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Luncheons at Home and by Box
LUNCHEONS at home, seldom possible for the business woman, but usually for the bride - kitchenette apartments seem invariably to be occupied by one or the other - are nearly always eaten alone.
But even so they can be attractive and appetizing, although we naturally demand menus that are quickly and easily prepared.
Some luncheon tastes run to salads, some to cream soups, and some to "creamed on toast" dishes, but a varied and pleasing list of luncheon menus can be made up by using one of these three groups for the main dish in each menu. In fact a luncheon dish with bread and butter, a cup of tea or cocoa (rarely coffee), and bit of sweet either in fruit or cake is getting to be the popular luncheon to-day. We are learning that when we are not sawing wood we don't need to eat hearty foods, and in fact are much more comfortable for not eating sawing-wood meals. 1 teaspoonful tea Plain Tea 1 cupful boiling water Rinse out a china or earthenware teapot with boiling water and put into it a level teaspoonful of tea. Pour in a measuring cupful of boiling water and let it stand in a warm place, but not over the flame, for three minutes and serve at once.
Serve with sugar, cream, or lemon to suit the individual taste. After measuring the water with a measuring cup once or twice it is easy to determine how far such a cup fills your teapot, and you can then dispense with measuring the water, pouring the boiling water directly on to the tea.
One such cupful gives two teacups of tea.
AFTERNOON TEA ON THE TEA-WAGON.
Luncheons at Home and by Box Boiled Coffee 2 tablespoonfuls coffee 1 cupful boiling water Measure two level tablespoonfuls or one rounded one that is just equal to the two level, into a coffeepot which has been freshly rinsed out with boiling water. Add one measuring cupful of rapidly boiling water and let it boil for three minutes.
After the three minutes of boiling, add a tablespoonful of cold water and let it stand a few minutes before serving. By tucking a piece of tissue paper into the spout to withhold the aroma while the coffee is boiling, a better-flavored coffee results. 2 tablespoonfuls cocoa 2 tablespoonfuls sugar 1 teaspoonful cornstarch Cocoa 1 cupful boiling water 1 cupful milk A few grains of cinnamon Mix the sugar and cocoa, level tablespoonfuls of each, with the cornstarch, in a saucepan, add the cinnamon, and pour on the boiling water. Let boil up for three minutes. Add the milk slowly, bring to the boiling point, and whip for a minute with the Dover egg beater. Serve with a teaspoonful of whipped cream to each cup.
This recipe gives two cupfuls of cocoa.
CREAM SOUPS For a simple and satisfying luncheon for one person, nothing is better or easier to prepare than a cream soup, with crackers, or bread and butter, and a bit of a sweet to finish off the meal. Any one of the following cream soups is sufficient for a luncheon for one; the recipes can be doubled or tripled to serve more people:
Cream of Peanut Butter Soup butter tablespoonful butter 1 tablespoonful peanut tablespoonful flour 1 teaspoonful salt 1 cupful milk teaspoonful paprika Luncheons at Home and by Box In the top pan of the double boiler, placed directly over the flame, melt the butter and add the flour and salt. Set aside from the flame and add the cupful of milk slowly, stirring until evenly mixed.
Return to the fire and let cook up for two minutes. Fill the lower part of the double boiler with hot water and place the soup pan above it. Mix the peanut butter with a little cold milk and add to the soup, and stir until smooth. Just before serving, give it a turn with the Dover egg beater, so as to serve a very creamy soup.
Cream of Tomato Soup for Two 1 tablespoonful butter 1 tablespoonful flour 1 cupful strained tomato 1 cupful milk 1 teaspoonful salt teaspoonful paprika teaspoonful soda Melt the butter, add the flour, remove from the fire, and add the milk, stirring until smooth, and return to the fire to cook up for two minutes. Heat the strained tomato to boiling and add the soda, skimming off the foam which forms.
Pour the heated tomato into the hot milk and turn off the flame under the milk at once. Add the salt and paprika, whip for a minute with the Dover egg beater, and serve.
CREAMED VEGETABLES Creamed Asparagus on Toast 1/4 teaspoonful salt 1 cupful milk 1 tablespoonful butter 1 tablespoonful flour Cooked asparagus Melt the butter, stir in the flour and salt, remove from the fire, and stir in the milk.
If this is added slowly and let boil up for a few minutes, a white sauce without lumps is the result. Heat the asparagus by steaming it in a wire sieve placed over a saucepan of hot water while making the sauce. Place the heated asparagus on slices of hot buttered toast and pour over it the hot white sauce.
Luncheons at Home and by Box Nearly all cooked vegetables are delicious when heated up in this cream sauce and make an appetizing luncheon dish of left-over bits.
LUNCHEON SALADS Another good way of disguising bits of left-over foods is to combine them, mix with a salad dressing, and serve on a bed of lettuce. Vegetables can be combined with other vegetables, fruits, meat, or fish.
A few nuts or chopped olives added to a mixture of fruits, or fruit and vegetables, change the character of the dish.
There are several good salad dressings which can also be varied to provide the "something different" dish by adding a tablespoonful of tomato catsup, chopped peppers, or pickles.