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About Eugene register-guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1930-1983 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1955)
Andree Rooks Reveals French By EDNA RAMP Of The- Bcclster-Guard Cooking is not a chore but an "aifair of the heart" for Mrs. Chester Rooks. - Nearly a decade in time and a continent and ocean in space sep arate her from her homeland, France. But each day when she goes into her kitchen, she is back in St. Amand lcs Eaux. She has no French cookbooks. The recipes she uses are those told to her by a much-loved and loving mother. They will be given in turn to the two-year-old daugh ter, Noclla Darune, who already finds the little kitchen at -1748 High St. a fascinating place. "She loves to watch me and even dries the dishes," says the golden-haired, blue-eyed Andree. Mrs. Rooks has been cooking from the time she was eight years old when her mother was left f lone with three daughters. REMAINED HOME "I've always loved to cook, she recalled in an interview. "As soon as I came home from school, I went into the kitchen instead of going out to play. Mother gave me directions as she sat at her sewing. I couldn't do right the first time, but she helped me and I learned that way. By the time I was 11, she trusted me with any thing." Young Andree remained at home, keeping house and cooking for her mother and sisters until the war came. During the years of the German occupation, she was recruited for work in a fac . tory, winch made sweaters and socks. Andree met her American hus band when she and. a friend went to buy shoes in a neighboring town, Valencienne. He was sta tioned there with the American trqops and a girl friend of An dree s introduced them. "I guess it was just destiny," she says now. PREPARES FOR GUESTS Many American customs the French girl finds quite different from those of her country. One is the matter of entertaining. Guests just don t come unexpect edly in France, unless, of course, they are members of the family. "Anyone is welcome,'" she smiled. "But no one just walks in. We know two or three days in advance so we can really prepare a meal. Dinner is served at 7:30 to 8 in a Ercnch household. The youngsters go to bed immediately , afterward. A snack (drop-in com- pany is acceptable here) is serv ; ed at four o'clock, similar to the J English tea hour, but in France, the drink is coffee or chocolate. Served with it are sandwiches) hot buns, cookies or crepes (a type of pancake), so everyone can "stand up until dinner time." ; Lunch in the French household ) also is a big meal, for most work ers come home for the noon hour. One custom which Mrs. Rooks didn't have to get used to in America was that of "taking snapshots of everything." "I love to take pictures," she said, as she leafed through her photograph albums. i MAKES PANCAKES It's also a hobby of her twin sister, who now lives in the Southern part of France where ' eh.- and her husband have a res taurant. As the photographs go back and forth and lives are shar ed, somehow it shortens the dis tance between the two countries. French ways are maintained in the Rooks' kitchen, but there are American customs, too. "For instance, we in France had only toast and coffee or French bread with a bit of cheese for breakfast," she said. "Now I make pancakes for my husband." Most of Andrce's cooking utcn- 'With Ready-fo-Spread Cake Icing Even a Busy Woman has time to bake! (mil id "Now two borr workim wom en Itk ametf an nod tine to tnkv Wet ova caJrw itnce th imazins orw Tovoe Price Bmr Crwne Cke Iciaas bac done rnr nh the fius tod botber of nuking csfce Kiev;' urt Mn. Sana Vin Clrvc. bur exeemm tecnurj. "V?bi. it's ttsy to hive deliciou creamy -smooth cak kin in jsn seconds! Alt too do if open the cm and prod riht on the take! 1 alwn keep both Ixvon on hand . . .Towne Pride Boner Creme Chocolate and Tbvat Pndc Buna Otoe VuiU-C' 2 Delicious Buner Create Flavors Chocolate and Vanilla jfC y ffc molr.ff ol TOWNl rmm ' . IH. 1 ' U.. f I- sils are of heavy aluminum or cast iron. "Thcy-are better for slow long cooking and also keep food hot," she explained. "You don't have to warm it up all' the time that is not good for the food flavor." As symbolic as the coffee pot in a Swedish kitchen is the kettle for cooking French fries it's used exclusively for that and used often. , LIKE FRENCH FRIES "Any time of the day we have Franch fries," Mrs. Rooks re ported. "They are good with al most everything. Remember al ways to keep the grease hot, for if it cools, the fries are not crisp. Also the potatoes must be drained and completely dry before fry ing." In France, she continued, salad is not served with the main meal, but as a separate course. The greens may be lettuce, endive or whatever, you prefer. A bit of garlic, Some onion, salt and pep. per, half as much vinegar as salad oil and there it is. "Again, be sure "the salad greens are dry," she cautioned She herself uses a wire basket from France in which she can "shake" vegetables dry. Mrs. Rooks lists the following recipes used frequently in her home. Exact proportions, she