European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Pierre Franey new York times Alf s liver has always been a favorite of mine especially when Quick cooking is essential. Fresh thinly sliced calf s liver Cooks in two minutes and the modes of preparation Are endless. Many traditional recipes Call for acid of some sort in the sauce whether from wine vinegar Lemon juice or dry wine. The acid acts As a foil to the Rich meat and enhances its flavor. When shopping for calf s liver in the supermarket or Butcher shop i always look for meat that is Light Pink with no blemishes. Kosher brands Are the most reliably fresh. Among the classic French preparations Are calf s liver Lyonnaise which involves sauteing slices of liver with onions or a i a Glaise which includes onions Bacon and Lemon juice. The recipe Here is a twist on those calling for a wine vinegar sauce sweetened slightly with shallots. I first season the sliced liver with Salt and Pepper and dredge it in flour. This helps retain moisture when the slices hit the hot saute pan. This is important for there is nothing More unpleasant to my taste than dry liver. A Quick sauce is made by sauteing shallots and garlic in butter then adding vinegar at the last minute. A sprinkling of fresh Parsley or any fresh Herb is All the dish needs. Simple steamed potatoes Are the classic accompaniment to such an assertive entree. I also like to add color and a different flavor to this plate by broiling tomatoes Plum tomatoes in Winter because they have More flavor than most varieties dusted with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Calf s liver with shallots and wine vinegar sauce 4 slices calf s liver about 11/2 pounds Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 4 Tablespoons flour 2 Tablespoons vegetable Oil 4 Tablespoons butter 3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots 1 Teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons finely chopped Parsley. Sprinkle liver with Salt and Pepper. Dredge slices thoroughly on both sides with flour. Shake off excess. Heat Oil in a Large non stick Skillet Over High heat. Add liver slices. Cook about 1 minute or until nicely browned. Turn slices and Cook about a minute longer for rare. Cook longer for medium rare and Well done. Remove liver from Skillet and keep warm. Pour off fat from Skillet and add butter. Add shallots and garlic. Cook Over High heat stirring until butter is hazelnut Brown. Quickly add vinegar and bring to a boil. Pour sauce Over liver. Sprinkle with Parsley and serve. Yield 4 Servings. Pars eyed steamed potatoes 8 Small red new potatoes about % Pound 1 Tablespoon butter 2 Tablespoons finely chopped Parsley Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste. Peel potatoes and place them on the rack of a Steamer Over boiling water. Cover and steam them for 15 minutes or until done. Remove potatoes from rack and place them in a Small Skillet. Add butter Parsley Salt and Pepper. Toss and blend Well. Serve immediately. Yield 4 Servings. Broiled tomatoes 4 Small red Ripe Plum tomatoes 2 Tablespoons fresh bread crumbs 2 Tablespoons grated gruyere or Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 2 Tablespoons Olive or vegetable Oil. Preheat broiler to High. Core tomatoes and slice them in half. In a Small bowl blend the bread crumbs and cheese. Place tomatoes in a baking dish Large enough to hold them in one layer. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper evenly Over the tomatoes along with the bread Crumb and cheese mixture. Dribble Oil Over All. Place tomatoes under broiler for about 5 minutes. Serve with liver and potatoes. Yield 4 Servings. The curious / have a Small pendulum clock that is Battery operated. My problem is that the motor no longer works. This clock was a gift and we would like to have it running again. Do you know where i can buy a new motor John Desalvo Tuckerton . Perhaps one of the following companies can Supply you with the motor you need for your clock for a free 56-Page, Large color Catalon of German clocks kits tools and materials plus weather instruments and music Box components write to Selva Borel German clocks . Box 796, Oakland Calif. 