COOKING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4958, 20 February 1937, Page 3

COOKING.

FOREIGN DISHES. The Maitese have some excellent vegetable dishes. The Maltese national dish of Minestra (meaning sapper) is delicious, and men love it. Cut up a pumpkin, a cauliflower, 3 onions, 3 carrots, potatoes, celery. Put them in a saucepan with a tin of tomato paste' and enough water to cover vegetables. Let them cook until soft, 2 to 3 hours. Add macaroni or spaghetti, or both, and about 1 tablespoon of dripping, ,and cook until macaroni is done. Season to taste and serve very hot with dish of grated cheese. Most of us have enjoyed Italian risotto in restaurants at times, but few housewives seem to know how easy it is to prepare at home. The important point to remember is not to boil the rice in water, not even wash it. Just wipe it in a clean cloth and throw it into a pan in which a tablespoon of butter has been melted. Stir briskly until thie rice turns golden brown and then add a cup of stock (preferably

white stock, but it really doesn’t matter.) Let this boil slowly for about an hour, adding a little more stock whenever the rice has absorbed the moisture.

When the rice is tender and has reached a thick, porridgy consistency, add a piece of butter and a generous helping of grated cheese. This risotto is delicious eaten just as it is, with dry, grated cheese served separately. But it can be gardished with whatever you fancy. For instance, fried tomatoes, or mushrrooms, or cliippolata sausages, or sliced kidney or liver, or even fried eggs. From Hollywood we get a most delicious savoury rice. Here is the recipe: Combine 1 pint canned tomatoes, 1 pint cooked rice, 2 tablespoons butter, 1-8 tablespoon pepper, 3 tablespoons chopped green peppers, 1 teaspoon sugar, £ teaspoon salt and i teaspoon onion juice. Transfer them to a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven. If desired, a little cheese may be grated over the top before it is baked. Americans add a little undiluted tinned milk, or diluted till creamy, to make the mixture a good creamy consistency, and a little butter before bringing to the table.