Evening star., 1952-02-24
Blair House Hostess
Eager to Return
Mrs Geoney Nov Looking Forward to
Entertaining Foreign Djenotories Again
BY lsabelle SholtoI

groceries al hand by the time the
cook comes 10 work In the morn
ing.
"of course, things aren't eel
elaborate as they used TO be-" shel
observes. ''ft used TO take thel
Blairs' chef three days 20 prepared
10 dinner for 10. But when no gotl
through II was q dream. A real
work Of art.
1T would lead off with CanApes.
IThen there would DO mounds oil
caviar on TOP OF O block OF loo he|
lhad carved In the shape OF O swan.
Then soup, % 0 separate eeufsel
Thefi q lobster course. Then the
main course Of meat, with o veees
liable and maybe potato balls.
NeNt 0 salad course, ana after
that two alAEed chickens W0uid
be passed, stuffed with pate Do
lfeie aFas, The chickens were only
lt0 look pretty. Separate chickens
the white meat 0fliy=wefe cut up|
and arranged In small pieces
afeuRd Che edge Of the platter
After that there Weuld be q very
fancy dessert Maybe q basket
Ithe chef made out OF spun sugar,
Toll decorated with spun suaap
heWePB, and Allied with loo cream
After that A fruit course,
The Simple Lie
nBut peeple don't live like that
any more" ehe went on, rather
Wlstfully-n0t even tho world
leaders she 10 used 70 entertain
ING,
Her dinners are usually four
eeuFseR neWmvs0Hp, the main en-
IItree, with pNtat0ea and vegetable,
10 salad and dessert, AT the many
State Department luAeheeAs she
gave Rt Blair House when visitors
were not In residence, she cut the
courses TO three by serving the
salad with the entree,
" tried to serve typieally Ameri-
can things most OF the time" she
says. Beef, lamb, baked ham,
Although ] tried to tlnd out at the
State Department library II cer-
tain nationalities had particular
food preferences"
She always gave British visi-
tors "beef and Yorkshire pudding
because ] know they love 1t. and
they don't get much meat these
days" French visitors got lots Of
salads, while the Russians and
Japanese seemed to particularly
like fish.
She has decided that "all men.
from everywhere. love desserts. "
"They usually protest they
shouldn't eat 1t, but they always
Ido." she says. Her cook makes
especially good pies. particularly
lmince--and q wonderful rich
chocolate cake, with q cream and
chocolate sauce that nobody can
resist"
! President Truman was one man
who didn't eat too many Of her
desserts, she says, because Mrs.
Truman didn't want him TO gain
too much weight.
incidentally, Mrs. oeaney's
eaeerness 10 see the Trumans
back In the White House indi.
Gates no lack OF enthusiasm on
her part for the flrst family.
Asked II she had O faVeFite among
oil the celebrities she has enter.
tAined ever the years, she prompt.
iy elected the Tfumansr "'fhey
are the sweetest family In the
world" she declared, "ge natural
and genuine. And 90 devoted 10
each ether"
"Fhey are the pfemptest family
ever saw" she says, "Dlnner
was at 7, and by the time that
old grandfather clock In the front
hall started Ginning they were
on their way down the steps 70
the dining room"
A few OF her other guests have
been neteFiouely uhprompt, ANA
II Mrs, deaney weren't such o dis
Oreet and proper elnploya OF the
state Departments discreet and
proper pF0toeol division, those
stories would make GOOD telling,
too, Az least one visitor owes hIa
stillsbriaht diplomatic future 10
Mrs, ueAney'H f0reeful inAiAtenee
thAt no simply had 10 rouse hlms
Aeli one in6rRlnH 10 keep on Inn
portant appointment, no matter
how much hayety he had enjoyed
The evening before,