Top 25 Recipes for All Kinds of Meat

It is easier to make bricks without straw than to feed a hungry man without meat" is an old

and bitter Afghan adage, coined probably by the first trader to come down from the Hindu

Kush and find himself among the vegetarians of India. If that saying brings to mind great,

clove-studded hams, slabs of tender beef, whole legs of mutton, or roasts of veal, consult

another cookbook; all take too long for this one. Here are recipes, 'tis true, for beef, lamb,

ham, and veal, but all save one are intended for quick cookery. Presumably you already know

how to deal with roasts and to grill steaks and chops. To repeat what was said in the

Introduction, this book has two objectives: to assist you in serving relatively unusual and

good meals swiftly and to come to your aid when you have unexpected guests. The recipes in

this section are designed to do either, and sometimes both.

Of the various forms in which you can buy beef, the most versatile is oddly not the dearest. It

is top round ground, for which it is possible to substitute the even less expensive hamburger.

Despite its name, hamburger is as American as chewing gum or the Star-Spangled Banner. It

need not, however, be served with a thick slice of onion, a thin one of tomato, a dollop of

relish, a smear of mustard, and a bath of ketchup, the whole encased in a tepid roll. At the

first bite, this contraption will disintegrate like the deacon's wonderful One-Hoss Shay. It

makes for inelegant eating. The disadvantages of ground beef may be eliminated and the

advantages—speed and ease of cooking, low cost, nutrition—retained by a little ingenuity in

seasoning and cooking. Top round ground may never be the pièce de résistance at a dinner

party even if it were called Émince de Filet de Boeuf, but it will have many other important

uses.

Five of the following eight beef recipes are based on ground meat, four of them variations on

hamburger as it might be cooked in the United States, Italy, Norway, and China. You are

invited to develop your own variations, borrowing from the French, the Mexican, the

Hungarian, and the Indian cuisines.

Recipes using already baked or boiled ham are as quick as those using ground beef, and ham

is even more readily available from grocers and delicatessens. Furthermore it keeps well, and

you can usually count on having some on hand. In a crisis you could probably persuade your

local druggist to let you have a few of the slices he keeps for making sandwiches. There are

literally hundreds of recipes for ham; those included here are a mere sampling but are, I think,

both interesting and unusual, as well as good.

Lamb, to macerate a metaphor, is a different kettle of fish. Except for the very best and

smallest of baby chops, lamb should be served well done and cooking it usually requires

more time than the average reader of this book can give it. Nor is it so universally available

as beef and ham. The recipes provide a few representative ways in which this meat may be

cooked quickly but appealingly.

Veal, the gourmet's meat, no one's poison, and the chef's delight, is close to perfection for fast

and fancy cookery. It lends itself to, nay it invites and flourishes under, sauces, the bases for

most good and unusual dishes. Except when in a roast or as chops, it should be cut thin and

cooked over high heat, so there is no problem of time. Good veal is not so easy to come by as

good beef, but it is worth the extra effort. The veal recipes which follow are the ones I would

select to feed the jaded appetite of the man who has eaten everything. If he has in fact eaten

everything, he will be familiar with these, and happy to eat them again.

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BEEF ALHAMBRA SERVES 4

This magnificent stew takes more than an hour to prepare, but you will agree, I am sure, that

the result is well worth the additional time, if you have it. The stew possesses admirable

keeping qualities; it improves with age—within reason—and may be cooked one day,

reheated and served the next or even the day after. It is essentially an informal dish, but is

easily dressed up to become the basis of a formal dinner. While there is nothing particularly

remarkable about beef stew, this one differs from its more mundane relatives through the

inclusion of pickled walnuts. The difference, I might add, is marked. I have the recipe from

an old and valued English friend who tells me that she has never eaten it anywhere except in

her own home, where her mother was wont to serve it to the delight and delectation of family

and guests. In view of her mother's family connections, I have reason to believe that the use

of pickled walnuts in this way may well have originated with the Moors in Spain. Whatever

its origin, we owe its inventor a gastronomic debt.

The recipe calls for top round steak, which you should ask your butcher to cut about three

quarters of an inch thick. You may substitute pieces of leftover roast beef. Fresh beef makes a

better stew, but roast beef is acceptable. If no beef stock is available, use condensed beef

bouillon, or make stock by simmering nine beef cubes in three pints of water until the cubes

are completely dissolved.

l½ POUNDS LEAN TOP ROUND STEAK

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

3 MEDIUM ONIONS, QUARTERED

3 PINTS BEEF STOCK

3 LARGE CARROTS, SLICED IN ONE-INCH PIECES

2 MEDIUM TURNIPS, QUARTERED

5 STALKS CELERY, CUT IN ONE-INCH PIECES

6 PICKLED WALNUTS, QUARTERED

BOUQUET GARNI

SEASONING (SEE BELOW)

6 PICKLED WALNUTS, HALVED

Cut the meat into three-quarter-inch cubes. In a large saucepan melt the butter and sauté the

meat on all sides until it is light brown, to seal in the juices. Remove from the saucepan,

replace with the chopped onions, and sauté them until they are golden. Place the meat and the

onions in a large casserole with a lid. Pour in the beef stock, and add the remainder of the

chopped vegetables, the quartered pickled walnuts, and the bouquet garni (tie a bay leaf, two

sprigs parsley, a dozen peppercorns, and sprinkling of thyme and marjoram in a cheesecloth

bag). Simmer in a moderate oven— about 350 degrees —for an hour, or until meat is tender

but not falling apart. Remove from the oven, and adjust the flavor of the juice. This will

depend on your taste. I would suggest: a tablespoon of pickled walnut juice, a little sherry, a

dash or two of Scotch Bonnet, and, of course, salt and pepper. If the color of the juice is too

light, a little Kitchen Bouquet will darken it. Once you have corrected the seasoning, make a

small roux with two tablespoons butter and two of flour, and pour off the juice from the

casserole to make a sauce with the roux, being careful not to let the sauce get too thick. Pour

the sauce over the meat and the other contents of the casserole, add six to eight more pickled

walnuts, halved, and return the stew to the oven. Allow it to reheat completely, about five

minutes. Take the casserole from the oven, and remove the bouquet garni. (By now it looks

exactly like a piece of the beef. I have forgotten to remove it on two occasions with

unfortunate consequences, each time to the guest of honor.) The stew is now ready to serve.

If you wish to give this dish a party atmosphere, I suggest serving it in small individual

casseroles, garnishing each with cooked diced turnip, carrot, and a few peas to add color,

with one whole pickled walnut in the center, topped with a sprig of water cress like an

umbrella. Normally you will want no vegetables with this stew, but French bread or toasted

rolls are splendid for sopping up the sauce. An Avocado Salad (qv) would be especially good

to follow and could almost be accounted a vegetable. The wine you will want will be the red

wine of Burgundy, a Chambertin or a Pommard for example. Add Chocolate Cheese (qv) as a

dessert.