cautions, are sometimes difficult to estimate. "My mother taught me to meas ure, she admitted with a smile, "but I do it by the eye." Crepes Sift 3 cups of flour into a bowl, Add 3 tablespoons salad oil, V- teaspoon salt, 2 egg yolks, 1 ta blespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanil la, W-cube of dry yeast which has been soaked in lukewarm water. Mix well. Add milk until the consistency of hot cake mix. Let stand IS minutes. Cook in slightly greased, very hot skillet, just like hot cakes. .Serve with brown sugar or jam. HewlOWHEPMDt , Buffer Creme Cake kings Save Time, Taste Better! You'll find that your calces will tte EVEN BETTER when iced with deli cious, ttsy to use, ready to spread Towne Pride Butter Creme Cake Icings. They're so good and so creamy-smooth you'll wonder how you ever jfot along without them. No cooking! Nothing to be added! No muss or fuss just open the tin and they're ready to spread. Try them today and you'll nnd out why buiy women ev erywhere are using Towne Pride Butter Creme Cake Icings for the most tempting cakes theyajver made. ToMEiptitie ' tuitu cum CAKI ICINSt MDl Toppings ond fruit fdn (Register-Guard photo, Wiltshire eng.) MRS. CHESTER ROOKS AND DARLINE Mother Teaches Daughter Cooking Secrets Brought From France Cassoule Cook a package of white navy beans In salted water until beans are soft but not mushy. While they are cooking, melt Vi-squarc of butter in Dutch oven. Fry slowly 4 slices of bacon, 4 Vi- inch slices Polish sausage, 4 Vienna sausages, 4 link sausages and 4 -inch slices of salami. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Don't pour off the grease, for the "beans will ask for it." Add 1 can tomato paste and more water if desired, salt and pepper. Drain beans and add to meat mixture. Simmer IS minutes on low heat. This is excellent with new potatoes, boiled with the jackets on. Mousse au Chocolat Melt in the oven 4 ounces of sweet cooking chocolate and cube of butter. Work into the chocolate mixture 4 tablespoons of sugar and 4 egg yolks. Add stiffly beaten egg whites. Fold in until the whole mixture is foamy. Cool in refrigerator. (In France, this dessert is allowed to What every good cook knows: Just a little difference in ingredients ' ' ' ' 1 makes -a big difference in cooking results , ' ' ' I Snowdrift is just a little lighter than any other shorten- ' ' , ' , iMm ' i ' tfWtm t , ing and that can make the big difference m giving i ' ."-Avj T$W M -" ' $ your family lighter, more digestible foods. ' Jf ' Snowdrift gives just a little more safety than ordinary shorten ings, becauae it fries perfectly at correct high temperatures. That can make the big difference in digestibility of fried foods. No other shortening at any price is so creamy, so digestible - and .so light Snovdrift Recipes. ?TT..r set in the cave (cellar) until chilled). Roast Butter a beef or lamb roast Salt and pepper. Insert 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. Place in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes 10 minutes to each side, basting with the juice. Steak ' Use round or flank steak. Rub with garlic. Fry in very hot but tered skillet, 3 minutes on each side. Salt and pepper. Cauliflower au Gratin While cauliflower is cooking, prepare a cream sauce as follows: Blend 2 level tablespoons flour into hi cube butter, melted. Cook 10 to 15 minutes over very low heat, being careful not to scorch. Add salt and pepper. Stir in milk until sauce is the consistency of pudding. Remove from stove. Stir in 1 egg yolk, beaten, and 1 cup grated guyere cheese. Place drained cauliflower In cascrole. Cover with sauce. Bake in 350 degree oven until golden brown. Snowdrift's ingredients are just a little costlier than any other solid shortening's (yet .you pay no more). That can make the big difference in better tasting foods, whether fried or baited. I n TH! WIUOH OA rtoni . a SECTION C EUGENE, -jC Food Features f- FOODS AND FANCIES Concluct Kitchen Experiments to Discover Interesting New Combinations for Menus By EDIE EULANE or The Regliter-Ga&rd You don't need a white coat and a row of test tubes to con duct a laboratory. Convert your kitchen into a taste-basting center. Your results will at least make family history, even though they can't compete with Salk. Try out dif ferent combina tions of food flavors ... it will help in building interesting menus, which can be repeated over and over through the years. The result of a series of experi ments at our house has brought about this menu which never fails to please. Sometime I think I'll share it with guests, even if sauerkraut isn't generally consid ered "a company dish." Start out with fresh sauerkraut .'