94604. For a free 80-Page color Catalon of clock components Battery Quartz pendulum and chime movements in other words everything for the clock builder write to Lockit . Box 629, Lake Geneva wis. 53147. Reader feedback mice Louise Loyd Columbia to this is in response to the person who wrote to this column about How cruel it is to Poison mice. It s very interesting to note the different feelings toward mice and the disposal of same. Your Reader who wrote about the suffering of chopper by son a Heinze mice obviously lives in town. People who live in the country look upon mice As animals which can carry diseases and can be very destructive. Several mice in a bin full of Corn wheat or soybeans can destroy enough of the product to Cut deeply into profits. Feed which is purchased for cows horses and other animals is very expensive. For years we people who choose to live in the country have tried to keep up with the flow of starving dogs and cats which Are put out on our land by people who either assume that god will somehow provide for them or worse still they just Don t care what happens to the animals. We have pets of our own and cannot afford to feed All stray animals who come to our House. We buy the same High priced pet food As people who live in town. But it s entirely too much for your Reader to say that they use live traps to catch mice and then turn them Loose in a Field. Where in the world does this person think these mice go to the nearest House or barn that s where i would appreciate it very much if town mice were kept in town. I have enough of my own Reader feedback Gassy Beans Marty Portmann Niernberg West Germany in a previous column a Reader wanted to know How to get rid of the Gas while cooking Beans. Rinsing the water does work but in addition my mom taught me to also add about one Teaspoon of ground Ginger per two cups of dried  Mildred Heaton Richmond Iii my Mother Many years ago Learned in her Home economics club that adding an Apple to the cooking Beans got rid of the Gas  Marvin Morrison Richmond West a years ago an old chef gave me a tip that really helps take two medium or three or four Small peeled raw potatoes and Cook with the Beans. When done throw the potatoes away. Potatoes have a drawing effect. In fact an old country cure for boils and infections was using a slice of potato to help draw the infection  have a consumer related question write to Sonja Heinze in care of the stars and stripes Apo 09211, . Forces. Erma Bombeck what do they Call a person who is incapable of throwing away a pair of shoes a Chapnik an Ime Davite a foot slave All i know is that i have saved More soles than Billy Graham. The average woman purportedly owns seven pairs of shoes. Considering there Are whole countries of women who pad around in their Bare feet i have had to really step to bring up the average. There is an entire closet floor stacked with shoes that Are like new. They Are like new because they kill my feet to walk across the room in them. Some raise blisters. Some Cut my Arches in half. Others Are two inches Shorter than my foot. I will never throw them out. I tried that once. Eight years ago after much anguish i threw out a pair of dark Green pumps with five Inch heels. They did t match anything in my closet. The dog had chewed part of the leather off the toe of the left shoe. They were out of style. Pain shot up my leg when i sat in them. Common sense should have told me to hang on to them but i pitched them because i can t believe i said this they Are taking up valuable space in my  two weeks after they were gone i was invited to an affair where All i had to do was to get from the car to the dining room. If i had had those Green shoes i could have taken a pain Pill. They would have been perfect. Needless to say i Learned my lesson. You would think that with the inventory of shoes stashed away in my closet i would have forgotten what i am saving them for. Fool the red Satin pumps that Are too narrow for my feet look great when i Dangle them from my toes. The yellow Reebok match a jumpsuit that through prayer and heavy tithing my daughter May return to me someday. The ugly mesh sandals that weigh two ounces go with me on vacation where i never meet anyone i will see again. The Ballet slippers with the 36-Inch ribbons that crisscross to the Knees Are on hold until i diet to my birth weight. I read somewhere that shoes Are like sexual objects to some women. The moment the shoes go on their feet they Don t wriggle their toes to see if they fit. They head for the Mirror to see How they look. What s Wrona with that y i mention All this Only because the other Day i walked into Rny closet with a new pair of shoes and there was no place for them. I asked my husband do you Wear All of your shoes he pointed to a pair of bedroom slippers a pair of Cordovan dress shoes and a pair of paint spotted loafers. These and the running shoes i m wearing Are All i own " he said. Then he added i suppose i could get rid of these loafers and tossed them in the waste can. He is the bravest Man i have Ever met. C 1989 Erma Bombeck Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday february 22,1989