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CUBED STEAK AUX CHAMPIGNONS SERVES 4

Earlier in this book, in the Introduction, to be exact, it was pointed out that choice steak

should be grilled over charcoal and served with a minimum of seasoning and froufrou. This is

true of the more expensive cuts, whose innate goodness and flavor it is a high culinary crime

to conceal under sauces, bottled or otherwise. Top round steak, however, is, as a man once

said, a horse of a different color. Naked and unadorned it tends to be tough and almost

tasteless. A few minutes spent in making a good mushroom sauce for it will enable; you to

serve a dinner which will draw "ohs," and "ahs," and "isn't it absolutely . . ." from your

guests. And you, too, for that matter. A cubed steak after this fashion has the double

advantage of being a delight to your palate and to your pocketbook.

The recipe for the sauce calls for Bovril, an extract of beef made in England. You may

substitute an American variety of beef extract such as Wilson's B-V if you like, and with

good results. Use of some form of beef extract is essential as it "makes" the sauce. On no

account use beef bouillon cubes in lieu of the extract. The result will be quite different and

quite unhappy.

1 TIN CONDENSED MUSHROOM SOUP

¼ CUP CREAM

1 EIGHT-OUNCE TIN BUTTON MUSHROOMS

1 TABLESPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

1 TEASPOON BOVRIL

2 TABLESPOONS BURGUNDY OR CLARET

4 CUBED STEAKS, ONE HALF INCH THICK, ABOUT EIGHT

OUNCES EACH

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER

1 TEASPOON SMOKED SALT

4 SPRIGS WATER CRESS

Make the sauce first. Put the soup in a saucepan, and, over a gentle fire, thin with cream,

stirring until the mixture is smooth. Add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and Bovril.

Stir in the wine. Let heat for a short time, two or three minutes. If the sauce is still too thick,

thin with milk, but remember you do not want a runny sauce. In any case do not permit it to

boil. While the sauce is heating through, sauté the steaks. For four steaks you will require two

skillets. Place a tablespoon of butter in each and melt over a low flame. Increase the fire and

sauté the steaks quickly; after one side has cooked for about a minute, turn the steaks: season

the cooked side with pepper and smoked salt. At the end of another thirty seconds, re-turn the

steaks and season the other side. In all, the steaks should not be sautéed more than a total of

two minutes, preferably less. Place each steak on a hot plate, pour the sauce over the steaks,

garnish with water cress, and serve.

Boiled whole baby onions and broiled or grilled tomato halves combine well together and

with these steaks. Follow the main course with a Double Cressed Salad (qv). Either a Claret

or a Burgundy will enhance this meal; why not a Saint-Julien or a Richebourg—if you can

get it. The fare is a little on the heavy side and should end on a light note—Fragole Marsala

(qv).

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BEEF JARDINIÈRE SERVES 4

One of the problems which all cooks sooner or later have to solve is how best to use leftover

roast beef. There are many number of ways to attack this problem, and some solutions are

monuments to the cook's skill. Most of these, however, are elaborate and time consuming. A

simple and rapid solution is to make a jardiniere with the beef. The result is not exactly

suitable for a dinner party, but it makes a fine Sunday supper, or a dinner en famille, or even

one of those "potluck" dinners which people invite you to from time to time and which

usually turn out to be rather formidable affairs. The beef for this jardiniere should be cut into

bite-sized cubes. Raw beef may be used, of course, but you should then allow a very

considerable increase in the cooking time.

1 MEDIUM POTATO

1 LARGE CARROT

1 BOX FROZEN PEAS

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

5 CUPS DICED, COOKED ROAST BEEF

SALT

PEPPER

1 TABLESPOON MINCED PARSLEY

Cut the potato and the carrot into quarter-inch dice. Place them in separate saucepans with a

cup of water each and boil until tender, but do not let them become mushy. About fifteen

minutes would be right. Cook the peas. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the diced beef in

lit until well coated and brown on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cooked

potato, carrot, and peas in the skillet with the beef, add the minced parsley, and cook over a

low fire, turning everything constantly, until all ingredients are well coated with butter. Serve

hot.

This is a one-dish meal. No other vegetables are required, although toasted half biscuits or

rolls might be added with profit. If you want a bit of éclat, serve Mangoleekee Salad (qv) or

Persimmon Salad (qv). A light red wine, Beaujolais, perhaps, would be about right with the

beef, and Chocolate Whiffle (qv) would be equally appropriate as a dessert.

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HAMBURGER CONEY ISLAND SERVES 2 TO 4

As forecast in the note on Meat, this and the three succeeding recipes provide four methods

of cooking hamburger, each as it might appear in the cuisine of a different country. They are

designed to bring changes and a little excitement into the life and consumption of hamburger.

It is only meet to begin with the American version, and what more appropriate name for that

than "Coney Island"? A glance at the list of ingredients will reveal that all of the normal

appurtenances of lunch-counter hamburgers—mustard, onion, pickles, and ketchup—are

included as integral parts of the recipe and their flavors cooked into the meat. This hamburger

is good at any informal meal.

1 POUND HAMBURGER

½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED ONION

¼ CUP TOMATO KETCHUP

1 TABLESPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

2 TABLESPOONS FINELY CHOPPED MUSTARD PICKLE

1 TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER

½ TEASPOON DRY MUSTARD

2 EGGS

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

Beat the eggs lightly or shake well in a swirl mixer. Put the meat, chopped onion, ketchup,

Worcestershire sauce, pickle, salt, pepper, and dry mustard into a large mixing bowl. Pour

over them the beaten eggs. Using a fork or, better yet, your hands, mix the whole mass

thoroughly. Shape into patties about three inches in diameter and an inch thick.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. When it is hot, add the patties and sauté briskly on both

sides, turning with a cake turner or spatula and pressing the patties into the butter firmly but

not hard enough to break them. When they are cooked evenly to a light brown on both sides,

reduce the heat and allow them to cook about ten minutes longer, turning at least once.

With this American version, what could be better than French-fried potatoes and corn on the

cob or summer squash? One item you should have is Mixed Green Salad II (qv). Beer is the

obvious beverage, and ice cream the equally obvious dessert. If you prefer wine try an

American Traminer or Gamay.

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HAMBURGER NAPOLI SERVES 2 TO 4

Hamburgers are not much eaten in Italy. Beef is scarce, and the type we grind for hamburger

is normally reserved for use with pasta in one form or another. If, however, the Italians took

to eating hamburgers, they would probably prepare them along the lines of this recipe, whose

"Italian" aspects derive from seasoning with orégano and grated cheese and cooking in olive

oil and garlic. Orégano is a dominating herb and if used to excess can destroy the taste of the

parsley, the meat, and the cheese, and almost overcome the flavor of garlic. Be careful how

you increase the amount called for in the recipe.

1 SLICE STALE BREAD

2 EGGS

1 POUND HAMBURGER

3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY

4 TABLESPOONS GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

¼ TEASPOON ORÉGANO

1 TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER, FRESHLY GROUND

6 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

1 CLOVE GARLIC

3 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

Soak the bread in water, squeeze dry, and break into very small pieces. Beat the eggs lightly,

or shake in a swirl mixer. Mix thoroughly in a large bowl the meat, bread, parsley, cheese,

orégano, salt, pepper, and eggs. If the mixture is too dry, pour in one quarter cup of red wine,

preferably Chianti, and mix some more. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and add the garlic,

finely minced or put through a garlic press. While the oil is heating, shape the hamburger into

balls about one and a half or two inches in diameter. Roll them in the flour. With the oil hot

but not smoking, sauté the meat balls, turning from time to time, for about ten minutes.

