And this was what he told me
spropos of the "simple things that were
spoiled just because of their simplicity"
81 have always said the despised
things, like the hsshes and the bread
buildings, could be made as delicious as
the most complicated DESSERT" be said,
smilingly, as asked him rather eagerly
about the apple. ut was only when I
went into several private homes and
tried to eat their unpalatable baked
apples, that realized that might also
be added to the list. It Is only that 1t
takes little more time, and, If you
want to be fancy for the home, a little
more material, that the majority of peo-
pie do not see the possibilities of the
baked apple. In home / would core
the apple and peel it, not as did for the
restaurant, but one third of the way
down. Then would put 1t in q sauce
pan with two good tablespoonfuls of
sugar and not quite half cup of water.
This much water and sugar for each sp-
pie, for of course you will have more
than one. Then cover and cook until
tender, but not until broken. Then
take them gently from the saucepan and
put them in an open pan, like dripping
pan, pouring the syrup around them and
sprinkling with granulated sugar. Then
l put them in hot oven, but I watch
them jealously, SO as to allow the sugar,
which / have sprinkled on them to glaze,
and maybe to brown a trife. Then, of
course, / take them off to cool and serve.
They make, assure you, an incompara-
BILE dessert. In the home would serve
cream with them; and sometimes I
would stuff their cores with chopped
nuts or raisins."
"But you spoke of something else," I
said hastily, looking up from my note
book, "of hash and bread pudding, be-
lieve. Will you not tell me something
of those, also?"
ga recipe my grandmother gave me-"
be said whimsically, "bas made my chill
dren long for bread pudding night, as
most children abhor it. 1t cannot be
made in the restaurant, as the REALLY
BEST apple cannot be made, because of
the lack of time. All ! can really
achieve with the apple, is the perfect
! cannot serve the thick syrup
that can be used in the home, nor stuff
it's core with raisins. But as to the pud.
ding: soak one slice of bread about an
inch and half thick, broken, in cold
water until soft. Then drain the water
from it, squeeze dry and crumble to bits.
| scald three cups OF milk, add three
quarters cup of graduated sugar, q
tablespoonful and a half of butter, q
generous pinch OF salt, and the yolks of
three eggs, we'll beaten. I pour this
over the crumbled bread, beat we'll, and
add flavoring. then grease pudding
dish, pour in the mixture and bake in q
moderate oven forty minutes. This will
make dish for family of five or six.
If there are only two in the family the
recipe had better be balved."
"But the flavoringp" asked.
he smiled.
my children like chocolate" he said,
$50 the favoring in my home Is usually
chocolate. But you can have vanilla or
or you can use half q cup of
cocoanut, or q cup of raisins. We usual
ly, as said, use chocolate; my wife dis
solving three squares of the unsweetened
in not quite half q cup of boiling water,
and adding 1t to the milk. Of course,
with the whites of the eggs you make
meringue for the top of the pudding"
Sand the hssh9" said eagerly.
He smiled again.
"Hash is another very appetizing
disb," he said, 'if prepared properly.
But the secret of good hash Is care
spelled with capital letters. Every small
est piece of bone, gristle or skin must be
removed from the particles of meat, or
the hash will be tough, as we 30 often
find 1t. Then the meat must be chopped
fine, but not put through meat grinder,
or any other process that threatens to
reduce 1t to Q paste; each particle of
meat should be separate and distinct.
Then when this Is chopped thoroughly,
I'm equal amount of boiled potatoes must
% duueu, buu, II you ike the uaV0r,
small onion, chopped fine, or II not that,
then half of green pepper without the
seeds, and little catsup.
Mix the meat and potatoes together
and sprinkle with salt, pepper and pap
rika. Before putting the hash into
frying pan, melt tablespoonful of but
Ter In the pan. If the mixture is very
dry, q little milk can be added or little
stock. Stir frequently, till the mixture
10 heated thoroughly, and then pat down
and draw to q less hot place on the
range. Cook slowly until one side IL o
golden brown, and then fold over a. you
would an omelette and serve imme diate-
y. Be sure and have catsup on the
fable. rh guarantee, If you follow these
you'll have hash you never
lasted before"
And remembering the baked apple, I
agreed. / already felt the
desire for hash and bread pud-
ling.
I have had the apple!