• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 2 cups milk
• 3 shallots, minced
• 2 T butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ cup sweet sherry
• salt, pepper and butter

Marinate the mushrooms in the milk, while you sauté the shallots in butter (for 5 minutes). Combine in a deep sauce-pot, add the cream, salt and pepper to taste, and hold it at a slow boil for 25 minutes.

Prepare 4 soup bowls with an egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of sherry in each. Pour the hot soup into each bowl, stirring rapidly to distribute the egg yolk and sherry into the soup. Garnish with fresh minced parsley if you wish.

• 1 package frozen squash (or 2 slices peeled pumpkin, steamed soft and pureed)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 grated white onion
• ½ cup vermicelli (optional)
• 2 T butter
• salt, pepper, minced parsley

Place squash, milk, cream and onion in the top of a double boiler, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring to mix occasion­ally.

Meanwhile boil the vermicelli for 15 minutes in water to cover. When tender, drain thoroughly and add to the squash puree, together with 2 T butter, season to taste with a little salt and pepper, and serve with a garnish of minced parsley.

• 1 pound tiny button mushrooms
• 5 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 4 minced shallots
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 T minced parsley
• 6 T French (Vinaigrette) dressing
• 3 peeled sliced cold boiled potatoes
• 2 large chopped peeled ripe tomatoes
• 4 lettuce leaves

Place lettuce leaves on 4 plates, top with chopped toma­toes surrounded by sliced potatoes.

Sauté the whole tiny mushrooms in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add butter.
Mix shallots, garlic and parsley and sprinkle over mush­rooms. Cook 1 minute, remove from fire, and thoroughly stir in the Vinaigrette dressing.

Pour the hot mushroom mixture over the tomatoes and potatoes.

A thin pancake, rolled around creamed seafood, topped with Parmesan cheese, lightly broiled before serving.

These are not too difficult to prepare—and sometimes a double portion might take the place of an entree.

• 1 cooked lobster tail, or a small tin of lobster meat
• ½ cup fresh crabmeat, or a cleaned medium-sized tin
• 6 cooked shrimps, coarsely cut
• 6 scallops, coarsely cut
• 4 Cherrystone clams
• 4 oysters
• 4 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup mushroom soup, condensed
• ¼ cup Madeira, Marsala or dry sherry
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chopped chives
• 1 T minced parsley
• 1 T butter
• 1 T cream
• salt, fresh pepper, grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 thin pancakes or 4 large scallop shells

Fruits de mer literally means “fruits of the sea.” While it is usually served in a crepe (thin French pancake), it may also appear in scallop shells, buttered ramekins, or simply atop a buttered toast triangle.

Heat oven to 500.

Combine fish and shellfish with condensed mushroom soup, chopped fresh mushrooms, cream and wine, stir constantly and bring to high heat, then place over boiling water in a double boiler. Simmer gently while you prepare pancakes from any packaged mix. The pancakes should be very thin, cooked individually in butter, in a small skillet. Set them aside to keep warm.

Add all other ingredients (seasonings) to fish mixture and continue simmering for 5 minutes, while you butter a long shallow baking dish.

Place the pancakes one at a time: that is, place one at the end of the dish, spoon some of the creamed mixtures into the center and fold over both pancake edges to cover the filling. Place the next pancake beside the first, etc. until all four crepes have been filled and are neatly distributed along the baking dish.

Cover with the remaining sauce, sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese, and broil for 3 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

• 1 celery root, scraped and cut in julienne strips
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 T tarrgon vinegar

Mix, cover tightly, and chill overnight

Sauce:

• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp meat stock (Bovril, Kitchen Bouquet)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 phony of brandy (3/4 ounce)

Mix the sauce thoroughly. Drain the celeriac and add to the sauce, turning gently to coat each sliver.

To serve: place a lettuce leaf on each plate, top with a slice of ripe tomato, and cover with the celeriac. Dust with paprika.

A white bean salad, usually pea or Navy beans, but a quick substitute is chickpeas (also called Garbanzos beans).

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 2 white onions, peeled and very thinly sliced
• ½ cup Vinaigrette dressing
• ¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley

Place a layer of chickpeas in a dish, cover with some of the sliced onions and parsley, and repeat until all ingredients are used. Pour Vinaigrette dressing over the dish, and mix very thoroughly. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Includes many of the same ingredients used in Antipasto, but each is varied by the sauce. A traditional hors d’oeuvres includes:

• Hardboiled egg, masked with mayonnaise and decorated with drained capers
• Celery stalk and scallion, radishes, olives
• A small slice of Pate Maison Sardines and tuna fish, but put a dab of mayonnaise on the tuna fish and decorate with a strip of pimiento.
• Tomato slices
• Haricots Blancs (white bean salad)
• Vegetable Salads—any plain-cooked chilled vegetable, coated with Vinaigrette dressing
• Celeri Remoulade
• Artichoke Hearts
• Anchovy fillets

The essential dressings for an hors d’oeuvres are mayon­naise; and Vinaigrette, which is also the true French dressing used for salads.

For last minute preparation of hors d’oeuvres vegetables, a basic Vinaigrette is 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 3 tablespoons of good olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste, and these may be sprinkled directly into a mixing bowl after which the gentle mixing and turning will suffice to combine the dress­ing.

A traditional molded chicken liver paste, to be used either as a cocktail spread with salted crackers or served in a small wedge as part of a hors d’oeuvres plate.

• 1 pound chicken livers
• 1 white onion
• ¾ cup rendered chicken fat (or melted butter)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp mace
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1½ tsp dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp anchovy paste
• 4 T grated white onion
• 1 T cognac brandy

Step 1:
Wash livers, trim away any discolorations, place in a saucepan, add the whole peeled onion, barely cover with cold water and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and discard the onion.

Grind the livers very very finely, using the finest blade of the grinder and putting them through a second time if neces­sary to reduce them to a smooth paste.

Add all the other ingredients, mixing very thoroughly. Pack in a straight-sided mold, cover with waxed paper, and chill overnight.

Step 2:
Unmold on a plate and slice thinly, for hors d’oeuvres— or serve in a ring of crisp salted crackers, for cocktail hour.

• ¼ cup honey
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 30 pecan halves
• 1 can refrigerator biscuits

Blend honey and cinnamon. Divide among 10 greased muffin cups. Put 3 pecan halves in each. Open can of prepared biscuits. Place one in each cup. Bake in 475 °F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Serves 5.

• 1 recipe for refrigerator rolls
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped

Roll out dough on floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread mixture of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans onto dough. Roll and cut into 1/2-inch slices.

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ cup pecans, chopped

Mix together butter, sugar, and water. Cook slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour into baking pan or muffin tin. Sprinkle chopped nuts over mixture. Top with roll slices. Set in warm place to rise until double in size. Bake in hot oven (400°F.) for 15 to 20 minutes. Yields 4 dozen.