Some Party Suggestions

For The Holiday Season

(Extracts from talk broadcast from

ZJV by the Nutrition Section of the

South Pacific Health Service.)

'T'HE festive season is with us and many of us are searching for new ideas and variations on our recipes.

It doesn’t matter whether it is a children’s party, a bridge party or a Christmas party, it is an opportunity for you, thc{ housewife, to show your skill.

It is rather different preparing a party in the tropics to preparing one in a more temperate climate. As most of the food served will be cold and refreshing, it means that parties are easier to prepare, as many dishes can be made ready in advance.

Here are a few ideas for adding finish ing touches to some of the recipes you already have. Finishing touches make; all the difference to any meal, no matter when it is served, but most people are in such a rush these days, that by the time a good wholesome meal for the family has been prepared there is little time for decorations and trimmings. It is a pity; the odd finishing touch makes all the difference between a very attractive dish and a dull one.

Here are several vegetable garnishes for salads and savoury dishes. RADISH LILIES are made quite easily. Choose round radishes, trim them carefully, wash and dry, make a Vandyke (VVVV) round the middle of each with a small, sharp, pointed knife. Cut in two crosswise and use the lilies for decorating hors d’oeuvres and green salads. To make RADISH ROSES, trim and wash and dry, then cut the coloured skin down in five sections almost to the stem end. Place in ice cold water and as they chill the petals will unfold and open out. TOMATO ROSES can be made in the same way but there is no need to chill them.

To garnish creamed fish, cold meats and meat loaves, make PICKLE FANS by using small gherkins. Cut into thin slices almost through to the other side and spread out carefully like a fan.

RADISH FANS can be made in the same way.

CUCUMBER CONES are always fas cinating and are easy to make, Peel the cucumber and slice very thinly. Make a cut from the edge of each slice to the centre and draw the one cut edge over the other to form the cucumber slice into a cone.

To make attractive CARROT CURLS, take young carrots, clean and trim them and cut in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, shave into long thin slices. Roll each into a pinwheel. Pack them closely together in a shallow dish of ice cold water. Leave until they stay curled when lifted out of the water. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and use for garnishing any cold savoury dish.

When CELERY is available, it always proves popular with the family and can be used to garnish so many dishes. It curls easily if very thin strips are placed in cold water for a short time.

AS Christmas is approaching, many people are thinking of Christmas puddings. The children always re member plum puddings which blaze with fire. If you set fire to your pudding, re member to turn out the lights or draw the curtains for the ceremonial entrance, otherwise the flames will be almost invisible.

To fire the pudding, put it into a very hot dish, turn the brandy, rum or whisky into a hot metal spoon before pouring it over the pudding, theft set a

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match to it. If you want a very superior flame, hollow out a shallow cup in the top of the pudding and pour two tablespoons of spirit into it. Some will run down the pudding on to the dish.

Light it and the flames will spread.

Here are two holiday season r)eicipes:—>

Chicken Chow Mein

1 cup celery strips. 1 small onion sliced. 1 green pepper finely chopped. 2 cups chicken stock.

Pinch salt. 2 teaspoons soy sauce or substitute.

Vz cup sliced mushrooms (if available). 2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken. 1 teaspoon cornflour. 2 tablespoons water. 2 cups noodles (cooked).

Cook celery, onion and green pepper in stock for 30 minutes; add salt, soy sauce or substitute, mushrooms, chicken and cornflour mixed with water and cook for 10 minutes, stirring until thickened.

Serve on a bed of noodles.

This is sufficient for about six people.

Marshmallow Cream

Little more than Vz tin of evaporated milk. 1 pint packet jelly.

Melt jelly in Vz pint (not whole pint) of hot water. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent it setting. Pour a little more than half a tin of milk into a big mixing bowl and whip until it doubles its original bulk. Add jelly a little at a time, just before it sets, whip both together to mix completely. Pour at once into individual dishes or a large serving bowl.

Decorate with cherries or grated chocolate.

H Dr. Simon Cotton, recently appointed Chief Medical Officer in Tonga, told of the acute shortage of trained medical staff there when he came to Auckland in September with Mrs. Cotton, who has undergone an operation. He said he was the

only fully-trained medical prac

titioner in Nukualofa. There is one other at Vavau. There are some very able Tongan medical prac titioners, graduates of the Central Medical School, Suva, but their capabilities are limited to the level of training which they have re ceived. More trained medical staff

is most urgently required in Tonga.