Evening star., 1943-04-12
Jeudi Club Dimes
Masculine Chefs Pit Wits Against
Problems Imposed by Rationing
As Reborfed BY Arthur H. Denfe

AS NepOTIeN Oy aIIU" II. IL
Wartime cooking holds no terrors
for Southern folks who, like the
Merediths, were raised along with
nursery rhymes on tales of how
their grandmothers provided food
and interesting food-during the
years of the War Between the
States. And so when the Club de
Jeudi meets at their home, Sam
Meredith merely turns to a mental
scrapbook of ancient recipes and
dinner is on the way. We may
say right here that Southern people
have little if any patience with
those who show so little initiative
and ingenuity that shortage OF
this and that in the nearby shop
or markets sends them into dither.
Looking the rationing rules right
In the face. Sam Meredith detoured
neatly and provided dinner for
eight, to-wt, and as follows:
This and That Salad
Chicken Beaureguard
Mashed Potatoes
French Apple Fritters
Coffee (Maybe?)
When it comes to throwing a
dinner party in the face of ration
ing, here is dinner party at its
best-and, as dinner parties go, rela-
lively inexpensive.
First of all, a this and that
salad" is sure to be a surprise. And,
in the manner popular among many
Southern families, the salad comes
along first. 1t serves as an appe-
tizer as well as a supplier of the
important rabbit food AS its name
implies, what one does is to ransack
the refrigerator and start accumu-
lating. Of course, cooked and un-
cooked vegetables should be kept
separate, for two different salads.
This one happened to be made OF
cooked vegetables, some came from
partly used-up canned vegetables.
There was part OF can OF
string beans and there were some
leftover green peas. Also, there was
a bowl holding about two cups OF
cold cooked macaroni and there
we're three or four leftover cooked
beets. All of these were cut into
convenient sizes, treated to the addl-
ton of one raw minced onion, and
then we'll mixed and given an in
fusion of dressing made by placing
three tablespoonfuls of mayonnalse
In a little bowl, adding the juice
of two lemons and making a smooth,
thinnish cream type" dressing. Salt
and pepper were added and then
each portion was presented on a
leaf of fresh, crisp lettuce. This is
a -good-to- salad and in
these rationing days it forms base
for just about anything short OF the
well known kitchen stove to find
itself used up to advantage.
Chicken Beaureguard is a dish
found in and around Savannah, Ga;
In fact, in many parts of the South
where there is an occasional infusion
of French cooking which has be-
come more or less acclimated to the
South.
Here is how it is prepared: Figur-
Ing on eight people for dinner. there
are required two or three dressed
chickens and these are first of all
fried brown in their entirety-no
cutting up just rolled in flour
and fried on all sides. And then
they are placed in a big pot and
covered with water, seasoned with
pepper and salt. an onion and a
couple of bay leaves, and cooked
until the meat is tender. Then the
chickens are jointed and trimmed
into serving portions . and set
aside for future treatment parsley.
Strain the chicken broth through
a fine sieve Then place in
saucepan and add bag Qike a big
teabalD filled with celery greens,
the sliced peel of freshly
squeezed lemon and speck of
allspice Gf it is handy. Cook this
mixture and reduce it to about three
to four cups of liquid. Remove the
herb bag and thicken with Drowned
butter and flour rouX. Then add
cup of canned mushrooms, another
cup of ripe olives and, if you like
the flavor. half cup of good quality
dry red wine. Check your salt and
pepper seasoning, add a bit of
kitchen bouquet if the gravy needs
browning. Last of all, have ready
a half-cupful of chopped hard
boiled egg-not very fine.