Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-03
Report to the
HOnnennuker:
Cookbook Authors
Confer on Recipes;
Honey Bread
BY Violet Faulkner

What do you expect from a
recipe and how do you like to
have a recipe written?
The summarized reports of a
cookbook-recipe conference spon-
sored by the United Fruit Co.
hav just reached my desk.
For a long time the company
has felt that something needed
to be done with regard to a COM
mon understanding of recipe writ
ing. Although cookbook authors
are we'll informed, they are eager
Tor information about new de-
VeIopments that might help Mrs.
Homemaker do better and cas-
Ter job.
The panel. composed of food
experts, helped clarity questions
dealing with up-to-date informa-
ton on a variety of subjects. Re-
gardlng two-temperature meat
roasting, it was considered unde-
pendable as we'll as wasteful
because it may induce shrinkage.
one lower, even temperature was
said to give practicable results.
ana to constitute a reliable stand
ard for beginner cooks. In dis
cussing poultry, the experts con-
sldered it unnecessary to include
cleaning directions for poultry in
COOK books. On one thing they
were firm: Poultry should be
stuffed only directly before roast
ing, never the day before. to avoid
bacteria development. They also
recommended freezing birds I'M
stuffed. and stuff just before
cooking. Of the 100 different
species of fish marketed in the
United States only about 10 are
sold in large volume. The market
trend is toward frozen fillets.
Three different methods were
recommended to prepare them for
cooking. First. and best, thaw the
fish in the refrigerator. Second,
thaw at room temperature. Third,
II in a hurry, thaW fish under
cold running water.
Boxing Powder
Since most of the baking
powder sold today is the double
action type, the majority of those
at the conference felt it was un-
necessary to specify type of bak-
ing powder in modern cook books.
Because of variation in size and
water content at different sea-
sons better success would be as
sured particularly in cake bak-
mg) if eggs were measured by
cups rather than number.
The style of writing a recipe
provoked thorough discussion. Is
it better to list ingredients so the
woman can see at a glance
whether she has them on hand,
or give the recipe in narrative
form which gives a better chance
to describe it? One author felt
that the do nots" were just as
important as the dos" and that
the do nots" are sometimes left
out in brief formula.
In a discussion of cooking ware
the methods of oven heat were
described. A glass baking utensil
absorbS about 95 per cent of the
radiation striking it in an oven
and shiny tinware only about 8
per cent, the balance being re-
f1ected. The contents of the glass
dish were found to bake more
rapidly than the same mixture
in tinWare. So successful was the
conference that plans are under
way for a future meeting.
For Easter Dinner
It's the end of the meal we
remember the longest and a
good finish to any dinner is ice
cream. Easter dinner this year
will be doubly important since you
may be entertaining out-of- town
visitors here for the annual Con-
tinental Congress of the Daugh-
tiers of the American Revolution.
You want your dessert to be one
that will linger on in their memo
ries. One of the leading ice cream
companies is featuring an Easter
special =. ice cream moldS in the