Cooking with our own betty{Crocker} From the kitchen of betty{Crocker} comes some of her favorite recipes Here is this month's menu Jicama-Orange Relish Master's Overnight Stew Toasted Garlic Bread Bananas Foster

Serves 4 Masters or 2 slaves.

Peel the jicama with a knife or a vegetable peeler, cut in half, and slice each half into pieces 1/8 inch thick. Cut the slices into small cubes, and put them in a large shallow bowl.

Combine the juices, grapefruit peel, salt, cayenne, and cilantro in a bowl; then pour them over the jicama. The flavor of the jicama will benefit from sitting at least an hour. Toss once or twice to distribute the juice. If it is to sit longer, cover the bowl and refrigerate, tossing occasionally.

Just before serving, peel the orange, and remove each section from the fine membrane that surrounds it. You may leave the sections whole or cut them into smaller pieces. Slice the radishes into paper-thin rounds, then into narrow strips-each piece will be tipped with red. Combine the radishes and the orange sections with the jicama and toss them together. Serve garnished with long fresh sprigs of cilantro.

Cutting the jicama and radishes into small pieces makes a relish-like salad. For a different effect, cut the jicama into larger 1/2 inch cubes or long strips, or slice the radishes and oranges into rounds.

When citrus juices are not available, use champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar.

The next time your Master is going on one of those Warrior adventures send him off with a pot of Master's Overnight Stew. Its not only yummy and economical, but it is also guaranteed to keep his tummy full and his outlook happy.

Masters even like to eat this stew when they return home and their coffers are full. It has even been said that Masters are less likely to use another girl the night you serve them Master's Overnight Stew.

The best part of all, dear sisters, is that much of this recipe is made from canned ingredients----but this stew tastes like you spent all day cooking. The secret ingredient is the sausage. It imparts its flavors to the stew and melds everything together.

Recipe feeds 4 HUNGRY Masters, or 12 slaves. Qualifies as Type A slave gruel when the amount of sausage is cut in half.

Have all ingredients soaked, cooked, chopped, and so on, as directed above.

Heat the oil in a LARGE casserole or soup pot. Saute the onion over medium heat until golden and wilted. Add the garlic, thyme, basil, and bay leaves, and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes and their liquid.

Open the canned garbanzo and kidney beans. Drain and rinse them. Add all the beans, the potatoes, and the broth. Add the sliced sausages.

Cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Add the chopped green peppers and the bread crumbs, and cook another 15 minutes. Test the potatoes, When the potatoes are done, the stew is done.

Either serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat.

Notes: This recipe is very forgiving. You can change it just about any way you want, and it is still great, even when reheated. Add water if needed to retain the semi-liquid consistency.

Serve with toasted garlic bread.

When your Master is off adventuring he may get a yearning for this dish. In last year's survey, our sisters reported, that when their Masters returned home, more Masters requested this fried and sweetened banana dish than any other single recipe. Think of the pleased look of your Master after the first few bites.

This slave suggests that you practice making Bananas Foster while your Master is gone. Of course, you must have his approval to use any of his ice cream. Recognizing that is it important to serve him a well crafted meal, you may need to practice making Bananas Foster 2 or 3 times to get it right. And, dear sisters, how will you know if it is "just right" unless you taste some? So, when your Master is away, and you do not know how to face a night alone, this slave suggests practicing your Bananas Foster. It is good fare for slave parties, too. If your Master comes home early, and wants to know what smells so good, you can rush into the serving area and "whip" him up a big serving.

The following ingredients are for a serving of 1. Multiply by the number of guests.

Melt butter in a chafing dish. Add brown sugar and blend well. Heat the butter to bubbly and add the banana. Saute the banana until soft. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour on the liqueur and rum and ignite. Baste banana with flaming liquid. Serve over vanilla ice cream when the flame dies out. Serves 1.

The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison
Cooking for Crowds by Merry White
The New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook by Deirdre Stanforth