The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-05-09
On Carving.

The subject of carving is so old, and
has been treated so often by those who
rack their brains to devise some means
of filing up the household columns of
the family newspapers, that it is like at
tempting to find slice of white meat
on turkey three days after Thanks
giving dinner. to try and discover any
thing that will be new or of interest to
those who, from their proud position, at
the head of the family table, are fire.
quently called upon to WELD the knife
and fork in u manner at once graceful
and effective. The subject is also one
that concerns many individuals; young
men are constantly entering that state
of double-trouble where it behooves
them to know a "drum- stick from a
opinion" single men at boarding
houses are often, by the absence of the
landlady, compelled to dispense justice
and tough meat to their fellow sufferers,
and it is to these we dedicate the few
hints upon carving, which may be of
much assistance to them.
To carve gracefully and without any
modification to yourself the best plan
is to cultivate an intimacy with the
cook Of your wife or the lattor's hus-
band is not JEALOUSY and when you have
become sufficiently acquainted, ask her
to let you practice on the fowls that
are to be served for dinner while they
are in the kitchen. You can then man
gle them to your hearts satisfaction,
and if the guests manifest any surprise
at the condition in which they are
served, remark that they were killed
with nitro glycerine, or have been run
over by the cars, will be sufficient ex-
plation.
If your wife or the cook insists that
the turkey, goose or whatever it may be
shall be placed upon the table whole,
you must sharpen your knife, procure
two or three extra handkerchiefs to re-
move the perspiration that will accum-
ulate on your brow, place your trust in
Providence or Newport and buckle in.
No matter if you have razor edge on
your carver, always touch it up on the
steel before commencing and while SO
doing get off some joke to the lady near
est your right hand this will make the
guests think you are an old turkey
slasher, and are perfectly at home in
such work Make graceful stab with
the fork (Which should be in the left
hand, unless you are "righ-handed," ,")
and pin the fowl to the plate, at the
same time give muflled war whoop to
call attention to yourself, while with
the right hand you cut off the outer
joint of the wing. After cutting off the
wing look and see if the head and feet
are off, if not they should be amputated
at once. To show your dexterity, change
hands and balance yourself on your
stomach across the back of your chair,
while you shave the white meat from
the breast. If you wish to make sure
thing on the fowl, it would be well to
have a hand-saw, hatchet, draw-shave
and cleaver lying near your chair, where
you can use them to chop away the
tougher portions of the bird. If you
cannot obtain sufficient purchase on
the fowl to keep it steady you can put
one foot on the same while you cut off
the drumstick, the second joint, and
haggle off sufficient dark meat to go
around.
After you have pretty well cleaned
out one side of the fowl, change ends
with it by throwing it in the air with
the fork, and catching it as it falls. This
will make q sensation among your
guests, especially those who, not know
ing your skill, failed to provide them
selves with oil-cloth suits. 1t also allays
their hunger for few moments and
gives you chance to recover your wind.
Take off the other wing and leg in the
same manner you did the first, only
swing your knife and fork more careless
ly as you gain confidence in yourself.
After taking out the dressing and stack
ing it upon the floor where you can
reach it without trouble, employ your
self by picking out all the little tit
bits" and extra pieces of white meat
that everybody likes, and concealing
them on the lee side of soup
tureen where you can eat them yourself
after you get through carving. When
the fowl has been decimated sufficiently,
begin attending to the guests, always
giving the toughest portions to those
with poor teeth or none at all. Ask
everybody which they prefer, dark or
white meat, and give them the opposite
color from that called for. A little
study of these simple rules will render
any man capable of carving anything,
and in "a style not excelled by an Es-
quimaux or "Heathen Chinee."