Boiled noodles or spaghetti, dressed with butter and served on the side, and zucchini sautéed

in olive oil or creamed spinach with this hamburger will make you think you are dining in the

Galleria. Add a bottle of Barolo and you will be sure of it. The salad should be Mixed Green

Salad III (qv). The dessert? Zabaglione (qv), of course.

Photo owned by Neal Whitaker

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HAMBURGER BERGEN SERVES 2 TO 4

Although it would probably be an exaggeration to say that Scandinavians are hamburger-

conscious, they are extremely fond of meat balls, which they call by other names but which

differ from the American hamburger only in shape and seasoning. Sage, ginger, and a touch

of lemon add a subtle Scandinavian touch to these patties, and as you eat them you can

imagine you are watching the fjords go by. If you like your food more highly spiced, double

the amount of sage and ginger, but do not add more lemon, juice or peel.

½ CUP BEEF STOCK

1 POUND HAMBURGER

1 TEASPOON LEMON JUICE

1 TEASPOON GROUND SAGE

1 TEASPOON GROUND GINGER

1 TEASPOON GRATED LEMON PEEL

¼ CUP FINE BREAD CRUMBS

½ TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

If no beef stock is available use condensed beef bouillon, or dissolve a bouillon cube in half a

cup of boiling water. Put the meat in a bowl; add lemon juice, sage, ginger, lemon peel, bread

crumbs, salt, and pepper.

Pour over it the beef stock. Mix thoroughly until the liquid has been absorbed. Let stand for

fifteen minutes. Form into patties about three inches in diameter and three quarters of an inch

thick. Sear rapidly in the butter over a high flame. Lower the heat and cook, turning

occasionally until done, about six minutes.

New potatoes boiled in their jackets and carrots julienne are good accompanying vegetables.

Follow with Tomato Daishe (qv). The beverage should be beer or wine. If the latter, a Saint-

Julien would be a good choice, as would Green Mint Glacé (qv) as the dessert.

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HAMBURGER KWANGTUNG SERVES 4

The peril of assuming that a given dish originated in a given country because it is widely

eaten there is demonstrated by spaghetti. Spaghetti is not indigenous to Italy—it was brought

from China by Marco Polo. Northern Chinese economy and cooking have always been based

on wheat—in the south it is rice—and the Chinese ate spaghetti and other forms of pasta

centuries before they were known in Italy. It would be dangerous to say that hamburgers are

rare in China. Kublai Khan may have eaten them in his pleasure dome by the side of the

Alph. This is one way his chef might have approached the problem of cooking them. If you

want to be more authentic—a solecism if I ever saw one—substitute water chestnuts for

carrots, and bamboo shoots for celery.

2 MEDIUM CARROTS

4 STALKS CELERY

l½ POUNDS HAMBURGER

¾ CUP BEAN SPROUTS

¾ CUP COOKED RICE

1 TABLESPOON MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE

4 TABLESPOONS SOY SAUCE

½ TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER

2 EGGS

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

Mince the carrots and the celery very fine. Place the hamburger in a large bowl. Add the

minced celery and carrots, the bean sprouts, the rice, the monosodium glutamate, the soy

sauce, and season with salt and pepper.

Knead the mixture thoroughly with your fingers. Beat the eggs lightly and pour them on the

mixture. Mix all again with your fingers, and form the mixture into eight patties, about four

inches in diameter and an inch and a quarter thick. Melt the butter in a large skillet. When it

is hot, put in the patties, and sauté them over a moderate flame, turning at least once, until

they are done, from ten to fifteen minutes depending on how you like your beef. Remove to a

hot platter. Garnish with a few thin slices of raw carrot and serve. Brussels sprouts, not too

well done, boiled baby onions, or green beans make acceptable vegetables to serve with these

hamburgers.

You might also make a sweet and sour sauce in the Chinese manner and serve it over

additional rice. Follow with Beet Daishe (qv) for a salad. Again I think beer is best, but you

might prefer, if only for the hell of it, Sake or hot Sauterne as suggested with Lobster

Cantonese (qv). Clearly the dessert should be Ginger Ching (qv).

In addition to the four hamburger recipes shared above, there is another way you can make

your hamburgers more exciting to eat. By shaving truffles on top of the burger patties, your

hamburgers will taste extra special. Most popular restaurants include this hamburger variation

in their restaurant round up for their customers to enjoy.

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GOULASH DECEMBER 11, 1941 SERVES 4

The day I first met this recipe was memorable in several ways, not all of them culinary. Until

then it was a dish without a name, and was known among its few cognoscenti simply as "that

stew." The goulash merited a more dignified if not descriptive title, and, the day being what it

was, I decided to commemorate both by naming the one after the other. On such little things

do great decisions hinge. The goulash is extremely filling and is a many splendored thing

after a hard Sunday afternoon on the tennis court or skiing, or moving furniture, or working

with a voodoo-it-yourself kit.

Among its splendors is the fact that it keeps well. It may be prepared in the morning, stowed

in the refrigerator, and served that night or the next. It has a slight tendency to dry out if

stored, but this fault may be easily and quickly corrected by adding a little more tomato soup

when it is being heated. The recipe calls for ground top round steak, but I have made it many

times with hamburger and achieved excellent results.

¼ POUND SHARP CHEESE

½ POUND ELBOW MACARONI

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

l½ POUNDS TOP ROUND, GROUND

2 TINS CONDENSED CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

SALT

PEPPER

Dice the cheese. While the macaroni is boiling in salted water—nine or ten minutes—melt

the butter in a skillet and sauté the beef rapidly, breaking it up as finely as possible with a

fork. The beef should be done about the time the macaroni is ready. Drain the latter in a

colander, add itto the meat, and pour on the concentrated soup. Reduce the flame to simmer,

mix the ingredients thoroughly, add the diced cheese and salt and pepper. Allow the goulash

to simmer for another ten minutes or so, until the cheese is well melted and stirred in.

The goulash is a very quick dish, and the accompanying vegetables should be equally quick.

Try frozen peas cooked with a sprig of mint, or green beans. Lettuce hearts with a light

French dressing, or a Double Cressed Salad (qv) are good to follow. Any simple but honest

red wine, such as an American Gamay or Zinfandel, goes well with the goulash, as does beer.

Bananas Senegalese (qv) might be considered for dessert.

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HAM RISOTTO SERVES 4

Earlier in this book, under Seafood, there was a recipe for a risotto made with shrimp. This

one, made with ham, is much the same, but it does give you the opportunity of using

completely the last of that ham which may have remained in your refrigerator after a buffet or

other kind of party. Ham can stand more cooking than shrimp and this risotto may be baked

in a casserole or cooked in a saucepan on top of the stove. You may start with boiled rice or

raw, you may use onion or omit it, and you may make a party dish by serving it in individual

baking dishes, properly garnished as described below. Altogether it is extremely useful.

