Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-31
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEWELL.

on the board one half 50 good.
The girl who can make good baking
powder biscuits may or not be able to
keep her husband with them, but at
least she will kave the reputation OF
being . good cook.
Not even fine apple pie, that most
difiicult of artifices, can give woman
such q reputation as a cook, as the
smoking platter Of hot biscuits, muff1ed
in snowy napkin to keep the good
ness in. We wait for them to
be brought on.
Words fail to describe this delectable
minute, for which the hungry house,
hold has waited. meanwhile taking small
sips Of cold milk, tampering with the
chow-chow. and nibbling at the olives.
Nothing Is right until the biscuits
appear, and then the world Is rosy.
Here is the very triumph OF the ages,
covered on plate, waiting for impa-
tient fingers to burn themselves.
X "
The art OF selling q hot biscuit
between the thumb and forehnger OF
the right hand and conveying IT quickly
to ones plate is triumphal action
which must be learned through expert
ence
Carefully an opening Is mace in the
napkin, so that only one of the bis
cults is exposed to view, thus keeping
the others well toasted
Quickly the fingers are inserted and
even more quickly withdrawn.
This Is a critical moment.
If one hesitates, one is sure to say,
ouch"
And. of course. no one wants to say
ouch" or anything else.
One merely wants to eat.
There is the biscuit on the plate. there
is the knife, there the soft, yellow pat
Of butter.
Deity grasp the biscuit with the left
hand the more deftly the better), and
lower the right hand upon it.
One pull. and the thing breaks apart
in the middle. sending up. rs it does
so. a small cloud Of aromatic steam.
Now release the grip and apply a
piece OF butter To the section on the
left and quickly clamp the right hand
piece back in place.
Permeation is now taking place
II Is this subtle act which makes a
hot baking powder biscuit the very Won
derful thing 1t Is.
The butter melts and permeates the
texture Of the biscuit. both upper and
lower half, forming one Of the most
perfect blends under heaven.
The only thing left. now Is. to eat
1
Used, for the biscuit is still pretty warm.
%%%
Some connoisseurs prefer 10 allow the
biscuit to be spread out after cutting
claiming that the action of perme ton
is quite a. effective as when the halves
are Clsmped together again.
The real experts. including those born
in Indiana Illinois. Ohio and Maryland,
believe that best results are secured by
shutting UP the biscuit after the butter
is put in.
There can be little doubt that this
is the true theory. The biscuit may be
opened easily enough, and more butter
put on before eating
A warming: For the greatest delight
III eating these masterpieces. refrain
from too many other foodstuns at the
same meal. Biscuits. like fried mush,
are good enough TO stand alone.
A plate Of piping hot baking powder
biscuits. a glass of very cold milk, and
plenty of butter and even Omar could
not ask for more. We always have had
q suspicion that Fitzgerald made a
faulty translation, ana that what the
old poet really wanted was not a loaf
Of bread, and a jug OF wine. but plate
Of hot biscuits and bottle OF milk.