White Sauce From Ellen Wallace Jarrell Hamilton

Written Down in Ninth Grade Home Economics Class with Mrs. Conner

Thin~
       1 Tbs Fat
       1 Tbs Flour
       1 Cup Milk
       1/4 teasp Salt
       Dash of Pepper
Medium~
       2 Tbs Fat
       2 Tbs Flour
       1 Cup Milk
       1/4 teasp salt
       Dash of Pepper
Thick~
       3-4 Tbs Fat
       4 Tbs Flour
       1 Cup Milk
       1/4 teasp salt
       Dash of Pepper

Melt fat, add seasoning. Stir in flour. A thick paste forms. Gradually add milk. Add a tablespoon of milk-stir, add another-stir, add-stir, until it becomes a thin paste. Then add more stirring all the time until you have added all the milk. Continue stirring, heating slowly until the sauce begins to thicken. Patience required.

Note:

White sauce is the base of many recipes like macaroni and cheese, broccoli casserole, cheese sauce, cream soups. I always use butter, but left the word fat in to reflect the time (1964-1965) when I learned how to make this. At that time one might have used lard, oleo (margarine), or butter.

I can distinctly remember writing down this recipe in the Home Economics Room at John Basset Moore High School in Smyrna now Smyrna Middle School. At that time it was in the second floor corner room on the Frazier and Delaware Streets Side. I also remember the song "I Wanna' be Bobby's Girl" playing in the background as we cooked. I replaced Bobby with my crush of the moment, long forgotten now. Little did I know that in a few years the song would be quite real for me.