1 CUP BROTH

¾ CUP MINCED GREEN PEPPER

½ CUP MINCED ONION

1 TIN (22 CUPS) TOMATOES

3 CUPS BOILED RICE

1 TEASPOON DRY MUSTARD

1 TEASPOON TARRAGON

½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER

2 CUPS DICED, COOKED HAM

You may use any broth you happen to have in the refrigerator, tinned beef bouillon, or broth

made with beef cubes and water. In a large saucepan over a moderate flame, cook the green

pepper and the onion in the broth until they are soft but not mushy. Add the tomatoes, the

cooked rice, the mustard, tarragon, and pepper. Bring to a boil, and break up the whole

tomatoes with a large spoon. Let simmer for a few minutes, add the ham, and stir the whole

well. A risotto should not be watery. Excess liquid may be reduced by boiling without harm

to the dish. If it is not sufficiently moist, add a little more broth.

If you plan to use this dish for luncheon or supper, I suggest that, instead of serving a

vegetable with it, you add a cup of cooked peas while the risotto is cooking, and dispense

with vegetables. If you put it on a dinner menu, you should dress it up a little and serve with

it peas or broccoli, or, perhaps best of all, Brussels sprouts. To dress it up, place each serving

in an individual baking dish, arrange on the top a few small pieces of well-drained sliced

pineapple, sprinkle with paprika, slip in the oven for a few moments, and serve. Beer and this

ham make a good combination. If you prefer wine, let it be red, Chianti or Barolo. Mixed

Green Salad III (qv) could follow the main course and be followed in turn by Eve's Dessert

(qv).

Photo owned by Robin

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HAM LIÉGE SERVES 4

The Belgians have a saying to the effect that the English dislike good food, the French talk

about it, and the Belgians cook it. Without comment on the accuracy of that triangular

proposition, candor compels me to state that the third leg is indisputable, as this recipe for

ham will attest. It makes a splendid party dish. Belgian endive is not the easiest vegetable in

the world to cook, but a little practice will enable you to boil it enough to make it tender but

not enough to make it mushy. The ham should be cut thin, not more than a quarter of an inch

at the thickest.

8 MEDIUM STALKS ENDIVE

1½ TABLESPOONS BUTTER

1½ TABLESPOONS FLOUR

2 CUPS MILK

¼ POUND SWISS CHEESE

8 SLICES COOKED HAM

4 SPRIGS PARSLEY

Half fill a large saucepan with water, and boil the endive for ten or twelve minutes. Drain

well and cut off the root ends. Meanwhile melt the butter in another saucepan, add the flour,

and over a low flame make a roux.

Scald the milk. Remove the saucepan from the flame, and gradually stir in the milk to make a

sauce. Cook it slowly, stirring constantly until it is done and not too thick. Grate the cheese or

cut it into small pieces. Place the cream sauce over boiling water in a double boiler, and

gradually add the cheese until it is all well melted and stirred in. Roll each stalk of endive in a

piece of ham and secure it with a toothpick. Place the rolls in a shallow, buttered baking dish,

pour the sauce over them, and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for fifteen minutes.

Remove from oven, place on a heated platter, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Whole baby beets or baby carrots would make appealing vegetables to serve with this ham.

French bread, pumpernickel, or hard rolls should accompany it. Mixed Green Salad I (qv)

makes a good course to follow. The wine should be pink, I think; a Tavel would do nicely, as

would Eve's Dessert (qv) as a final course.

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HAM MADEIRA SERVES 4

There is not a damn thing to say about this recipe for ham except: a) it is good, b) it will help

use the remains of the baked ham moldering in your refrigerator, c) it is handy for taking the

culinary sting out of the unexpected arrival of welcome guests, d) it is highly expandable

because you can always buy more sliced ham at the corner store, e) it is suitable for any meal

save a breakfast before ten in the morning, f) it is not worthless if you lack for Madeira; use

an Oloroso sherry, and g) it requires ham that is about a quarter of an inch thick.

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

½ TEASPOON DRY MUSTARD

2 CUPS BEEF BROTH OR CONSOMME

8 SLICES COOKED HAM

1 CUP MADEIRA

PARSLEY

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and dry mustard to make a soft roux, cooking and

stirring constantly over a low flame until it browns, about fifteen minutes. Gradually add the

beef broth or consommé to make a sauce. Cook it slowly and stir continuously until it is

reduced to about half, and fairly thick. (You may make this sauce at any time and keep it

stored in the refrigerator overnight or for a day or two.) Place the ham in a skillet over a low

flame and pour the Madeira over it. Cook slowly, covered, for about ten minutes. Spoon the

Madeira out of the skillet, and add it gradually to the brown sauce over a low flame. When

you haveadded about half a cup of the Madeira the sauce should have the proper consistency

and flavor. Remove the ham slices to a hot serving platter or to plates. Pour the sauce over

them, garnish with sprigs of parsley, and serve.

Almost any green vegetable will go well with this ham, but spinach and ham have a special

affinity for each other, so spinach au naturel, garnished with minced hard-boiled egg, and a

few rissolé potatoes are recommended. This would be a good place too, for a Covent Garden

Salad (qv). The wine should be red and not too heavy; a Barbera would be about right.

Chocolate Whiffle (qv) is suggested for dessert.

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HAM SEABISCUIT SERVES 2

Ham Seabiscuit is strictly from hunger. It is named, not after a race horse, but after a trim

yawl which used to sail Long Island Sound and other little known and dangerous waters. The

yawl's owner and a friend—both good trenchermen—lay becalmed on a summer Sunday

evening long after what they had planned as a weekend cruise. Not only becalmed—true men

of the sea, they scorned a motor—but also hungry. They had eaten their last stores at noon

before the wind died, and now they were reduced to a jar of mustard, three tins of beer, a

single bermuda onion, and a half pint of milk. They fished in vain. The situation was

desperate. By noon Monday they were ravenous and were forced to contemplate that last

extremity of shipwrecked or becalmed mariners—deciding by lot who should eat whom. To

discuss this dire ending to what had started out as a simple pleasure cruise, they repaired to

the galley for two tins of their precious beer. Before calling on the goddess of fortune to

choose between them, they made a solemn rite of arranging their pitiful stock of provisions

on a table. They looked nce more, hopelessly and for the last time, into the ice chest. There,

half submerged in its bilges, they found a ham steak, apparently forgotten and left at the end

of some previous cruise. Ancient as it was, green with mold, waterlogged, and odoriferous, it

still gave respite from the horrible choice between starvation and cannibalism. They replaced

the mold with mustard and chopped onion, and cooked the ham in milk and beer. Shortly

after, a breeze arose and blew them into port. Thus out of two seamen's travail and mental

anguish was born this noble dinner dish. The cooking time is for tenderized ham.

