Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-12-05

Your Christmas Dinner.
WHAT TO EAT AND HOW TO COOK 1T.
IA great many persons have something
In eat at Christmas who DOM have it all
the year round. Among this class may be
named preachers, country editors, inmates
Of public institutions. por relations and
others. Next to having something to eat
is to know how to prepare it, and the wrl-
ter. not certain where he is going to be in
vited to, has hunted up the valuable re-
cipes given below in order to be sure that
the cooking will be good. Somewhat on
the principle of the man who always Car
ried box of matches in case some one
should ask him to have cigar. Inc re-
cipes are from the best authorities ana
are to be relied on. Aft
ROAST TURKEY, l.
After picking and smuggling the turkey,
plump it by plunging quickly three times
into boiling water and then three times
into cold, holding it by the legs; place to
drain, and dress. Prepare stutfing by TAX
ing pieces of dry bread and crust mot too
brown cut off loaf of bread fully three
or four days old (but not mouldy); place
crust and pieces in a pan and pour on
very little boiling water. cover tightly
with a cloth, let stand until soft, add a
large lump of butter. pepper. salt, one or
two fresh eggs, and the bread from which
the crust was cut, so as not to have it TOO
moist. Mix well with the hands and sea-
son to suit taste; rub inside of turkey with
pepper and salt, stuff and sew up each slit
with strong thread; tie the legs down
firmly, and press the wings closely to the
sides, securing them with cord tied
around the body Tor use skewers if at
handy, steam from one to three hours Tor
until easily pierced with fork), accord
ing to the size, then place turkey in pan
with water from dripping-pan, in which
the turkey was steamed; lard the turkey,
or place on the breast the pieces Of fat TAX
en- from it before it was stuffed, sprinkle
with salt and pepper, ,lredge well with
-four; if not sufficient water in the pan,
keep adding boiling water and haste often,
as the excellence of the turkey depends
much on this. Cook until nice brown
and perfectly tender; remove to hot plat
ter and serve with cranberry sauce and
glblet gravy. To make the gravy, after
the turkey is dished, place the dripping
pan on the top of range Or stove, skim off
most of the fat, and add water if necessa-
ry; chop the heart, gizzard and liver (pre--
viously boiled for two hours in two quarts
of waterl, and add to the gravy with the
water in which they were boiled, season
with salt and pepper, add smooth thick
enlns of flour and water. stir constantly
until thoroughly mixed with the gravy.
and boil until. the flour is well cooked.
Some in making stufing fry out the fat
of the turkey at a low temperature, and
uss instead of butter; others use the fat
of sweet picked pork chopped fine mot
tried out), and small quantity of butter,
or none at all.
ROAST TURKEY, 2.
Clean the turkey, rub the inside with an
onion, or rinse it thoroughly with pint
of water, in which a teaspoonful of soda
has been dissolved, then wash with clear,
cold water; crush the point of the breast
bone with a rolling-pin; this gives the
fowl a fine, round appearance. Truss 1t
as you would chicken; stuff it With
bread crumbs, seasoned with pepi er, salt,
any sweet herb, and two or three ounces of
butter; lay it in the dripping pan. spot it
with lard or drippings, put three gills of
water in the pan, and haste very often.
When the breast is brown protect it with
a piece of paper. Boil the giblets, chop
them tine, and add them to the gravy,
which may be made in the dripping pan
when the turkey has been taken out. If
there is too much fat. pour it off before
putting in the giblets, and if too little
gravy add water. Thicker and season to
TASTE Pour some of it around the tur-
key and serve the rest in boat. Fried
sausage or thin slices OF ham, fried crisp,
may be curled and laid around the
turkey. Stewed cranberries or stewed
apples should be served with it.
And here is such good recipe that we
give it for sssa 4.. I.as.
BOILED TURKEY,
Follow the above directions for clea ofnp
and trusting; substitute oysters, chopped
celery, or celery seed, fos the swees herb
in the dressing. Wrap the turkey in a
towel; put it in kettle Of boiling water.
and boil steadily but slowly until it il
cooked, which will be from two to three
hours, unless the turkey is very lalee.
Serve with celery or oyster sauce accord
ing to the stufing. ~
! MINCE MEAT.
One pound of suet chopped fine: one
pound of beef chopped Fl ne; one pound of
raisins. stoned; one pound of currants:
half pound of citron cut small and thin:
two pounds Of sour apples chopped fine:
two quarts of sweet meat and Iucho pickle
syrup; one pint Of thin boiled cider; CHINA
mon, cloves and nutmeg to the taste. Mig
well together; it not sufficiently sweet add
brown sugar. Keep in a cold place in n
closely covered stone jar. The mince
meat is baked in paste-lined plates with an
upper crust. Many bake large number
Of pies. and keep them for weeks, heating
Ihem as they are required but it is better
TO keep the meat in stone crock, and
bake no more than will be- wanted for two
Or three days. They are eaten warm.
'.- 'rMINeE PIN, q e-a~
One pound Of fresh beet tongue chopped
Ane; one pound and half OF suet chopped
hne; three pounds of sour apples chopped
Ane; three pounds of stoned raisins; ono
pound and half Of currants; half a pound
Of citren; two pounds of light brown sugar,
the juice and grated rind of one oranpes.