Recipes by Walter Pidgeon: Ham and Egg Pie; Romaine Lettuce Salad; Strawberry Crepes

Walter Pidgeon's Ham and Egg Pie

4 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cooked ham, diced
1 cup grated cheese

Beat eggs slightly and add pepper, baking powder, milk, ham, and cheese. Pour ham mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Bake in hot oven (425 degrees F.) 35 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Serve with grilled tomatoes or a crisp green salad.

Walter Pidgeon's Romaine Lettuce Salad

Crisp romaine lettuce cut into small pieces, mixed with mayonnaise dressing into which has been mixed cream cheese. Serve chilled with tomato biscuits. (Use tomato juice for liquid in making biscuits.)

Walter Pidgeon's Strawberry Crepes

1 scant cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 large eggs
3 tbsps. melted butter
(room temperature) softened sweet butter
1 quart cleaned, hulled strawberries
powdered sugar

Put flour and sugar in bowl. Mix milk with water and gradually add to flour-sugar mixture, stirring constantly until batter is free of lumps. Break eggs into the batter, beat until well blended. Add melted butter, stir well. Cover and let stand at least two hours before using. Mix well before using. If batter is thick, add a little water to thin it down. Use five- or six-inch French crepe pan (or cast-iron one-egg skillet). Rub crepe pan (or skillet) lightly with thin film of softened sweet butter. Heat crepe pan (or skillet) over moderately high heat until almost smoking. Pour about 2 1/2 tablespoons batter into pan tilting pan back and forth so batter spreads evenly over the surface. Reduce heat slightly. Bake the crepe until lightly browned and bubbles begin to form. Turn crepe with fingers or spatula, browning on reverse side about 30 seconds. Remove crepe to heated platter. Repeat process, keeping batter well-mixed, until all the remaining batter is used. Keep crepes warm in slow oven (or place in covered dish over a kettle of simmering water). To serve, spread with sweetened strawberries, roll up jelly roll fashion (or with powdered sugar) and top with dollop of chilled whipped cream. Makes about 20 crepes.

Crepes must be carefully made. For best results, keep a special crepe pan (or skillet) for preparing the dessert. As water causes sticking, never wash pan. Clean by wiping pan carefully with paper toweling. Fillings or trimmings can range from plain to fancy. Use fruit in season (blueberries, raspberries, nectarines or peaches), cooked fruits (apple slices or peeled, halved bananas sauteed in butter) or spread with peach marmalade, apricot jam, apple butter or wild strawberry preserves.

Gourmets may prefer the more classic treatment of crepe, suzette-style. Spread the baked crepes with Suzette sauce (made by combining two egg yolks, rind and juice of large naval orange, scant cup powdered sugar, good pinch salt and two sticks sweet butter cooked in the top of a double boiler until thickened) or marron butter cream topped off with an orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau) sauce.