1 MEDIUM ONION

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

1 HAM STEAK, ABOUT ONE HALF INCH THICK

4 TABLESPOONS PREPARED MUSTARD

½ PINT MILK

1 DOZEN CLOVES

1/2 CUP BEER

Chop the onion fine. Melt the butter in a skillet. Cover both sides of the ham lavishly with

mustard. Over a high flame, sear both sides of the ham rapidly in butter. Reduce the flame,

add the chopped onion, cover the ham with milk, and toss in the cloves. Simmer uncovered

for about forty minutes, turning occasionally, and adding a little milk from time to time if

needed. At the end of that time, add the beer, raise the temperature a bit, and cook ten

minutes longer. The ham is now done, and the milk, mustard, and beer should have become a

fairly thick sauce. If they have not, remove the ham to a warm place and reduce the liquid in

the pan by evaporation over a moderate flame. Pour the sauce over the ham, and serve hot.

You may give the dish a festive appearance by garnishing it with half slices of tinned

pineapple and a few slices of watermelon pickle. Small, new potatoes, boiled in their jackets,

and cabbage boiled with caraway seed go well with Ham Seabiscuit. Raw Spinach Salad (qv)

might follow. The drink should be beer, and the dessert Cherries Jubilee (qv) to celebrate the

survival of the intrepid yachtsmen.

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MINT LAMB STEW SERVES 4

Lamb stew, because it has been infinitely served in infinitely depressing restaurants and

boardinghouses, always two days after roast leg of lamb, has a bad reputation and has led to

the famous phrase: "stew me no stews." As a result, this recipe, or others very similar,

sometimes masquerades on menus under such fancy names as: "Lamb Comatose," "Italian

Squirrel," or "Agneau Daniel Boone." These aliases fool no one once the dish appears. In my

book, and this is, it is a stew and a good one. It should arrive under its own colors, and those

flying. A well-made lamb stew is a feast, whether at luncheon, dinner or supper.

Lamb broth is not easy to come by, and you may have to make it from a bone and bits and

pieces of meat simmered for an hour with peppercorns, salt, chopped onion, carrot, and a bit

of celery. You can do it the day before, if you like, as it will keep well in the refrigerator.

Lacking the broth, use chicken or beef stock.

4 HARD-BOILED EGGS

4 CUPS COOKED LAMB

2½ CUPS LAMB BROTH

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

4 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

1 ½ TEASPOONS DRY MUSTARD

¼ TEASPOON THYME

l½ TABLESPOONS MINT, CHOPPED VERY FINE

SALT

PEPPER

Chop the eggs coarsely and mix them in a bowl with the chopped lamb, being careful not to

break up the eggs further. Place the lamb broth to heat in a small saucepan. In a large

saucepan melt the butter, add the flour and mustard, and make a roux over a low flame. When

the roux has cooked, remove the pan from the fire, and gradually pour in the hot broth,

stirring constantly until you have a moderately thin sauce. Add to it the thyme and the finely

chopped mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the lamb and egg mixture to the

sauce. Stir it well, and place over a low fire to heat thoroughly, stirring frequently to prevent

its burning. Or you may heat the stew in a double boiler over hot water. Serve very hot.

While boiled rice is a natural accompaniment for lamb in almost any form, I prefer boiled or

baked noodles with this stew. Almost any green vegetable would be fine with it, but for the

sake of color, why not try baby carrots or beets? Mangoleekee Salad (qv) would follow it

well. The wine should be red, without too much body; Barbera would be about right, as

would Peaches Tiberius (qv) for dessert.

Photo owned by Steven Walling

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BAKED LAMB CHOPS SERVES 4

Rib lamb chops belong in that category of foods, such as filet mignon and soft-shell crabs,

which should be prepared as simply as possible and on which any sauce is worse than

superfluous; it is diversionary. Shoulder chops, on the other hand are not of the same high

quality—or price—and can be improved in a variety of ways, of which this recipe is one. The

result is pleasing to the sight as well as to the taste and makes a somewhat unusual dish,

suitable for dinner, simple or party. The cooking time is calculated for single chops; if you

use double chops increase the time by about twenty-five per cent.

8 MEDIUM SPRING ONIONS

8 SHOULDER LAMB CHOPS

SALT

PEPPER

GARLIC POWDER

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS MINCED PARSLEY

2½ TABLESPOONS FLOUR

2 CUPS DRY WHITE WINE

¼ CUP SMALL WHOLE MINT LEAVES

4 SPRIGS FRESH MINT

Chop the spring onions, including some of the green tops, into very small pieces. Sprinkle

each side of the chops lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Melt the butter in a large

skillet, and sauté the chops on both sides over a moderate flame for about four minutes a side.

Remove to a casserole or ovenproof serving dish. Add the minced parsley and the chopped

onion to the juices in the skillet, and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, stirring

occasionally. Add the flour and make a roux, stirring constantly until it is cooked. Remove

from the fire, and gradually add the white wine, stirring constantly to make a sauce. Return to

the fire and stir until the sauce comes to a boil. Pour it over the chops, cover the casserole,

and place it in a pre-heated, moderate oven (350 degrees) for fifteen minutes. Uncover the

dish and let the chops continue to bake another five minutes. (These times will give you well-

done chops; if you like them pink, reduce the cooking times accordingly.) Remove from

oven, sprinkle the mint leaves over the chops, and garnish the dish with the sprigs of mint.

Serve at once.

To my mind the perfect starchy vegetable with lamb chops is a baked potato. With these

chops, however, you may prefer rice. If you do, I would suggest making a larger quantity of

sauce so that it may be: poured over the rice. Green peas, which go well with both chops and

mint, or asparagus would be good green vegetables. Keep the salad simple, Mixed Green

Salad III (qv) would be excellent. In the matter of wine I would compromise. Red wine goes

best with chops, but you have a white wine in the sauce: a vin rose would seem to be

indicated. Make it Bouquet de Provence. Green Mint Glacé (qv) would be a thought for

ending the meal.

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LAMB KIDNEYS JEREZ SERVES 4

If you like kidneys and if you enjoy cooking at the table in a chafing dish, this recipe,

metaphorically speaking, is your dish of tea. You may make them for brunch, luncheon, or

supper, or serve them to your dog, which is not so farfetched as it sounds. I once knew a

dachshund named Rachel, whose owner fed her a few of these kidneys left over from a small

supper.

The owner's very young daughter, who was obviously extremely fond of the dog, exclaimed

in indignation, "Rachel has been drinking, I can smell it on her breath!" The kidneys will not

make you drunk—if they do, you had better leave liquor alone—but they could intoxicate

you in a looser sense of the word. Prepare the dish as follows.

12 LAMB KIDNEYS

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

3 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

½ CUP BEEF OR OTHER STOCK

1 TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER

¾ CUP DRY SHERRY

1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY

Cut the: kidneys crosswise into three equal parts. Remove most of the suet. Melt the butter in

the blazer of a chafing dish or in a skillet, and sauté the kidneys on all sides over a high flame

for about five minutes. Reduce the heat, and sift the flour over the kidneys. With a wooden

spoon stir in the stock. Season with salt and pepper. When the stock, flour, and butter have

formed a thick sauce, almost a roux, add the sherry, and mix it in well. Allow the kidneys to

simmer quietly in this sauce for about ten minutes. Remove to a platter, garnish with parsley,

and serve. This dish calls for no vegetables, but if you must, the best possible accompaniment

would be leeks, or carrots julienne. Serve popovers, in any case, and follow with Tomato

Daishe (qv). For brunch or luncheon, coffee is the best beverage. For supper a bottle of

Beaujolais would be excellent. Fresh fruit would probably be the best dessert.

