Box Lunches
DELICIOUS SANDWICHES.
Use light sponge cake, spread Delmonica pudding be- tween thin slices of cake. These make nice reception sand- wiches. Add nuts.
ICE CREAM SANDWICHES.
Bake sponge cake in sheets about one inch thick. Cut this into pieces three and one-half inches long and one and one-half inches wide. This is half the size of a slice cut from a quart of brick cream. Split the piece of cake in two, making of each one of them two slices, between which place a layer of cream, just as one would put filling between bread in an ordinary sandwich. Cut a quart of brick cream into ten slices, then half each slice. Thus one quart of brick cream serves 20 people. Arrange the cake and cream to form a sandwich, on top of each place a tablespoon whipped cream and candied cherry.
ALMOND KISSES.
1 cup blanched and ground almonds. 6 eggs, whites. 11/2 cups sugar. Beat eggs very stiff, add sugar, and beat well. Fold in nuts and drop with tube or spoon on linen paper and bake in oven when fire dying out. Pecan kisses made same way, using one tumbler of half meats.
CHESTNUT MARGUERITES.
Press one-half cup preserved chestnuts through a sieve. One-half cup fine chopped candied cherries and seeded raisins; soften in cream icing. Put between crackers, for lunch or afternoon tea.
BOX LUNCHES.
In this day of picnics, auto and yachting parties, the lunch box is an important factor and one that gives the housekeeper many an anxious hour. When one can afford hampers, with all the modern con- veniences, not so much planning is necessary, but the aver- 56 age house is not so well blessed, and for this lunch it re- quires much more care in the preparation. box. Sandwiches form the most important part of the lunch The most economical way is to cut the bread in strips, squares, and triangles, but fancy shapes can be made with cake cutters. Variety may be given by adding finely chopped onion, pickles, olives, mint or parsley to the creamed butter. Never make them too moist to be kept for any length of time. In the point of keeping quality are ham, chicken, and tongue, next cheese and nut combination, and also the sweet sand- wiches. These can be wrapped in oil paper and fastened with the small seals. They are dainty for a picnic lunch. Next comes the pastry and sweets. Individual pies and patties should be used in preference to large ones. These should be wrapped in paraffine paper and packed in a box. Marguerites, cream puffs, chess cakes, cup custards, and charlottes may be carried if left in the individual cups they are molded in and carefully packed. Olives, pickles, etc., are carried in bottles. Candy and bonbons in small boxes. Eggs are well cooked, seasoned and wrapped in paraffine paper. Ripe fruit is always acceptable, and easily carried. Some do not like bananas, but for school children, they are easy to pack in a lunch basket. A bottle of lemon sirup and also a strong solution of coffee can be taken. Add two tablespoons to a cup of boiling water. At picnics, it is nice to use paper dishes, napkins, cups, tablecloths, and destroy after using. This relieves the burden of carrying heavy linen. Any kind of meat can be used to make sandwiches. Cold roast beef should have a bit of horseradish mixed with butter before spreading. Cold pork with Chili sauce; cold lamb a few chopped capers, veal tomato catsup, chicken and other fowls a little salad dressing; tongue, corned beef and ham call for French mustard; cheese for mustard and dress- ing. Egg paste is good spread between bread, nut butters come ready, but a little seasoning adds to them. 57
- Pack cold food cold. The lunch box here travels at room temperature, which was normal in 1922. Anything with meat, egg or dairy should now travel with an ice pack and be eaten within a few hours.
- Sponge cake sandwiches are a period piece worth trying. Spreading pudding between thin slices of sponge cake makes a reception sandwich that has almost entirely vanished from modern books — it is closer to a modern icebox cake than to anything in a lunch box today.
The lunch box that this chapter equips is a 1920s artefact: picnics, “auto and yachting parties,” and workers carrying a midday meal from home. Commercial sliced bread was only just arriving, so the chapter's attention to cutting, spreading and wrapping reflects a kitchen where every component was made rather than bought.