Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-27

The general methods to use in secur-
ing variety in meals consist in varying
the food materials used, varying the
way dishes are served, and varying the
combinations used. Considering the
change of seasons and watching for the
food materials available at different
seasons also helps.
When planning dinner courses. care
should be taken to be sure that meal
that has been rather sweet and con-
centrated is completed with a tart des-
Sert There should also be contrast
of bland and Of highly favored foods.
Seasonings are necessary but should not
be used to excess. They should only
be used to bring out natural f1avors
and never to overcome that flavor.
Combining highly favored or highly
seasoned foods with bland ones seems
to tone down the flavor Of the one and
bring out the flavor Of the other. A
contrast of color is also desirable to
have, for such a contrast attracts and
Is appealing to the eye. Foods of light
and dark colorS make a good contrast.
Bright colorS in foods seem to bring
out the dull colors of some foods. Arti-
hcial colors should be avoided, except
on special occasions.
Useful White Sauce.
Cream of vegetable soups are made
delicious by using white sauce for the
foundation While the white sauce is
being prepared, cook one cupful of
grated raw carrots, or beets, or chopped
celery, or onion, creSs or lettuce in
water to cover until tender enough to
be pressed through a sieve, adding
slice of onion to any Of the vegetables
that are used except the onion, and
bit of celery leaf or celery seed also.
pYth tel xFyif t1a ila
which it was cooked, through a sieve,
and add to the white sauce, and SIM
mer for a few minutes and flavor to
taste. A pinch of mace is good with
celery, lettuce, beet or carrot cream
soup, and grain of cayenne may ada
pungency to almost any of the soups.
Serve with croutons of fried or toasted
bread or with crisp saltines. To make
the saltines, split some crackers and
spread them with creamed butter, allow
ing one-fourth teaspoonful of butter to
one-half cracker. Brown in the oven.
When making oyster sauce, simmer
cupful of oysters in their own liquor
until their edges curl, then drain and
chop them coarsely. Make a white
sauce, substituting the oyster liquor
for an equal quantity Of milk, and
when the sauce is cooked, stir in the
cooked oysters
Shrimp sauce is delicious served with
baked or boiled fish, and it is easily
made. Simply add a cupful Of canned
or cooked shrimpS. cut into small pieces,
To the white sauce, with few grains
of cayenne pepper, and simmer until
the shrimpS are heated thoroughly.
Cheese sauce Is like the shrimp sauce,
as it requires only few tablespoonfuls
or grated cheese added to the original
white S-uce, but the sauce must not be
cooked after the cheese is stirred into
1t or 1t will curdle.
Foods Good to EroiI.
Some of these are best If boiled first,
which means that many left-overs may
be utilized in this way. In this class
are white and sweet potatoes, carrots,
turnips artichoke bottoms whole eel
cry roots, and stuffed cucumbers. Foods
that do not need to be boiled first are
sliced eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms,
bananas, apples, and halves of iirm,
canned pears and peaches. Croquettes
of all kinds are good broiled. as are
also slices Of cooked cereal and mush.
The cereal should be dipped In egg and
then in crumbs before being hroiled,
as are the croQuettes The Drowned
slices of cereal, used with maple strip,
are good to serve for dessert. A gen.
eral rule to keep in mind Is to dip all
moist foods in egg and crumbs ard
brush all dry foods with melted fat or
butter before broiling.
When preparing cold white or sweet
potatoes thick slices should be cut, while
cooked carrots or parsnips should be
cut in convenient sizes for serving.
Brush with melted butter or oil and
sprinkle lightly or roll in seasoned flour
Broil until golden brown. then turn
and hrnurn on the other side Sweet
potatoes are especially good if little
brown sugar and nutmeg are sprinkled
on with the -four.
All broiled foods are improved in
flavor If served with maitre d'hotel
butter. When making this, use half
. cupful of butter. half teaspoonful
of salt, a pinch Of pepper, half a
teaspoonful Of parsley chopped fine and
two teaspoonfuls of lemon juice. Put
the butter in a bowl and then cream it
thoroughly, using a spoon. Add the
fore serving add the lemon Juice slowly.
Celery in Variety.
Celery may figure in 9 stuffed to-
Mato salad in various combinations, one
of the best of which is mixture OF
diced cucumber, little finely chopped
onion and shredded celery mixed with
cumber and celery used may be varied
70 suit taste and convenience.
Another fresh vegetable combination
IN which celery is well liked is made
with chopped cabbage, sweet green pep
per cut into fine strips and shredded,
or rather finely cut celery. Your ia
Vorite dressing may be used.
A hearty vegetable combination Is