Bartholomew Felther: Cutting Campus Culinary Costs

"I Don't care what they say," a lounge steward with a broken nose confided thickly in a hotel recently. After the fourth glass of champagne, you can fill them up from a switched bottle with chilled apple cider, and they'll never tell the difference. My catering boss in Auckland was always thrashing that lurk, and I've never seen it miss yet."

Writing as a poor man's Graham Kerr; wining and dining is not my field. The merit of his assertion is best left to my companion columnist Noshingrog. But with the season's social whirl in full blast; maybe a posh dish wouldn't go amiss. It's a pretentious flambe thing—that turns an omelette into a pryomaniac's pudding. Male readers will note—it never fails to impress the womenfolk. But first, a tip about omelettes. Use a clean heavy pan, beat—but don't overbeat—the eggs with a fork, cook in butter, and use a desertspoonful of tap water, not milk.

Flaming Sweet Omelettes, or Pencarrow Lights

All you need is a couple of eggs, salt, pepper, some Jamaican rum, and access to a pot of apricot jam. Make a plain omelette and, just as it firms in the pan, scoop a dollop of apricot jam into its centre, fold over, and slide the thing onto a warm plate. Meanwhile you have been heating-up some rum in a saucepan over low gas. Spoon the warmed rum over the omelette, ignite with a taper, and serve immediately. Don't burn yourself —and it tastes fine. So much for things of the spirit; now let's get back to earth with winter soups and stews. The archetypal bean stew I recommend for this season; has haricot, lima, or soya beans in it—together with any diced meat that takes your fancy. Any mince will do; so will diced bacon or ham, and even chopped saveloys, frankfurters or polonies, are better than no meat. Ideally the beans are presoaked overnight before cooking; and if you use pieces of steak —seal the juices in by browning the dice in a pan. Silverside or corned beef (well smashed-up) makes a splendid body for the stew, which can be reheated daily, added to, curried, and so on. Flavour with herbs to suit yourself. Try some paprika and mustard.

Slumgullion bully bean hash with eggs

Stuffed eggs; those hardboiled, deyolked and fancy refilled gimmicks for salads, etc; are just the thing if you want to present this stew as a dinner feature.

But otherwise plain hardboiled, fried or poached eggs are adequate as a finish to the served stew. Diced gravy beef is browned in butter and onions, smashed corned beef is added and simmered awhile, salt, mustard, crushed black peppercorns and a bayleaf with thyme, is added. This mixture is poured into the presoaked beans and simmered till the flavour is right, then served with eggs.

Chickpea with Lamb

In Persia a stew of yellow chick peas with lamb is popular; the lamb makes it a 'monty' for this country. Assuming you find some roast lamb left over on a Sunday night, soak some chick peas in water before going to bed. On Monday, make a thick soug of chopped lamb with the chick peas and suitable herbs.

Lentil and egg curry

Melt butter, add onion and curry powder. Fry 10 minutes. Add water and lentils. Cook over Low heal for about 45 minutes till lentils are tender. Mix chopped-up hardboiled eggs.

Corned beef and Lima bean pie for six

You need a pound of corned beef, one egg, four cups of lima beans precooked and seasoned, some tomato sauce. Hash together some corned beef, tomato sauce, and a beaten egg. Line this into an 8 inch pie dish heating 25 minutes at 350. Later fill crater with beans, reheat. Serve with a cheese sauce or melted cheese.

Current Thorndon vegetable prices at Molesworth Fruit Supply. South Rua potatoes, $1.39 for 501bs.; Onions 39c 101bs; white potatoes, 251b bag 79 cents; Kumaras 31bs 22c; ripe bananas 29c box.

Chung Wa; 83 Molesworth St., 601bs potatoes $1.59, kumaras 16c 1b; cauliflowers 18c each, grapefruit $1.75c case.

Sy Loo; 322 Tinakori Rd. Yams. 12c lb; Swedes, 10c; leeks, 12c turnips, 15c; Island oranges 15c lb; onions, 18c for 3 lbs, celery bunch, 14c each; cabbage 12c each; grannies 51bs for 56 cents.