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VEAL AUX FINES HERBES SERVES 4

Veal aux Fines Herbes is a simple and classic dish. It belongs in the repertoire of all chefs

and/or lady cooks and in all cookbooks streamlined for speed in the kitchen. It is good for

luncheon and better for dinner. It should be made with veal cutlet about a half inch thick and

with the exceedingly small commercial bread crumbs rather than the coarser ones you make

yourself. In this instance, too, as far as I am concerned, the ready mixed herbs put out by a

reputable concern will do as well or better than the variety blended at home of marjoram,

thyme, rosemary, and tarragon.

2½ POUNDS VEAL CUTLET

½ TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER

2 TABLESPOONS FINES HERBES

¾ CUP FINE BREAD CRUMBS

1 EGG

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

Trim the veal of all fat, gristle, and bone. Cut it into pieces about five inches square. Mix the

salt, pepper, fines herbes, and bread crumbs in a bowl, and pour as needed onto a plate. Beat

the egg lightly in a bowl. Dip each piece of veal into the egg, and then roll in the bread crumb

mixture to coat on the sides and edges. In a large skillet, or perhaps two, melt the butter, and

let it get hot over a low flame to prevent its browning. When the butter is hot, raise the flame

and sauté the veal rapidly on both sides until the bread crumb coating is firm. Reduce the

flame and continue to sauté the veal, turning at least once, until it is cooked through, about

twenty minutes for half-inch-thick veal. Place on a platter, garnish with sprigs of parsley or

water cress or with thin slices of lemon, and serve immediately.

Cauliflower or baby lima beans are excellent with this veal, as are rissole potatoes; a

Persimmon Salad (qv) would be, too. Pommard is equally appropriate for a wine. For dessert,

Raspberry Fluff (qv) is light and refreshing.

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VEAL AUX POIS SERVES 4

My first acquaintance with this dish was by way of a newspaper recipe, which I have altered

considerably and for the better—I think. A quick analysis will show that it must have

originated among those frugal but gastronomically sophisticated people, the French

peasantry, to whom veal and peas are, after bread and onion soup, one of the most readily

available and relatively inexpensive food combinations. Like most peasant dishes it is both

satisfying and filling. It is a little too much for luncheon, but for dinner or supper is just what

your doctor—assuming he is a gourmet—ordered.

3 POUNDS VEAL CUTLET, ONE INCH THICK

3 CELERY STALKS WITH LEAVES

3 SPRIGS PARSLEY

1 BAY LEAF

1 TABLESPOON THYME

8 WHOLE CLOVES

SALT

PEPPER

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

4 TABLESPOONS SHERRY

2 CUPS COOKED PEAS

CAYENNE

Remove the fat, gristle, and bone from the veal cutlet. Cut it into one-inch cubes. Put the veal

cubes in water to cover in a saucepan, add the celery, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, cloves, and a

little salt and pepper, and let simmer until the veal is done, about twenty minutes. Remove the

veal; strain and reserve the broth. Place the butter in the saucepan, melt over a low flame, and

when it is hot, add the veal and brown over a high heat, stirring well. Reduce flame, add the

flour, and blend it well with the butter. Remove from the fire, and gradually stir in about two

cups of the broth to make a medium thick sauce. Cook, stirring constantly about fifteen

minutes, when the sauce will be done. Stir in the sherry and a few pinches cayenne. Heat for

a few minutes; the veal is now ready to serve.

This dish calls out for rice. Arrange this on a hot platter, pour the veal and its sauce over the

rice, and then spread the cooked peas over the veal. Serve at once.

Follow the veal with a Double Cressed Salad (qv). Burgundy or Claret for wine, a

Chambertin or a Saint-Julien. Chocolate Cheese (qv) might do for dessert, but better would

be a selection of cheese and toasted crackers.

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VEAL MARINARA SERVES 4

If you have Marmara Sauce (qv) stowed in your refrigerator, as you should if you have read

this far, this recipe is one of the quickest, easiest, and best ways to prepare veal. It is a dish

which you will be proud to serve at any meal except breakfast, and if that is late enough in

the day, I see no reason not to serve it then. If you do not have the sauce already made, you

can prepare it in less than half an hour, as explained in the section on Sauces and Dressings,

and still have the dish on the table in a remarkably short time. The veal should be cut thin,

about a quarter of an inch.

2 POUNDS VEAL CUTLET

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

SALT

PEPPER

2 CUPS MARINARA SAUCE

Remove the bone from the cutlets, and trim off the gristle and excess fat. Cut them into

pieces suitable for serving. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and sauté the veal gently on each

side until it is half done, about five minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper on both sides.

Pour the sauce over the veal, cover, and cook slowly over a gentle flame, for another ten

minutes, turning once. When ready to serve, remove the veal to a hot platter or plates, and

cover it with the sauce, using all of the tomatoes and as much of the liquid remaining in the

pan as you like.

French bread, hard rolls, julienne potatoes, rice, or noodles are appropriate starchy foods with

this veal. Zucchini makes a fine green vegetable with it. You will want a simple salad, Mixed

Green Salad I (qv) and a dressing light on oil. Barolo would, I think, be a good choice in

wine, as would Fragole Marsala (qv) for dessert.

Photo owned by Brendel Signature

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VEAL MARSALA SERVES 4

There are two things, a friend of mine—who is also a considerable cook—is wont to say, that

you can cook when you are lousy, stinking, gutter drunk and have turn out perfectly. They are

rib lamb chops;, grilled of course, and Veal Marsala. This remark is cited, not as an indication

of my friend's habits, but because it tells, perhaps somewhat graphically, how easy Veal

Marsala is to prepare. Not only is it easy, it is also superbly good, and definitely a party dish.

The veal should be pounded quite thin, about three sixteenths of an inch.

1 ½ POUNDS VEAL CUTLET

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

¾ CUP MARSALA

SALT

PEPPER

1 TEASPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY

8 SLICES LEMON, VERY THIN

Dredge the veal with flour. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and brown the veal rapidly on

both sides over a brisk flame. Reduce the flame, pour in the wine, season with salt and

pepper, cover the skillet, and simmer for about eight minutes. Remove the veal to a hot

platter,, stir the sauce in the pan, pour it over the veal, and garnish with the parsley and the

lemon slices.

Veal Marsala is as Italian as spaghetti, and the accompanying vegetables should have a

similar origin. A good combination is zucchini, sliced thin and cooked in olive oil with anise,

and baked noodles. For salad, why not Salade Belgique (qv) even if it is from another land?

The best wine I ever drank with Veal Marsala was a Barbera. Zabaglione (qv) is the obvious

dessert.

