Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-09-09
had Eggs and Things.

A great many people arc unhappy Il they
can't have beefsteak for dinner. or lamens
the failure Of the vegetables this season,
We pity the helplessness Of such poor crea-
lures The earth, the air, the waters
abound in materials for food. Almost any
thing that you can crack is good to eat
Since the refreshing rains, with an iugeni-
GUS friend of ours, we have been gathering
mushrooms He IS a person of exceeding
~ active appetite, and is ever ready to lend
Us his experience in the preparation Of
breakfast. With preiudices sgainst what
we had vulgally associated with the agaric
muscarius or devils snuff boz, and which
we ascertained from our friend was fun
gus putting up from decayed vegetables,
or decomposing animal matter-we have
found the champignon most delightful ar
ticle Of food--a raro and aotable delcacT,
Care only ust be taken in the selection,
the rules for which may be found in Miss
Leslie's familiar Cookery Book. The Aga
ric Campestrie, or common mushroom, Is
found out on the commons. in grassy lanes,
in meadows, &c. Il is cooked with milk,
butter aud crackers seasoned with salt
and pepper. Care is to be taken in the
Distinguishing between the good and the
bed. as we have remarked, as the eating ok
the toad stool has the effect of killing you.
| Among the most difficult articles Of food
to procure now are bread and salt; that
these are not absolutely necessary, is prov
en- by the fact that the Laplanders never
taste either; they substitute animal oil and
exercise
Rats are another wellknown. bat neglec~
ted Ggnrce of commissary supplies. The
Chinese have them in their markets, just
as we have hares and partridgess
| Frogs are said to be Of exquisite flavor,
and are numerous, almost any evening on
Main street. An excellent article, akin to
this, is fried snaits. They are greatly
rslished in Paris, Almost any we'll is full
Of them, (not fried)
The young rook iseaten in England, and
rs we know of no difference between the
rock and tho crow. we do not see why
young crows may not be eaten, or, indeed,
! in war tines old crows.
For consumptive people, snakes arc e1'
cellent: tho receipt for making giper-broth
may be found IN the pharmacop@s.
This month Of August is the season for
Iocusss, and numbers may. be gathered i'll
any yard. Locusts and wild honey it may
be remembered, were the food Of celebra-
ted character, whose example VIC recall to
our Baptist friends.
In China, the common earth worm is al,
ways served at good dinners. They are. We
believe, eaton either cooked or raw. Birds
nests are also greedily devoured, urprom-
ising as they look to the palate. IIeus'
nests would probably answer, though, Of
csurse, less delicate The head CT tho ass
is also greatly fanoi9d by the Chinese as
we'll as ca ) and dogs, (the latter already
known to be numerous here from statistics
already published.
The old Romans stuffed their phoasantg
with assafptida, but this. we take it, is
hard to get now In his feast. in the man
ner Of the ancierts, Dr. SmQllett speaks OF
a very pleasant dessert, which was a sort
Of jelly composed Of mixture Of vinegar.
pickle and honey. boiled to o proper eonsis-
tenee, and candied assafotida, called
among the enoionts Tho loser Syrtpcunr.
and esteemed SO precious as to be sold to
the weight Of silver penny.
The article commonly k4owa as dad
eggs" is eaten With ayijity in Cochin Chi
na, but We have an nnoonquerab.o aversion
to il.
"a word to tho wise is sufficient" wo
merely throw out these hints. Talk about
starving the South Charlottesville Chror-
teIs,