Harold Cooks for the Boarding House

HAROLD COOKS For THE BOARDING HOUSE

Harold told me about the first time he had to cook for the Boarders at the ‘Eisenberg’s Boarding House’ in Miami Beach, Florida alone. The Boarding house was something like a “Bed and Breakfast” today. There was a ‘light breakfast’ coffee and rolls or Danish. Then Dinner, at the table like a family. So while Harold was in his late teens he always helped Anna/Naomi, his mom, get the dinner, working in the kitchen and then to the table, but it was the first time he did the whole thing by himself.

He decided the menu would start with soup and a dinner salad. The soup was Tomato, it was always his favorite after all. And salad was easy as Cabbage was on sale, both red and green, so he would just shred the heads up and maybe grate in some carrots too. For a dressing, how about a Russian, quick and easy, just mayonnaise and catchup with a little seasoning.

Then spaghetti and meat sauce sounded good. The meat sauce could be simmering while he was doing everything else, right? The tomatoes looked wonderful and just right for cooking, add an onion a little garlic, brown some meat, throw it all together and its all done. Just need a bit of “shaker cheese” to top it off.

Maybe some big fluffy rolls with butter, there should be juice and Iced Tea and then some dessert. And he would be all done. Tomato juice would be nice, wouldn’t it? Put it in the refrigerator to chill and that’s done. The tea can be steeped early and poured over ice in Mom’s big red pitcher.

Now for dessert, the Strawberry’s looked good, how about strawberry ice cream with fresh Strawberry’s? Yes, that’s the trick. And of course coffee.

So he did the shopping, started cooking browning, cutting up, simmering, shredding, boiling and set the table and at the appointed time everyone came to the table.

The table cloth was white and so were the plates and cups and saucers. The silver was silver and the glasses were clear. There was a clear pitcher of Tomato Juice and a Red Pitcher of Ice Tea and the Red creamer and sugar bowls to match the Red Pitcher. White bowls of Tomato soup or white plates of red and green cabbage salad with Red Russian Dressing.

Then out came a big white bowl of Spaghetti and Red Meat Sauce. A big basket, lined with a Red napkin full of rolls and a white tray of butter.

The Boarders sat down, looked around and started laughing. Harold didn’t know why. When one man could stop guffawing long enough, he pointed around the table and asked Harold if he noticed anything unusual? “Noooo, I don’t think so.”

“Oh, it all RED!” and Harold said he thought his face was probably as red as the tomato juice.

“Yes!”, and they started laughing all over again. Well the decision was that it tasted really good but he never lived it down. Anytime it might be Harold at the stove, it was “What color will dinner be this time?”