Chapter 36 Bettina Entertains Her Mother And Father continued

How It Tasted

Pan-Fried Broiled Steak

I can’t honestly say this was a particularly tender steak, but it was strongly flavored, well marbled, and went down well with the troops.

Its strongest point was probably its eye appeal—thanks to the butter the meat looked nice a nd juicy, the parsley added a nice touch, and the whole business really looked like a picture out of Gourmet Magazine. That’s certainly unusual for a Bettina dish—most, no matter how tasty, look like they were fumbled together by a visually impaired cook.

Mashed Potatoes

Sadly the potatoes were every bit as dry as I feared, and there was no gravy available to lubricate them. Since I make mashed potatoes very often and they generally come out fine, it was strange to eat a batch that had us all grabbing for our water glasses. I’m not sure quite what went wrong with these, but they weren’t good at all.

Carrots

Filip: Carrots!

The family seemed rather surprised to see these on the table—probably because Bettina vegetables tend to be staple items like potatoes and beans.

But the novelty factor certainly added to our enjoyment, and with some extra salt and pepper they were quite good.

I’ve read some where that cooked carrots hold their juices better when cut into strips rather than wheels, but these were absolutely fine and did a lot to make up for the agonizingly dry potatoes.

Head Lettuce with Thousand Island Dressing

I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by this dish—all that chopping and mixing for what appeared to ba a simple vinaigrette (albeit one heavy on the vinegar).

And in fact that acid tang was the most prevalent note in this dressing…the flavor of the spices, the fruit juices, and even the oil took a back seat to the strong (really, overpowering) taste of the vinegar.

Sliced Bananas

Mother and Father return from sunny California, land of lemons, oranges, and bananas—and Bettina considers a plate of the latter as a special treat? Kind of odd, I felt.

But no matter…I’m sure Mother and Father appreciated the gesture—more than my own crew did, unfortunately. The bananas were fine, but they’re so commonplace no one really paid them much attention.

Despite much urging everyone only picked at these and, not wanting them to go waste, I had to blend them into a 21^st-century smoothie when the meal was over.

Quick Cake

Milomir: Reminds me of a brick.

Can’t really dispute that, at least as far as the cake’s appearance. Happily no one noticed the crater, but lying on the plate it really did look I’d chipped it from the fireplace, and that oozy icing running down the sides might have been poorly-mixed mortar.

Tastewise, however, this cake was fairly satisfying—the chopped dates did a lot to moisten it, and the lashings of cinnamon and nutmeg transformed it into a spicy sort of fruitcake.

Postscript

This cake really improved with age—when I served it the next day everyone demolished their slices. (The icing however turned gritty overnight—DH and Son carefully scraped it off and then hid it under their napkins.)

Would I Make This Again?

Not for a homecoming celebration, certainly—I’d much rather hustle my guests off to a restaurant that specializes in good beef or seafood.

But for an everyday meal this would be fine. As far as Bettina meals go it’s relatively simple to prepare, and the date cake was definitely a hit.

In fact, I probably will make the cake for the upcoming holidays (minus the sinkhole, of course)—its brick-like qualities definitely soften over time, and well-wrapped and infused with brandy it would make a very suitable gift.