WHITE SAUCE

 A thin, medium, or thick white sauce may be made by varying
 the amount of butter and flour, 1 tablespoon of each for thin,
 2  tablespoons of each for medium, 3 tablespoons of each for thick,
 with the other ingredients remaining the same. A medium white
 sauce answers almost every need.

1 (thin), 2 (medium), or 3 (thick) tablespoons butter
1 (thin), 2 (medium), or 3 (thick) tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
sprinkle of paprika

Put the butter in a saucepan and melt it over very low heat.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the butter and flour are
blended smoothly without lumps.
Pour in the milk, a small quantity at a time, and stir
constantly. Again, the objeot is to avoid lumping. 
Keep stirring until the sauce thickeos.
Atter it has thickened, add  1/4 teaspoon of salt,
1/8 teaspoon of pepper. and a dash of paprika.
Allow the sauce to bubble gently for several minutes.
Taste for sufficient seasoning.
For flavoring, you may, if you wish, add 1 or  tablespoons it
sherry or dry vermouth.


For mushroom sauce. add fresh mushrooms that heve been
lightly cooked in butter umtil wilted. Or add a drained can
of mushrooms.
For shrimp sauce, add cooked or canned shrimp (chopped).
For oyster sauce, add canned oysters that have been cooked
3 minutes in the juice from the can.
For clam sauce add a drained can of minced clams.
For egg sauce, add 1 chopped hard-boiled egg.
For olive sauce, add sliced stuffed olives.
For cheese sauce, add 4 tablespoons grated cheese.
For lobster sauce, add cooked or canned lobster.
For crabmeat sauce, add cooked or canned crabmeat.
For pimento sauce, add chopped canned red plinentos.

from "The I never cooked before cookbook"