Cream Of Tomato Soup Crackers

Broiled Skirt Steak

Creamed Potatoes Pickles

Baked Custard

Cream Of Tomato Soup

In a saucepan melt 3 tablespoons butter and to it add 3 1/2 tablespoons flour; stir to a smooth paste, then add 2 cups canned (or fresh) tomatoes, gradually blending with the flour mixture; now add 1/4 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt and a slice of onion. Return to the fire and cook 5 minutes; strain and cool. When cold add 1 1/2 cups cold milk, heat and serve.

If time is limited, heat milk and put together hot.

Broiled Skirt Steak

Have the butcher make "rosettes" of strips of skirt steak, or else make them at home by rolling up a strip of meat about 2 inches wide and 3 or 4 inches long, fastening with a skewer for a handle; now proceed according to directions given in Lesson 1 for broiling sirloin steak.

Creamed Potatoes

Cut plain boiled potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes sufficient to fill 1 1/2 cups; heat in 1 cup white sauce.

White Sauce

In a saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter; to it add 2 tablespoons flour; when mixed to a smooth paste, add gradually I cup of milk; return to the fire, cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens; boil a few minutes to thoroughly cook the starch, taking care, however, that it does not scorch.

Add the diced potatoes, heat well and serve.

Baked Custard

Beat 4 eggs slightly; add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few gratings of nutmeg; beat well and add I quart milk; strain into buttered custard cups and >set in a pan of hot water in a slow oven; bake until firm. This may be determined by inserting a pointed knife in the custard. If it comes out clean the custard is done.

In this case use the yolks of the 3 eggs left from the Prune Souffle Wednesday, and 2 whole eggs.

Care must be taken that the water surrounding the moulds does not boil, otherwise the custard will curdle.

Preparing The Meal

In the morning after breakfast, cook and strain the tomatoes for soup for supper. Then make the custard so that it will have ample time to cool before serving for dinner; 3/4 hour before dinner time pare the potatoes and put them on to cook, and then make the white sauce for them; now prepare the steak for broiling, if the butcher has not already done so; light the broiler burners and while broiler is heating cut the bread and butter and put on the table; also put the pickles in a dish and set on the table.

Now add the cold milk to the tomato mixture and put in a double boiler to heat. While heating put the steak on the broiler, and after searing both sides, lower flame and cook more slowly.

Drain water from potatoes and dice them; add to white sauce, which has been heating.

Serve the soup from a hot tureen into hot plates; after soup plates have been removed, increase the heat under the potatoes for a few seconds to be sure that they are thoroughly hot before serving; remove to a hot vegetable dish; put the steak on a hot platter and quickly make the gravy, having put some milk on to heat while soup was being served; pour gravy into hot dish and send with steak and potatoes to the table.

Fill all the cooking utensils with water before sitting down to dinner.