Part 2 (Bob Helps With The Dinner)

How It Tasted

Creamed Veal

Filip: Are these mushrooms?

Another fun family game of Twenty Questions…no one would figure out what was lurking in the cream sauce, and my son didn’t even recognize it as meat.

Not that I could blame him—the sauced meat did turn eerily gray during the cooking process and didn’t look especially appetizing. On the plus side it was remarkably tender, and the toast I served underneath added a much-needed bit of texture to the dish.

Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes looked scrumptious in their neat little casserole—tasted fine too. But as for their texture…well, let’s say that next time I’ll enlist either the aid of my electric mixer or my husband’s sturdy right arm to whip them up. They were incredibly lumpy and would have driven Bettina into a fit if she’d seen them—more lump than potato, if such a thing is possible.

Stuffed Potatoes Bettina

Milomir: You put vinegar in these?

The answer is of course no, but you’d never have guessed that based on the taste. Somehow these tomatoes had more pucker power than a vat of pickles, and I have no idea when or how that happened.

Bettina spoke of serving these monstrosities at one of her dainty luncheons, and it’s easy to envision the reaction: six or eight ladies around the table clutching their throats—completely speechless—lips drawn into scarlet rosettes.

Again, I’m not sure how these innocent-looking tomatoes took on such lemonlike properties, but if I ever dared serve them again I dump in a heck of a lot of sugar.

Bread and Butter

The usual blah bread and butter—very welcome this time as the two together helped offset the sour tomatoes.

Sliced Peaches With Cream

These peaches didn’t soften up a bit during their spell in the refrigerator—I was disappointed and more than a little embarrassed when they arrived at the table. As instructed by the menu I did serve them with cream, though, and that made them taste a little better.

Still, it was disconcerting to hear the peach slices crunching between our teeth as we worked our way through this dish. Despite their yellow skins and rosy cheeks the peaches really were incredibly green, and it was a huge mistake on my part to buy them.

Coconut Cake

These cakes looked adorable—with their coconut tops like cute little sheep just ready for shearing. Unfortunately that resemblance carried into more than one aspect: the interiors of these cakes were so wooly I could almost hear them bleating on the plate.

Once again the pitcher of cream proved a godsend. One and all we crumbled these cakes into our bowls of peaches and that, mixed with cream, approximated a fruit cobbler of sorts.

Iced Tea

Milomir: Why’s there so much ice in my glass?

As a native of Eastern Europe my husband grew up without ice cubes, and even after fifteen years in America he still prefers his drinks at room temperature. So he didn’t care for this tea at all although my son and I enjoyed it. It really was quite refreshing and lightened considerably this formidable meat-and-potatoes meal.

Would I Make This Again?

Yes, I don’t think this meal was a total failure although certain aspects of it left us gasping in disbelief. The creamed veal was delicious at it was, and the peaches and mashed potatoes would have been fine had I chosen/prepared them properly.

The stuffed tomatoes? Dreadful, and short of adding sugar I wouldn’t know how to fix them.

The cakes too were not very good, but I’m beginning to suspect that the tender, delicate layers we’re familiar with today were simply unknown in Bettina’s time. Without special cake flour or electric mixers it’s hard to obtain a light texture, and the dense and doughy creations found on Bettina’s table may simply be par for the course.