Evansville Courier and Press from Evansville, Indiana • 11

mt 1 The Evansville Courier -iVffiBBff Features EditoriJohn BeiteirX464: Ymim COMICS B4 VARIETY B6 TELEVISION B10-B11 Section I I Stove-top pioneer Her patent created a NEW FOOD BUSINESS Brothers plant of General Poods in Evansville She worked on quality control for angel food cake mixes and did research on the Swans Down brand of cake mixes and on flours Development of Stove Top Stuffing took about two years she from wIfb reports Favorite dessert lightens up Lighten up with a Bhortcake made with angel-food cake and strawberries ropound cake or high-fol biscuits Put it together like trifle the layered English dessert with fruit custard and cake The deseert is featured in a free cookbooklet with the purchase of one 16-ounce carton of Land Light Sour Cream: Whisk 1 cup light sour cream with 1 V2 cups skim milk (add gradually) 14 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon freshly grat- -ed orange peel and 1 package (09-ounce) sugar-free vanilla inBtant pudding mix When weU mixed and thickened within 2 minutes start layering the dessert Tear halfa 10-inch angel food cake into bite-size pieces Hull and slice 2 of fresh strawberries In a large i bowl layer half the cake pieces i the strawberries and half the pudding mixture Repeat layers Arrange remaining berries on top Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours Makes 10 servings 110 calories each Newsletter lists contests The Contest is a monthly publication with announcements of cooking contests including entry forms prize-winning recipes and cookbook reviews The newsletter is written in a warm conversational tone Fbr example in a recent issue editor-publisher Karen Martis informed readers that one of the subscribers would be participating in a national chicken cooking contest moreCOC certain more CCC subscribers will bejoining Ms Martis wrote you are low about dropping me a line? The newsletter now in its Bixth year of publication has about 2500 subscribers nationwide ($1995 for 12 issues) For information write to Karen Martis Cooking Contest Chronicle EQ Box 10792 Merrillville Ind 46411-0792 Salad brightens menu Raw apples are a good source of fiber If you Beldom munch on Em apple out of i Waldorf BMSOn considar adding el to the menu occasionally Use fresh imported apples such as Grannies or Galas or add zing to last Mdntosh or Delicious apples with grated orange zest and toasted ahnonds This Waldorf version is found in the Best by Joie Warner (Hearst Books $795): In non-corrosive bowl toss 3 large unpeeled apples chopped V4 cup dried currants or chopped raisins grated zest of2 large oranges 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 1 medium rib chopped celery 13 cup toasted slivered almonds 12 cup mayonnaise U2 cup yogurt Makes 4 Expectant moms get tips for is a packet of 20 recipe cards for pregnant women with recipes from cookbook authors and chefs Hie packet is available at 134 March of Dime chapters nationwide for a small donation The packet includes recipes from Lidia TWinnich nf Ftelidia Ristnrante in New Ybrk City and cookbook author Cornelius For information write to March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation National Office 1275 MamaroneckAve White Plains NY 10605 Vegan diet booklet offered egan Vegan Diet During Pregnancy Lactation and is a 16-page booklet prepared by the Vegetarian Resource Group of Baltimore The booklet includes lists of vegetarian resources md teaching materials For a copy send a check or money order for $2 made payable to the Vegetarian Resource Group and your name address and ZIP code to Vegan Children The Vegetarian Resource Group POl Box 1463 Baltimore Ml 21203 i mzmm 1 1 I 1 working on similar products but the Stove Top brand clearly waa the beet she Baid After the product waa developed the mq jor problem was finding suppliers to provide the bread for the stuffing had to have a yeast-raised bread for the flavor and texture General Foods in the bread business so we had to find the right Her patent was based on a certain Bize of bread crumb that makes the rehydration or addition of water work she said Today companies apparently afford to test products as thoroughly as they once did Baid Miss Siems "Every little change demanded consumer she said She Mid her crew often traveled to other cities to test product tolerance Some consumers never follow directions she said and it was her job to see if the product held up either 10 percent over or under the directions Over the years seen the food business follow and create trends trying new products remember when people were a little suspicious of packaged products such as cake she said boas fought microwave cooking all hia fife But I cook moot of my meala in the microwave except when I have A graduate of Purdue University Miss Siems became a home economist because she liked to cook aew and make crafts been in Newburgh since November when she moved from the East into the historical Cutteridge-Curtis home She is the daughter of the late Werner and Ruth Siems Her father was principal of Redeemer Lutheran School always had me peggBd as a creative she said always liked to put things And does she still like Stove Top Stuffing? yeeIeat it quite frequently There are always a few boxes in my Fs Steak House 125 SE Fourth St Hours: 1 1 am to 10 pm Monday through Friday 4 to 1 1 pm Saturday closed Sunday Reservations: accepted tor parties of five or larger for lunch and accepted for any number at night Call 422-4189 Personal checks: accepted Credit cards: American Express Visa MasterCard and Discover Non-smoking: no separate section available Alcohol: Beer wine and mixed drinks Handicapped accessible: restaurant and restrooms Dress: casual to Informal Rating: four stars One star unpalatable two stars poor three stare indifferent four stare average five stare good six stare excellent seven stare outstanding ANNE SCHLEPEH Courier staff writer In 1971 Evansville native Ruth Siems came up with an idea that took stuffing out of the oven and put it on the range The home economist developed Stove Ttop Stuffing a top product of General Foods Carp with more