Rinktumdiddy a delicious mystery

When Burke and Midge Welldon, my neighbors just up the road, read the Welsh Rarebit recipe last fall, they were reminded of an old family favorite called Rinktumdiddy. You may remember that Welsh Rarebit is a seasoned melted cheese dish served on crackers or toast.

The Welldons don’t know why their family called this dish Rinktumdiddy, and neither do I, but I have seen a similar variation on Welsh Rarebit that was called Pink Bunny. I even Googled Rinktumdiddy, and the search engine scratched its head for a couple of nanoseconds and flashed the message that the phrase “returned no results.” Well, I don’t care what you call it, as long as you call it good. It has tomato in it, and makes a grand little supper.

In fact, the Welldons went so far as to make up a little pan full that they dropped off at the house, getting me off the old what-to-have-for-supper hook for one night. They even supplied the crackers. It was so good. Jamie lapped it right up. Add a salad and there you go.

Now there is in this recipe one of those famous early measurements, “butter the size of an egg.” Modern people like to get their tails in a twist over instructions like this. What they could do instead is get an egg and hold it next to a stick of butter and let it dawn on them gradually that it is roughly equal to a quarter cup, or half a stick of butter. Piece of cake.

Looking for…

Barbara McLaughlin wrote to ask, “Would anyone have a recipe for a dessert called Spanish Cream that my mother use to make. It formed layers when left to cool on our kitchen table. I think she used plain gelatin and maybe cold leftover coffee. The top layer was almost a clear light coffee color and the bottom layer was a creamy coffee color. It was so good and, I think, inexpensive, as it was during the Depression years. Thanks.”

Send queries or answers to Sandy Oliver, 1061 Main Road, Islesboro 04848. E-mail:

tastebuds@prexar.com.

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Rinktumdiddy

Serves three (or two very hungry people)

2 heaping cups of grated cheese

butter the size of an egg (4 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes, drained, about 1 1/2 [one-half] cups

1 well-beaten egg

salt to taste

paprika to taste

crackers or toast

Put the cheese and butter into the top of a double boiler. Melt them together. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and soda, and whisk together. Add the beaten egg last and whisk until it is fairly smooth, then add the salt and paprika, adjusting the seasonings to your taste.