COME TO DINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 17

COME TO DINE

Don’t we all know that feeling of anxiety when the last guest has arrived and the dinner Is in process of being served, and—worse still—haven’t most of us the memory of a dinner which “ just missed fire ” lucked away in the recesses of our mind somewhere? I have, anyway, and when the time came that I simply had to repay hospitality received I made up my mind that the dinner would be a real success. First of all, on my way through the cookery book I adhered to tried and trusted recipes. I chose stuffed veal, and fruit salad to be served with lots of whipped cream, for the main courses. There wasn’t a thing that I hadn’t cooked a score of times, but, just to make doubly sure, the week before the party I had a full-dress rehearsal in which the little daily damsel helped with great glee. To keep everything hot without being dried up we filled almost every available pan with boiling water, which we kept simmering on the stove with the vegetables, joint, and so forth, ready dished on the top. Jane just had to lift them off. wipe off the steam, and wheel them into the dining room when the bell rang, and as I had dished them personally I didn’t have any qualms before I raised the lids, wondering what everything would look like. When the guests arrived I really felt as pleased to see them as I looked, and later on when I had the in-laws to entertain for a whole week-end, we just tried everything out two weeks beforehand, so that in spite of extra duties the food was well cooked and served on time.—An exchange.