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VEAL KIDNEY STEW SERVES 4

Until I had a beard I did not know that Sunday breakfast could consist of anything but veal

kidney stew and waffles or sausage and buckwheat cakes. Of the two I prefer the former. I

have no complaint. Either combination, particularly if you pour sherry on the hot cakes,

makes a wonderful breakfast on Sunday or any other time when you can relax and enjoy it.

As far as I know the kidney stew-waffle combination is not generally known beyond the

locale of southeastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and parts of Virginia, and kidney stew itself

is not so widely known as it should be. A better brunch, luncheon, or supper is hard to find.

4 VEAL KIDNEYS

1 MEDIUM ONION, QUARTERED

1 COARSELY SLICED CARROT

8 PEPPERCORNS

2 BEEF BOUILLON CUBES

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

l½ TABLESPOONS FLOUR

½ CUP RED WINE

1 TABLESPOON MINCED PARSLEY

SALT

PEPPER

Remove any of the membrane left on the kidney, and as much of the fat as possible without

cutting into the kidney. Put enough water to cover the kidneys in a large saucepan, add the

onion, the carrot, and the peppercorns. Bring to a boil and put in the kidneys. Reduce the fire,

and let the kidneys simmer for three to five minutes, depending on their size. Remove

kidneys to the refrigerator, or soak them in ice water to cool. Strain the liquid in the saucepan,

discarding the vegetables. Return the liquid to the pan, add the bouillon cubes, and simmer

until the cubes are dissolved. When the kidneys are cool enough to handle comfortably, cut

them crosswise into wafer-thin slices. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and sauté the kidneys

over a low fire, stirring frequently, for about four minutes. Add the flour and blend well with

the butter. Gradually pour in enough of the stock from the saucepan to make a smooth,

medium thick sauce. Add the wine, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, and

continue to cook until the stew is thoroughly hot. Place in a pre-heated tureen, garnish with a

few sprigs of parsley or a few thin slices of hardboiled egg, and serve. If you prefer a darker

sauce, stir in a little Kitchen Bouquet just before you add the wine; or brown the flour in the

oven.

As indicated above, the accompaniment should be crisp brown waffles. You may, however,

serve it with popovers or toast and, if a vegetable is wanted, leeks. Tomato Daishe (qv) or

sliced tomatoes and chopped chives make a fine salad. If you are serving the stew for

luncheon or supper, as opposed to brunch, and want a wine, a Riche-bourg would be a good

choice. Ginger Ching (qv) makes a light dessert for such a meal.

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VEAL MOZZARELLA SERVES 4

Variations of this recipe, under many different names, appear in all types of cookbooks and

on the menus of fine Italian restaurants. It is very much a party dish in both taste and

appearance, is not too difficult to prepare, and is one of the most interesting ways to serve

veal. If you can possibly get it, you should use prosciutto ham; in its absence use very thin

slices of baked Virginia ham and add a little freshly ground pepper to each slice.

The cheese should be sliced an eighth of an inch thick and should cover the ham completely.

Each serving may be garnished with a thin slice or two of truffle, but this is a non-essential.

One essential, however, is proper heat in the final step. The veal with the ham and cheese on

top should be put under the broiler with the flame full on (about 550 degrees) and left there

only about two minutes. Slow cooking under low heat at this stage, as I have discovered to

my cost, will only dry out the cheese, not melt it. The result is unhappy, to say the least.

2 LARGE VEAL CUTLETS, ABOUT HALF AN INCH THICK

2 EGGS

SALT

PEPPER

¼ TEASPOON THYME

¼ TEASPOON OREGANO

1 CUP FINE BREAD CRUMBS

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

4 SLICES PROSCIUTTO HAM

4 SLICES MOZZARELLA CHEESE

8 THIN SLICES TRUFFLE

Trim the fat and gristle from the veal and remove the bones. Place them and the trimmings in

three cups of water in a saucepan with a few peppercorns, a branch of celery, a quartered

onion, and a coarsely sliced carrot. Let simmer. This broth is not for use with the veal, but

with it you will wish to serve noodles and the broth will be useful for flavouring them.

Cut the trimmed veal cutlets in half. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl. Mix the salt,

pepper, thyme, and orégano with the bread crumbs. Dip each piece of veal into the beaten

egg, and then roll in the crumbs. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and when it is very hot but

not burned, sauté the breaded veal, turning occasionally until it is brown on both sides and

cooked through, about fifteen minutes. As soon as it is done, cover each cutlet with a slice of

ham, and place on top of that the sliced cheese.

Garnish each piece with two slices of truffle and place immediately under the high broiler

flame. Check at the end of one minute to see if the cheese has melted properly. More than

two minutes is likely to burn the cheese. Serve at once on hot plates.

Artichokes and noodles are excellent with this veal. After you have boiled the noodles in the

usual way until they are almost done, drain the veal stock through a sieve, transfer the

noodles to the broth, and let simmer for about five minutes. Drain and add two tablespoons of

butter and a little salt and pepper. Greenbrier Salad (qv) or Persimmon Salad (qv) would be

excellent choices to follow the veal. A good vin rose should be selected to go with it, in this

case Sainte Roseline. What better way to finish the meal than by making a Rum Omelette

(qv)?

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VEAL PAPRIKA SERVES 4

This product of Hungarian kitchens has many merits. It appeals to the sight as well as to the

taste; it does not require constant attention, that is, you do not have to slave over a hot stove

all the while you are cooking it; it blends amiably with all other foods except creamed

vegetables, anathema anyhow; and it is outstanding as a main dish at any meal from luncheon

to supper. I find it ideal for dinner parties. Veal Paprika has a secret; use plenty of paprika.

Many recipes call for as little as a teaspoon, some for two tablespoons. Both quantities are

quite inadequate and give you only a kind of lightly flavored stew. The quantity called for

below is a minimum and, unlike some bridge hands, can be doubled without danger.

3 POUNDS VEAL CUTLET, POUNDED VERY THIN

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 CLOVES MINCED GARLIC

6 TABLESPOONS PAPRIKA

1 CUP STOCK

SALT

PEPPER

½ PINT SOUR CREAM

4 SPRIGS PARSLEY

Cut the pounded veal into pieces four to six inches square. In a large skillet, or large heavy

saucepan, melt the butter and sauté in it for a few minutes the minced garlic. With the butter

hot, but not brown, sauté each piece of veal quickly on both sides. Spread the paprika over it,

and pour on the stock. Veal stock is best. (You may make this easily by boiling bones, gristle,

and discarded pieces of veal in a pint of water, to which you have added a little chopped

onion, celery, and carrot, for about an hour. Strain and you have the stock.) Stock made from

bouillon cubes is an acceptable substitute. Season with salt and pepper. If you use bouillon

cubes in making the stock, go light on the salt. Stir the mixture well and simmer over a low

heat for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before you are ready to serve, add

the sour cream and mix it well in with the veal.

Allow the dish to get hot through. Garnish with parsley and serve. As I have mentioned,

almost any vegetable is appropriate: baby lima beans, spinach, broiled tomatoes are all good.

