Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-22
Queer Dishes.

From Chambers Journal.
What marvellous variety oftastes. of likes and
dislikes with regard to special forms of food
from cannbalism to current cake, we fine
among people physically constituted alike in
every respect. This person eats his meat burned
to cinder; that viii touch only what is rawly
undone. George H. preferred fish when it was
semi-putrid; his successors weakness was hot
plum bread, crumpled up in quart of cream
Lord Bacon is said to have lived whole weeks
at Intervals on nothing but oranges while the
elder Pitt could not endure the sight of fruit.
and never suffered any to be brought into the
room where he was.
lie seems an extraordinary thing to speak OF
eating skunk, ard that, too, in part of the
world where beef and mutton are infinitely more
plentiful than bread yet. it is a fact that the
Guacbos OF the Banda Oriental are in the habit
OF hunting this creature for the sake of it's flesh:
nor is this incomplehensibie to any one who is
acquainted with the true nature of the skunk
The disgusting liquid which it elects is contained
In gland on the back and constitutes it's
weapon OF defence. Certainly the etfluvium is
the most horrible and enduring that NAV be
conceived. and man and beast will fly from it :
but if it be surprised and killed before it has
time to use this. and the gland be afterward eX-
tfpated with care. the rest of the body is desti-
tute of all offence. Skunk skins are largely
used by furrierS and beautiful skins thew are
and the animal is capable of being dOmesticated.
as 1t never emits the secretion except when in
danger or alarmed. l never ate a skunk. but l
have handled a tame one without any Oliactory
disturbance.
see that timed pepper-pot is now to be OBJ
talned III London. but cannot fancy that it
would be much like the real article Pepper-pot
is favorite relish for breakfast out west and is
eaten with rice like curry; in some of the old
families in Demerara it is made to perfection
An iron crock is flied up daily with scraps of
meat. fish. almost anything, and various spices,
peppers. chiilies and other condiments added.
the essential one being casaripe. a thick. black,
Ireacly fluid extracted from the cassaya root
The crock itself is brought to the breakfast TIA
Die. and the contents served with wooden
spoon; the mixture is black and fibrous in ap-
pearance, and intensely hot to the palate; but
the sine qua non of excellence in pepper-pOt is
That it shall never be allowed to become empty
Inc quantity it holds is immensely dispropor-
tlonate to that required for daily consumption:
nevertheless it is filed up every morning and
kept perpetualy simmering. Rats, for instance
firmly believe, would be not only wholesome
but very nice if properly prepared-not common
sewer rats, but such as l ate. born-fed animals
shared in hop garden. The flesh. though per-
fectly white, was dry and tasteless; but then
they were only skinned. cleaned and submitted
to the fire without any of the etceteras which
make other meats savOry. DR.. Kane. Rear Adj
miral Beaufort, Capt. Inglefeld. and other Arc
tic explorers speak highly Of rats as welcome
addition to their supply Of food in those dreary
ATTITUDES