Puff Piece

In October 1945, one month after the official end of World War II, two significant culinary events took place at The Los Angeles Times. First, the newly remodeled Times College of Cookery (featuring a mirror-topped demonstration table) opened in The Times building. Second, one Marian Manners (described as “the kind of cook men dream about and women turn green about”) used the newspaper’s pages to instruct home cooks on how to make cream puffs with creamed veal filling.

Though the latter may not seem extraordinary, Manners’ article showed that “cream puff shells need not be used for dessert alone.” Variations could be made to the popular whipped cream and custard fillings, making the shells, as Manners put it, “an excellent carrier for those highly seasoned mixtures used on the appetizer tray.”

Manners was a pseudonym used by Times food writers over the years. In 1945, it probably was adopted by Fleeta Louise Hoke, who is said to be the first person to hold the title of Times food editor. Before Hoke joined The Times in 1939, she wrote about kitchen design and homemaking subjects under the name “Bess Meals.”

When it came to cream puffs, Hoke took a no-nonsense tone, describing the cooking process step by step: “Quickly does it when you make cream puff shells,” she wrote. “Don’t stir the flour into the mixture gradually as you do for most other batters; dump it in all at once. Then smartly stir the mixture over the fire until it forms a sticky, lumpy-looking mass in the center of the pan.”

Cream Puffs with Creamed Veal Filling

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

CREAM PUFFS

1 cup water

1/2 cup lard or butter plus extra for greasing pan

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

3 eggs

Bring water to boil, add lard and return to boil over medium-high heat. Add salt and flour all at once, stirring vigorously until lumpy ball shape forms in center of pan resembling gummy paste, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, with wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and stiff. Shape 10 large cream puffs on greased baking sheet by dropping from spoon or using a pastry bag and tube.

Bake puffs at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake 40 minutes more, until golden brown.

CREAMED VEAL FILLING

3 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups or more veal stock or cooking juices

1 1/2 cups or less milk

1 1/2 pounds cooked veal shoulder, diced

4 tablespoons minced pimento

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat and stir in flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Combine veal stock and milk to make 3 cups total and add to butter-flour mixture in pan. Cook until thick, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add diced veal and pimento. Cook 3 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill cream puffs and serve immediately.

10 filled cream puffs. Each cream puff: 292 calories; 494 mg sodium; 130 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams protein; 0.05 gram fiber.

Veal Shoulder

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

The current Times Test Kitchen developed this recipe to work with the Creamed Veal Filling. Veal is commonly sold boned, rolled and tied; if you normally don’t see it that way at your market, call ahead and order it.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds veal shoulder, boned, rolled and tied

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 cups water or 1 cup water and 1 cup white wine

Salt, pepper

* Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add veal roast and brown over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes total.

* Add garlic and onion. Cook 5 minutes, until onions soften. Add water, wine if using, salt and pepper to taste, then bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove pan from heat and let cool in cooking liquid. Then remove roast and dice. Strain liquid and use to make white sauce, adding enough milk to make 3 cups if making Creamed Veal Filling. Juices may also be used to make gravy to be served with slices of the roast.

10 servings. Each serving: TK calories, TK mg sodium, TK mg cholesterol, TK grams fat, TK grams carbohydrates, TK grams protein, TK grams fiber.