Antique Meal Celebrates 90-Years of Tri Kappa in Mitchel

Tri Kappa recreates 90-year-old menu for anniversary celebration

BY JEFF ROUTH

Times-Mail

jeff@tmnews.com

2/18/2012

MITCHELL — Gamma Epsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Kappa in Mitchell celebrated its 90th anniversary on Jan. 8 with a formal dinner recreating the original induction meeting menu of Jan. 7, 1922.

Charter members of the chapter, Ruth Whitted Alexander, Mary Crawford, Virginia Crawford, Pauline Braman Dalton, Vere Braman Diefendorf, Frances Hostetter, Josephine Marley Hamer, Marjorie Clements Laker, Kathryn Coleman Mathews, Lela Holmes Lindley, Ada Sims Loy, Helen Murphy, Helen Weitknecht and Emma Rhodes, were feted to dinner at the Crawford House in Mitchell.

Debbie Unger, president of the chapter for 2012, is also the owner of the Morgan Keane House on Mitchell’s southwest side. Although not in business any longer as a public venue, Unger still hosts a few events during the year for friends and family — and, in this case, sorority sisters.

“I found the recipes the old-fashioned way. I Googled them,” she said with a laugh. “Finding these old recipes really wasn’t that hard. The only real problem I had was with the grapefruit cocktail. Today it is a drink. Back then it was an appetizer/salad and was served in a pretty piece of stemware. That was the hardest recipe to find.

“I don’t know why they would have had two creamed items on the menu. All that butter and milk. And if you look at pictures of them, they all had these teeny-tiny waists.”

Unger said chapter members realized this important anniversary was coming up a couple of years ago and wanted to do something special for the occasion. Once the original menu was found in historical records, she thought it would be fitting to recreate that first meal.

The meal — consisting of grapefruit cocktail, creamed chicken on patty shells, creamed peas in potato nests, celery, hot rolls and tomato jelly — was served on Tri Kappa plates, as was the dessert course of ice cream, cake, nuts and coffee. The Mitchell chapter is one of only two chapters in the state to have its own chapter house, therefore, having its own plates and cutlery. Everything was in a black-and-white decor, which are the colors of Tri Kappa.

During the program, chapter members shared historic events, news stories and the history of the Mitchell chapter.

Tri Kappa exists only in the state of Indiana. The organization was founded in Indianapolis in 1901 by seven women at the Girls’ Classical School.

Those original seven members were to go to their respective hometowns and found a chapter. Today there are 146 active chapters and 114 associate chapters throughout the state, which include about 9,000 members.

Recipes

Creamed Chicken in Patty Shells

1 stick butter

One-half cup flour

4 cups whole milk

4 cups cooked chicken, cubed

2 pinches thyme

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk. Add thyme, cook until thickened. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Serve over pastry shells. 6-8 portions.

Creamed Peas in Potato Nests

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon sugar

One-half teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

2 cups frozen peas

In quart saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk. Then stir in sugar, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add peas. Simmer five minutes until peas are heated. Serve over nests of mashed potatoes. Serves 4 to 5.

Tomato jelly

 

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 3-ounce package lemon gelatin

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

One-half teaspoon salt

One-eighth teaspoon hot sauce

Dissolve lemon