TESTED RECIPES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17830, 26 April 1926, Page 11

TESTED RECIPES.

Banana Cream.—Skin six bananas and rub them through a sieve, add two ounces of granulated sugar, the juice of two oranges, one tablespoonful of brandy or benedictine, one quarter of an ounce of powdered gelatine, half a pint of custard (as shown at the end hereof) and half a pint of whipped cream beaten stiffly. Pour into a wet mould. When turned out, decorate with sliced bananas and glace cherries. The brandy or benedictine can be omitted. This is a rich sweet suitable for dinner parties, and the quantities mentioned herein are suitable for ten persons. The Custard —Put two beaten eggs into a saucepan, add four tablespoonsful of sugar and one pint of milk. Stir, over a slow fire until nearly boiling; then strain. Never allow a custard to boil, or it will curdle, and always add the flavouring when the custard has cooled. The Art of Omelette Making.—Keep a special pan for making omelettes—-one of the best kinds to use is aluminium. The pan should not be too large, and should be washed as seldom as possible. Instead, it can be rubbed with paper after use, and then with a cloth. A new pan, or one that has been washed, should be seasoned by putting in a little fat or butter, making it quite hot over the fire, then pouring it off; finish by rubbing the pan over with paper. A long, pliant knife, or palette knife, is a great help, but not a necessity. See that everything is ready before beginning to mix the omelette. Never let an omelette stand, but serve it the moment it is cooked. The butter must be very hot before the eggs are put into the pan. Do not use margarine for greasing the pan as it is apt to burn. A Plain Omelette.—Allow one egg for each person, and if possible one over, if it is to be a main dish. Break each egg separately into a shallow dish and beat well, adding a pinch of salt and a dessertspoonful of water to each egg, as water makes omelettes lighter than milk. Beat well with a fork, and put a lump of butter in the pan as large as a good-sized walnut —for each egg—and let this get quite hot. Now pour in the egg mixture, letting it cover the pan, and cook. Use a fork to stir it well. If you leave it alone the under part only gets cooked, and the upper parts will j then need turning or browning in the oven. If experienced in omelette mak- { ing it is better to do this, and at the same time run a thin sharp knife around the edge of the omelette, between it and the pan, so as to loosen it and prevent sticking. It can be turned fairly easily, however, if it is quite loose in the pan and the handle is lifted so that it slides to the other side. Scrambled Eggs with Cheese —Reouircd; 4 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, 2oz of butter, pepper. Beat the eggs and add the cheese and pepper. Melt the butter in a pan, add the egg mixture, and stir until the eggs thickenIf necessary, add salt, but some cheeses are sufficiently salt in themselves to render the addition of salt unnecessary. Pile the mixture on rounds of hot buttered toast. Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes. —Required: 4 eggs, 2 tomatoes, 1-iozs of butter, salt, pepper. Toast. Put the tomatoes into boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes, then remove the skins and slice the tomatoes. Beat up the eggs, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir with the butter in a pan until the eggs thicken, then serve on hot buttered toast or grilled bacon or potato cakes. Other Methods.—Add 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of cooked minced meat, poultry. game, ham or tongue to the eggs. Finelv chopped herbs and parsley may be added to the eggs, as may cooked green peas, asparagus tips, or grilled chopped mushrooms, when in season. Beef au Gratin.—This is an appetising cold meat dish. Cut about lib of underdone roast beef into slices, put these into a well-greased fireproof dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, a minced onion, a pinch of powdered herbs,

salt and pepper. Cover with a layer of sliced tomatoes, sprinkle these with more seasoning and a tablespoonful of grated cheese. Continue these layers until the dish is full, cover with breadcrumbs mixed with cheese, place small pieces of margarine or dripping here and there over the top and bake in a moderate oven for about three-quarters of an hour.