. . you can get it at several stores either in a jar or cello phane bag. Add a small amount of water and cook on top of stove for about 10 minutes. Place a package of smoked sausages (the big fat ones about 7 to a package) in a heavy skillet. Cover with water and 8? Tender, Fresh Asparagus Insures Delicious Souffle In April that tender, fresh, western grown asparagus comes into the market in quantities that take it out of the luxury class. If sometime soon you rc plan ning a very special luncheon, we'll guarantee you 11 really impress your guests with this recipe. It's a tender souffle with a tang of cheese flecked with the delicate green of fresh asparagus. Try it soon. Fresh Asparagus Souffle Vt cup butter or margarine V cup sifted flour I'M cups warm milk 5 eggs 1 pound fresh asparagus, finely chopped Country good Pure, fresh honey- Wf$J natural graham flour 'A A ACMM ifTtl In nabisco Sugar Honey grahams give a wholesome flavor children love, day after day. They're baked tender and golden by special nabisco methods. Won't spoil appetites because they digest so gasily. A perfect Betwccn-meal snack! Buy nabisco Grahams this kind will please you most. NPTIONAt8l$CUIT COMPANY .NABISCO Sugar Honey GRAHAMS LANS COVHTs HONC KWIMtEa OREGON, THURSDAY, . APRIL 21, 1955 cook for 7 to 10 minutes. I Put sausages in pan with sauer kraut, add about Hi cup of the water in which they've been cooked. Continue cooking at low heat about -20 minutes, so the flavors are well blended, but don't let the kraut get mushy. For the next taste treat you'll need 2 slices of bacon, cut in small pieces. Fry in heavy kettle. along with 2 tablespoons of minc ed onion. When golden brown, add 1 can cream of mushoom soup and blend well. Add 2 cans of drained green string beans which have been heated in a sep arate kettle. Stir gently until all beans covered with the cream sauce. Add Vt to 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese. Conk on very low heat for 15 minutes. Both the sausage and sauer kraut dish and the bean dish can be put in casseroles and' placed in a 300 degree oven, if you wish, instead of keeping them on low beat on top of the stove. With these two main dishes, we have hot biscuits. Make your own if you prefer. . . I always use a package mix and make the biscuits thin and rather crisp. No jam or honey. .' . just lots of but ter. A vegetable gelatin salad is good with this meal. We, how M teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt V cup grated American cheese METHOD: Melt butter; add flour and mix into a smooth paste. Add milk slowly and cook over low heat until thick, stirring con stantly. Add cheese and cook only until melted. Remove from heat. To cheese mixture, add egg yolks, well-beaten with V4 teaspoon salt. Add garlic and asparagus. Sprin kle egg' whites with V4 teaspoon salt and beat until stiff. Fold in cheese mixture and mix only until blended. Bake 60 minutes at 350 F. in a well-greased lV4-quarl baking dish, placed in a larger pan with 1 inch of hot water. Makes 6 servings. m ever, prefer stuffed celery sticks ana sliced fresh tomatoes. Cu cumber chip pickles are a must. As for dessert ; . . plan to serve home-canned fruit and home-made cookies. They'll keep well for the next day. . . I pre dict you won't want them after, the meal outlined above. Chocolate Mint Ribbon Cake 1 package chocolate or devil's food cake mix 1 quart peppermint ice cream Crush peppermint stick candy Prepare chocolate cake mix as directed on package. Bake in waxed paper-lined 13x9x2" pan in moderate (350 degree) oven 30 to 40 minutes or until done. Let cake stand 10 minutes: remove from pan. Cool. Cut cake in half lengthwise. (Frost half for tomorrow's des sert). , - Trim half to fit freezer tray. Split cake crosswise to make two layers. Place one layer In freezer tray. Stir ice cream to soften and spread half on cake in tray. Place other layer of cake over ice cream; spread with remain ing ice cream. Swirl top. Decor ato with the candy. Freeze until firm. Makes 8 servings. Western Flavor! Enjoy the pleasant company of really good coffee. K.ptfrih In IN-IR-MAI. wax packet! Cabbage Rolls Stuffed With Corned Beef Traditional in European cooking is the stuffed cabbage roll. Since cabbage is one of the most plenti ful year-round vegetables from California and Arizona, a more up-to-date version of this classic is a suggestion for a main dish. With quick-cooking rice and canned corned beef, it can be pre pared in a jiffy. But there are no short cuts in flavor. You'll find it's a wonderful dish for informal entertaining. Cabbage Meat Rolls 1 large head of cabbage 1 12-oz. can corned beef, ground 1 cup minced onion !4 cup packaged pre-cooked rice 1 teaspoon salt Vt teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine . 1 cup grated American cheese 1 No. 2A can tomatoes METHOD: Cut core from cab bage and carefully separate 16 leaves. Parboil cabbage leaves in boiling, salted water about 3 min utes. Drain leaves and lay out, placing two together so that you have cases for 8 rolls. Combine next five ingredients. Divide even ly between cabbage leaves. Roll up each, folding ends toward the center. Secure with toothpicks. Place in 12-inch or large skillet coated with melted butter. Drain tomatoes and place in borAW around edge. Sprinkle with cheese and pour over the tomato liquid. Cover and simmer 40 minutes, until tender. Makes 8 servings. A hybrid rice has been devel oped which may double the yields of Asian fields. Goldenfest the coffees witii that special k Now ach cracker breaks Into perfect size for taty eating. e