than a billion boxes Bold Miss Siems who now lives in Newburgh was awarded a government patent for her creation The creation of Stove Top Stuffing in General plant in White Plains NY was the high point of her 33 12-year career with the company BheBmd She retired in 1987 at age 55 that if it been for Ruth Siems there be Stove Top she said patent created a whole new food Tbp Stuffing certainly has said Nan been a successful product Redmond corporate affairs director for Kraft General Floods The product line has been expanded to include1 several flavors and a microwave version Microwave directions have been offered on regular Stove Top Stuffing boxes for some time The microwave version which includes a microwave-safe pan for cooking the stuffing has been on the market for several months has allowed cooks to prepare stuffing without also preparing a turkey or chicken very she said The idea for an instant stuffing came from the marketing department It was up to the reeearch and development staff to create the prodr uct The test kitchens the chefo and all the workers in research and development were given a shot at developing the new stuffing felt kind of lucky that mine was the idea they said Miss Siems Today she Baid food companies hire food technologists for their research Mid development staffs Home economists are relegated to kitchens to test what the technologists have developed backwards Home economists belong in ahesaid Miss Siems worked for almost four years in product research and development at the Igleheart soup ham salad on croissant (both for $395) I could see before she said anything that toe Boup was very thin not the traditional thick creamy base you expect in a cheese soup The taste was also watered down Although the croissant waa good the ham salad was finely ground too moist and more likp a grocery store brand than homemade The sandwich waa served with a sweet pickle and potato chips The service was excellent and provided another example of an attentive waitress who was able to correct errors quickly leav- 'theorde ing a better impresskm than if the order had been handled correctly in the first place One colleague had asked for ranch dressing but the waitress thought she had ordered French dressing The dinar foipplsiw but the waitress overheard us talking ghaut it Mid exchanged the salad quickly We also noticed that one hot brown was missing its bacon slice Again the waitress heard us talking about it and offered to complete the dish before we could ask Although the waitress worked quickly the food was slightly slow coming out of the kitchen so it stretched our lunch hour That may depend on the meals ordered so consult the waitress if time is a factor Had we not ordered the cheese soup and ham gfflnd this restaurant would easily have earned more stare the food writer believes it still should I was impressed and will return Now eager to sample for dinner It appears fine reputation is continuing under the direction of new owner Carolyn Tapecott I i 7- Ruth Siems who helped create Stove Top Stuffing in 1971 now lives in Newburgh and still enjoys the product Her name is listed first on the patent right 3'' 'IV -v a Vt J-4-' -y- fare has differences like night and day Steak House is like two entirely different restaurants: one by day and one by night Although the downtown restaurant is known for its sizzling Bteaks and Chinese specialties at night it offers plate lunches and soups salads and sand- wichesbyday always been a little frustrated that I tap into the Chinese fore during the day Judging by the popularity of periodic Oriental chicken Wednesday I am not alone I wish the restaurant would offer Chinese stirfiy for hinch on a regular basis I tried to put that out of my mind when illeagues gathered for lunch aixofmycol there recently to celebrate food writer Anne birthday I been to for lunch in more than a year and nothing I had eaten had encouraged me to return This time I waa more impressed Although the luncheon menu is more limited than the extensive plate-lunch listing the restaurant offered years ago it still has variety of choices to suit the mood of anyone on a lunch break Although normally we try to vary our orders three ofus were unwilling to give up our choice of hot brown ($450) When the menu says large believe it Fa variation of the hot brown fills a large sizzling steak tray The toast and turkey are topped with a smooth eustardlike filling mixed with mushrooms The plate is then sprinkled with grated Cheddar cheese and broiled until there is a crispy crust on top The attractive dish is topped with a crisp slice of bacon and two tomato slices or what EATING OUT By Unda Negro Courier staff writer passes for tomatoes at this time of yean This dish is more than a hearty meaL None ofus could finish our order The food favorite at is the life lunch ($450) When we returned to the office she was still talking about the delicious peppery marinade that coated the two pieces of grilled chicken breast The chicken was served with a steamed dish of broccoli Normandy which includes carrots and cauliflower It is served with a lemon wedge for seasoning Ms Schleper said the dish was excellent as usual The meal also includes a choice of combination salad or cottage cheese One colleague tried the stuffed pepper plate lunch ($450) which was served with a combination salad mashed potatoes and a vegetable The serving of pepper seemed mall One frequent diner said the size of the combination salad that accompanies the plate lunches has been reduced from a bowl to a small plate The salad was good The vinaigrette Italian dressing was particularly good and included a marinated pepper The management said a larger salad ia available A small salad is 65 cents the bowl is L25 Although several of the diners were either imposed or satisfied with their meals one was dissatisfied at each step She ordered a cup of Wisconsin cheese The national list of top video rentals is compiled by Billboard magazine The local list is based on rentals at Movie World National 2 for 3 Bonfire of the 4 5 6 Men and a Little 7 Jungle 8 9 10 Evansville Men and a Little 2 Jungle 3 "Predator 4 5 6 7 8 Down 9 10.