Breakfast Math

Margarine pats are falling from the sky. Chicken Little must be having pancakes this morning.

It’s a miracle! Miracle Margarine, that’s what it is. The only miracle would be if I could do this sort of math at breakfast. I mean, doesn’t this remind you of those awful, horrible word problems that always begin “If two trucks are driving in opposite directions and one is going 20 miles and hour faster than the other… blah blah blah” – yeah, wake me up when you’re done.

So we have 36 pats more per pound, and two extra sticks, and the same calories but it’s more whipped and – well, I’m the one that’s whipped now. I’m exhausted!

Oh well – I guess I see what they mean. Only why must they be so tiresome about it? I don’t care how many more pats I’m getting. I don’t even want that many. They’re falling in my goddamn Bokar coffee!

Ice Cream Innovation

This is a handy tip if you want leftovers: make sure your guests won’t be able to get all the dessert out of the bowl! That’ll impress them plenty. Another nugget of wisdom from McCalls’ Show-Off Cookbook (1972 edition of the 1965 classic).

Serve the ice cream in brandy snifters, but that’s just the beginning. here’s another amazing tip : “Notice we say ice creams (plural) meaning, of course, that you depart from the norm and serve a variety of ice creams…”  More than one flavor! That’ll blow some minds. It’ll be just like Howard johnson’s!

The picture seems to show three strawberry and three vanilla ice cream snifters. That’s some variety!

I like this sauce they have on the next page though:

Cinnamon-Chocolate Sauce

3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 6 oz can evaporated milk, undiluted
1 tsp vanilla extract

In small saucepan, combine chocolate, 1/4 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, salt, cinnamon, and evaporated milk. Cook, stirring, over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is thickened – about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, mixing until well-blended and smooth. Serve warm or cold, over peppermint ice cream. Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

It would be good on coffee or vanilla ice cream, too.