I confess to a dislike of asparagus with Veal Paprika—probably pure whim. Cocktail-size

finger rolls will be good, and useful in sopping up the sauce. An excellent, if fairly rich salad

to follow is Avocado Salad (qv). A Claret, I think, goes better with this than does anything

else; do not go completely Hungarian and serve Tokay, even if you can get it. Be satisfied

with a Margaux to drink and Cherries Jubilee (qv) for dessert.

▼▼▼

CURRY BOMBAY SERVES 4

There is an old Indian—Rudyard Kipling, not Frederic Remington — saying to the effect that

the hotter the day the hotter should be the curry. The hottest curry I have experienced, and it

was an experience, was eaten when the thermometer stood at 104 degrees. The effect was

remarkable. I burned with such a bright internal flame that the outside temperature passed

unnoticed. I am not sure the cure is not worse than the disease. This curry is not that hot, but

it is a hot curry as opposed to a sweet one and is at its best in warm weather, which does not

preclude your serving it at any time. One disadvantage is that this recipe will take about an

hour and a half to prepare: offsetting that is the fact that curry is the perfect way to use all

kinds of leftover meat except ham. Beef, lamb, veal, mutton, chicken, turkey, shrimp, and

lobster all make excellent curries, with lamb outstanding. If you have no broth made from the

type of meat you are using, substitute beef or chicken consommé from a tin or made with

bouillon cubes, three to a pint of water. If you are currying seafood, use a bottle or two of

clam juice; it makes a fine stock for this purpose.

While it is unnecessary to have all of the side dishes named below, serve at least five. The list

is not exhaustive; there are many more, including an extensive collection of chutneys.

Chopped fresh chives may replace spring onion, and if Bombay duck is not obtainable,

cooked shredded codfish from a tin is an excellent substitute, diced celery or chopped dill are

other possibilities. If you make a hot curry, you will wish to have sliced bananas;

pumpernickel should be included in any curry meal. It and bananas are about the only things

which can counteract the chemical heat of curry powder; water, wine, and beer are of scant

help. If you decide to limit the number of side dishes, the five recommended are: chopped

hardboiled egg, chopped bacon, chutney, sliced bananas, and chopped almonds or peanuts—a

Mouli grater makes chopping nuts a pleasure, and one should be in every kitchen.

4 CUPS COOKED LAMB

6 RASHERS BACON

1 ½ CUPS CHOPPED ONION

1 CUP CHOPPED GREEN PEPPER

3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED RED PEPPER (OPTIONAL)

3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED APPLE

6 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

3 TABLESPOONS CURRY POWDER

4 CUPS STOCK

SALT

6 CUPS HOT, BOILED RICE

Cut the meat into pieces approximately an inch square by half an inch thick. While two eggs

to be used as a side dish are boiling, sauté the bacon in a large skillet or heavy saucepan.

When the bacon is done, remove it and chop for use as another side dish. In the bacon fat,

sauté the onion, chopped peppers, and apple until they are soft, about ten minutes. Mix the

flour and curry powder together, and make a roux with the bacon fat. Stir in gradually

sufficient stock to make a fairly thin sauce. Season with salt. Add the chopped meat and

simmer the curry for at least half an hour over a very low flame. Simmering for an hour will

make it better. If the sauce thickens too much, thin it with stock. If you like your curries

hotter, now is the time to add more curry powder, but taste it well first. It is easy enough to

make a curry hotter, but it is quite difficult to cool it off, once made.

When you are ready to serve, give each guest a generous portion of rice—curry is

unthinkable without it—and spread the curry on top. You will want no green vegetable.

Mixed Green Salad I (qv) with a bland dressing is excellent with or after a curry. To drink,

beer is best, but if you prefer wine, be sure it is red and rough. One of the finest for this

purpose is Tavola, a red wine produced by Guild and designed to be served chilled. Fresh

fruit is by far the best dessert after a curry.

Side dishes:

CHUTNEY CHOPPED BACON

SLICED BANANAS FRESH GRATED COCONUT

BOMBAY DUCK CHOPPED ALMONDS OR

PEANUTS

CHOPPED HARD-BOILED EGG CURRANT JELLY

CHOPPED PARSLEY THINLY SLICED TOMATOES

DICED CUCUMBER CHOPPED SPRING ONIONS

DICED FRESH PINEAPPLE SMALL OR DICED BUTTON

MUSH ROOMS

RAISINS FRIED IN BACON FAT (SERVE HOT)

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MIXED GRILL AT RANDOM SERVES 4

Random is not the name of a country place famous for its cuisine. It is rather the way this

dish came into being. The grill is more of an arrangement of food than a recipe. It is an

excellent combination for Sunday brunch, particularly in the fall or winter if you have a

heavy outdoor schedule for the afternoon or you anticipate, for whatever reason, little if any

supper. It makes an equally good supper to follow a robust afternoon. It may also prove

useful in the event you are planning chops and kidneys for two, and through the vicissitudes

of life and your innate politeness you are unexpectedly faced with feeding four. You cannot

exactly duplicate the miracle of the loaves and the fishes with a grill, but you can make some

progress toward it. That, as a matter of fact, is how it came into being. I had the chops and the

kidneys planned for a brunch and added at random the other items which happened to be in

the larder. The trick to implementing the grill, as the Army would say, is to finish cooking its

various components at the same instant, so that all will be hot when served.

4 LAMB CHOPS

4 LAMB KIDNEYS

8 RASHERS BACON

8 VIENNA SAUSAGES

2 LARGE, FIRM TOMATOES

6 EGGS

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS BREAD CRUMBS

1 TEASPOON BROWN SUGAR

4 SPRIGS WATER CRESS

SALT

PEPPER

PAPRIKA

Cut the kidneys almost through lengthwise. Place the chops and the kidneys, cut side up, on

the broiler; arrange the bacon around them. The bacon may be fried in a skillet if your broiler

space is limited. While the meat is broiling under a moderately hot fire, heat the sausages in

their own juice in a saucepan. Cut the tomatoes in half. Mix the bread crumbs and brown

sugar and spread over the cut halves of the tomatoes. Dot with butter, and sprinkle with salt

Photo owned by Elisa Artega

and pepper. Place them in the oven to bake. Beat the eggs lightly; season with salt and

pepper. Melt one tablespoon butter in a skillet and scramble the eggs. The chops, bacon, and

kidneys should be turned once and the chops and kidneys seasoned with salt and pepper at

that time. When done, arrange the food on a large and very hot platter, garnish the eggs with

paprika and the chops with water cress, and serve at once.

You may serve buttered toast and hot coffee—or beer—with this grill and you will have a

fine meal, but if you wish to convert it into a laudable occasion, you will renounce the toast

and beer in favour of deep brown, feather light popovers and champagne, followed by coffee.

For those of your friends who like sweets with their brunch, provide ginger marmalade, and

watch their popovers and chins drip. Persimmon Salad (qv) or Mangoleekee Salad (qv) are

good with this, and Fragole Marsala (qv) are excellent afterwards.

This reproduction is brought to you by Susan Alexander Truffles. Visit our website for truffle

inspired recipes.