The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

baked potatoes, carrots, onions chopped with fennel, artichokes, snails, codfish or other fish, or shell fish — always appetizingly arranged, with the sauce heaped in the center or served in a boat. The aioli also figures in la bourride, slices of fish stewed and highly seasoned with herbs after the manner of aigo sau, the broth being thickened with a generous quantity of aioli and then poured over toast, and the fish being served separately. lle-de-France pARISIAN SALAD {Salad e Parisienne) This is the familiar salad served with most table d'hotes, whether the prix fixe be 6 francs or 60. It is basically a potato salad, enriched with hard-boiled eggs, spiced with onion and made meaty with snips of veal, tongue or beef muzzle, well peppered and dressed with oil and wine vinegar. In season lettuce is added. {Desserts) CUSTARDS (Darioles) ALMOND DARIOLES % cup blanched almonds i teaspoon orange flower water % cup granulated sugar 2 cups milk % cup cake flour, sifted Puff paste 2 eggs Butter Lemon sugar Pound almonds to a paste with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and rub through a sieve. Combine sugar, flour, eggs, orange water and almond paste in a bowl. Add milk and stir thoroughly. Line six custard cups with thinly rolled puff paste, put a bit of butter in each and fill with mixture. Place cups on a baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes in a moderate oven (350°F.). 5 minutes before removing them, sprinkle tops with lemon sugar. Serve hot or cold. If hot serve with vanilla sauce and omit sugar glazing. Lemon Sugar: Rub 4 or 5 sugar cubes over a lemon until they are well colored; crush, and use. ORANGE DARIOLES Prepare as for almond darioles, flavor with rind and juice of 1 orange and serve with orange sauce. CUP CUSTARDS {Petit s Pots de Creme) Being a tasty as well as an economical dessert these cup custards cooked and served in little pots specially made for them are very popular all over France. VANILLA CUSTARD {Creme a la Vanille) i pint milk % vanilla bean % cup granulated sugar 3 egg yolks 1 egg white Put milk, sugar, and vanilla bean in saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from fire and cool. Beat egg yolks and white together and combine with cooled milk and strain into cups. This amount will fill 4 pots de creme. Place cups in a pan of hot water, reaching l/2 their height; cover, place live embers on cover and let custards poach about 15 minutes on back of stove; or place in a moderate oven (350° F.) and bake the same as our custards. CARAMEL CUSTARD {Crime au Caramel) 1 cup powdered sugar 1 quart milk 6 eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 2 egg yolks Grated yellow rind of Y2 lemon Melt powdered sugar in a saucepan over a slow fire until it turns a rich yellow. Remove, turn into a charlotte mold, and let cool. Beat eggs and egg yolks together until creamy. Beat in milk, sugar, and grated lemon, and let stand 10 minutes. Then butter sides of mold and strain custard into it. Place mold on a tripod in a kettle of hot water reaching to l/2 its height. Bring water to a boil and set back on cool part of stove to simmer, without boiling. Cover kettle and place hot cinders on the cover. The custard poaches in this manner for about 45 minutes. Serve cold. BACCHANALIAN CREAM (Crime Bachique)