Iceland sends caviar taken from the lumpfish,a black roe very tiny, and salty “like anything.” Salty enough so that Mr. Pepys would have enjoyed this before his liquid breakfast. Reading Samuel's diary, 1659 to 1669, one finds numerous references to anchovies, to mullet roe pressed and dried, called “botarga,” used as a thirst-provoker for the morning's eye-opener. The lumpfish caviar fits every man's purse, one ounce 38 cents, at Nyborg & Nelson, 841 Third Avenue. Its saltiness, we find, can be dissipated if blended half-and-half with finely chopped egg, then all blended with mayonnaise. A nice tidbit for the everyday occasions.
Fresh coconut is on the market, grated, sweetened, quick-frozen in its own milk. Defrosted, it tastes exactly like the fresh and may be used in the same manner in pies, puddings, and cakes. Macy's has the product, the price 24 cents for the eight-ounce carton.
Another Macy quick-frozen item is unsweetened orange juice, twelve ounces to a tin, price 23 cents—orange juice for two. Quick-frozen sugared apricot halves, no ration points sell in the Bohack, A & P, and Grand Union chains, the sixteen-ounce package 38 cents—fragrant and delectable as the fresh fruit.
If you haven't met whole artichokes packed in tarragon vinegar, the pleasure is all ours. The artichokes are cooked, and come ready to serve, four tender, flawless thistle flowers to a pint jar, “Old Monk” brand, price 75 cents. at Gristede's Bon Voyage Shop, 12 Vanderbilt Avenue. Here is a salad for four to use without additional dressing. Trim off the artichoke stem to make it sit firm. Open out the leaves—a green and yellow flower. Nest the blossom in a ring of sprightly watercress. Sprinkle the greenery with vinegar from the jar. Now salt lightly, and serve—a five-minute salad.
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