New Trend In Meat Meals Seen By Home Economist

Press, Volume C, Issue 29540, 15 June 1961, Page 2

New Trend In Meat Meals Seen By Home Economist

New Zealand housewives are often criticised by overseas visitors for their dull cooking. A cut off a roast joint served with three vegetables (often overdone), boiled and baked potatoes, before a large slice of pavlova, has apparently become a tradition. Next day the family sits down, in the cause of economy, to cold meat or shepherd's pie made from the left-overs and heaped with mashed potato. But a new trend in meat meals has begun in New Zealand kitehens, according to Miss Tui Flower, home economist for a frozen foods manufacturing firm.

With the increasing cost of meat, home cooks were turning their imagination to serving interesting stews and casseroles made from cheap cuts of meat. They were using continental recipe* which included wine, beer or sour cream in the cooking liquid, or the cook might merely enhance the flavour with characteristic spice* such a* paprika, curry, thyme or caraway seed, said Miss Flower. Potatoes were not necessary every day if other vegetables •were served. Com, kumara or pumpkin could be used instead of potatoes as a “heavy” vegetable. with some kind of greens, she said. Two vegetables were sufficient with a meat meal, and variety counteracted boredom. Between-Meal Snack* Housewives, who complained about putting on too much weight, would be well advised to cut down on potatoes as well as cutting out altogether such betweenrneal snacks as hot scones and cakes, she added.

American women. who were noted for their slim figures, are very conscious about over-eating, and keeping fit, she said. They drank coffee between meal*, but never nibbled biscuit* or cake with it. Cake or pie was reserved for dessert with coffee, often eaten some time after the main meat meal of the day. It was customary in both Canada and the United States to invite friends round for coffee and dessert about 8 p.m. That was the last food consumption for the day. Supper, as it was known in New Zealand, was not a North American habit. A typical American woman's lunch would be a fruit salad in a lettuce leaf with a little cottage cheese, or celery stick* stuffed with a cheese filling, served with a piece of nut bread. Simple Salad Such a simple salad meal was quite satisfying and adequate for a mid-day meal, without bread and potatoes, said Miss Flower. Miss Flower believes the large meals, as well as afternoon and morning teas served m New Zealand, particularly in country districts, spring from a genuine wish to be hospitable and probably hark back to pioneering days. After completing a degree at the Home Science School, University of Otago, and then leeching at Pukekohe High School. Miss Flower soent some time in the United States.

In St. Louis she appeared on television cookery programmes and studied American foods. On returning to New Zealand she won a Government bursary and studied cooking in a Paris hotel-training school on a very extensive course. She also toured Britain. Her present job in one of New Zealand’s largest manufacturing firms i* at Petone. Asked for an interesting way to make a stew. Miss Flower gave the following Belgian recipe for Carbonnade* de Boeuf:— Ingredients. —21 b beef cut into 2in cubes; 6 tablespoons butter: i cup flour; i cup chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon thyme: 1 crushed bay leaf: 2 tablespoons vinegar (preferably wine vinegar): 1J cups or more of beer (preferably flat); 4 medium sized sliced onions: 1 teaspoon salt: } teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar. Method.—Dust meat well in flour and brown on ali sides in three tablespoons butter. Add parsley, thyme, bay, salt, pepper, vinegar and enough beer to cover meat. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer one hour, adding more beer if necessary. Saute sliced onions in three tablespoons butter. then add sugar and cook until onions are slightly glazed. Add onions to the beef and cook 13 minutes or until beef is tender.