Evening star., 1943-08-23
Readers Clearing House

This space is devoted to an ex-
change of ideas, recipes, housekeep-
Ing short cuts and suggestions be-
tween the housewives In Washington
and vicinity Please send your con-
tribution or requests to Readers
Clearing House, the Womans Page,
The Evening Star
The views expressed in this open
forum" are not necessarily those OF
The Star. but are simply an ex-
change of opinions between readers
of the Womans Page.
AS 1t is obviously impossible for
this department to test all recipes
offered for the column, we cannot
assume responsibility for them.
ENGLISH TEA CAKE:
BORTSCH.
fThdnks to Mrs. S. M, Arlington. J
I wonder If some one has a recipe
for what We called English tea
cake? Although I am not sure that
is the proper name for 1t, do know
that 1t is yeast bread (sweet)
baked in pie plate. After it is
done, 1t is split in half, buttered and
sprinkled with citron and currants
or raisins. The top replaced and
the whole spread with butter and
generously busted with powdered
sugar. 1t is wonderful and I would
be so grateful for copy of the
recipe.
In answer to Mrs B. S. OF Wash
ington, here is a recipe for Russian
bortsch:
l quart consomme.
2 large beets, chopped.
l cup chopped cabbage.
2 onions, chopped Tor less.
Cook vegetables until tender in
consomme, adding water as neces-
sary. Strain or not, as desired.
Serve a tablespoon of heavy sour
cream on each bowl. Heavy pot
terry bowls are traditional
Your Clearing House is a mar
velous idea and seems to have the
ability to make every one feel at
home in great city.
Thanks to Mrs. J. II. K. Camp
Sprtngs.)
In response to a readers request
for Russian bortsch, Id like to send
in my recipe:
Take onions, stalk celery, 3
carrots, big beets and l white
turnip. Cut in very small pieces.
Add fresh cream and a little butter,
3 leaves of laurel, some whole pep
pers, small can of tomato paste
and some strong beef bouillon and
boil for l hour. While boiling, add
III pounds shredded cabbage.
little salt and Il glass sugar. When
vegetables are soft, add S fresh-cut
tomatoes. Serves s.
I frequently substitute canned for
any Of the fresh vegetables, or a
small amount of catsup for the
laurel and tomato paste. While the
recipe Is not given in as accurate
measures as modern one. it is easy
to follow and gives wonderful re-
suits.
FURNITURE FINISH.
(Requested By Mrs. S. c. r.,
Washington.)
Can any one tell me how to finish
two modern chests? The wood Is
light oak. I'd like them to look like
the new light modern furniture seen
In the stores. Thanks lot.
i y il
CANNING CHILL SAUCE.
requested By Mrs X. p,
Washington.)
Please give recipe for canning
chill sauce.
SOY BEANS
Thanks to Mrs. J. c. r., Silper
Spring.
I enjoy the Readers Clearing
House and have answers to couple
of requests from recent issues.
For Mrs. j. P. P. who requested
about soy beans. use
sprouted soy beans to make chow
mein. Soak the dried beans over
night in warm water with pinch
of chlorinated lime. then drain and
place in colander and cover with
q damp cloth. Dampen 3 times
a dav. using pinch OF the lime
the third time each day. On about
the third day the sprouts should
be large enough to use Wash
thoroughly with warm water Il
cook the beans and the sprouts all
together.
This Is for M K. Silver Spring:
An easy way to shell green soy beans
Is to boil them about minutes in
enough water to cover, then cover
them with cold water. The beans
can. then be slipped easily from
the pods by squeezing them. Dried
SOY beans can oe easily shelled by
putting them in q cloth bag and
hitting them with stick Most OF
the beans will go to the bottom of
the bag, while the shells stay on
top.
ANY readers who have pressure
cookers may be interested in my
recipe for dried soy beans:
Soak two cups of dried soy beans
overnight washed and picked over
firsD. Place in the inset pan with
the water in which they were
soaked and enough more to cover
Add 4 cup of molasses. onion
cut up. / teaspoon dry mustard.