Pan-Pacific cook book

172. ARTICHOKE TORTA— GENEVOISE Boil six young artichokes until tender; remove the stems, coarse leaves, tips and chokes and chop the rest coarsely. Season with salt, pepper, a little lemon juice and bind together with the beaten yolk of an egg and four tablespoons of thick cream. Line a deep pie plate with puffpaste and spread with the mixture. Wet a spoon and make six deep depressions with the back of it on the surface. Break an egg in each, season with salt and pepper, then cover with a sheet of the paste, press the edges well together and bake in a fairly quick oven. 173. ARTICHOKES— VENETIAN Remove stems and half of the outside leaves from six small young artichokes, and cut off the tops. Parboil, drain and cut in quarters lengthwise. Make a thin batter of three eggs, a tablespoon of flour and one of milk, salt and paprika. Add the artichokes and turn into an omelette pan rubbed with garlic, in which a large tablespoon of olive oil has been heated. Toss until the batter has set without being too dry and serve at once. 174. ASPARAGUS A LA CREME— FRENCH Cut two bunches of thin green asparagus into three-quarter inch pieces, rejecting the tough ends. Boil rapidly with a teaspoon of sugar until tender. Drain, return to a smaller saucepan, add a cup of thick cream, salt and pepper and, before it boils, stir in the yolks of two eggs beaten with a little milk. Stir until it thickens slightly, then serve at once. 175. ASPARAGUS CUSTARD Boil two bunches of thin green asparagus and rub through a sieve. Add the beaten yolk of an egg and season with salt and tiny pinches of sugar and cayenne. Line timbale moulds with the mixture. Beat three eggs well, add half a cup of milk, a little onion juice, salt and paprika and fill the moulds nearly full. Set in a pan of hot water and bake until firm ; then turn out and serve. 176. ASPARAGUS NICOISE Boil and chill two bunches of asparagus. Arrange on a platter and serve with the following sauce : Rub the yolk of a hard egg smooth ; add a raw yolk, a teaspoon of French mustard and a cup of French dressing. Beat well with eggbeater; then add a teaspoon each of chopped chives and parsley. 177. ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN— ITALIAN Boil the asparagus, drain and arrange in two rows, tips touching, on an earthen platter. Pour over the tips a little melted butter, salt and paprika and sprinkle thickly with grated Parmesan. Brown in a hot oven. 178. BARBOUILLADE— CREOLE Cut two onions, two bell peppers (without seeds), two tomatoes, two peeled cucumbers and a medium sized eggplant, also peeled, into dice. Brown the onions in half of a cup of olive oil, then add all the other vegetables, a kitchen bouquet and a bay leaf and simmer from six to eight hours. Season with salt and pepper before serving. Should there be any left use it as a filling for omelette. 179. BEETS, GLAZED Parboil eight or ten small, tender beets; then peel. Throw them into an omelette pan with a quarter of a cup of hot butter and saute until slightly colored; then sprinkle with sugar and cook slowly until it melts and forms a caramel. Young French carrots can be cooked in the same way. 180. BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CHESTNUTS- SWISS