The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-12-29
Old Christmas Fare.

True to their Saxon origin, our Eng
lish ancestors saw IN every holiday an
occasion for feastiDg. Plenty to eat and
to drink was their idea of festival, no
matter how sacred might be its associa-
tions. The fast-days of the English
were few; their feast-days were many.
The best day of all, and the jolliest was
Christmas. They then not only lined
their stomachs with good capon, as did
Shakespeare's justice, but stuffed them
selves with all sorts of rich, nourishing
food and strangely compounded pud.
dings and pies. The week before
Christmas was occupied in filling the
larder with capons, hens, turkeys,
geese, ducks, venisop, beef, mutton,
pork pies, mince pies, buildings, nuts,
plums, sugar and honey, The wine
casks and the ale and the cider barrels
were put on top and the beverages were
mixed that would puzzle a modern bar
tender. An Italian proverb, existing
300 years ago, says, "He has more bust
ness than English ovens at Christmas. 2"
Noblemen and squires kept open
house. All corners were welcomed, and
| the lord and subject were that day put
on level by the grace of hospitality.
| Even titled ladies were so sprinkled by
the days spirit that all the starch was
taken out of their manners though their
ruffies might be as stiff as ever.
The first of the Christmas dishes
| served up at the manor-hOuse dinner
was the boar's head. On a dish of gold
or silver, it was borne into the banquet
ing hall, amid the flourish of the trump
cts and the songs of knights and ladies,
who followed in stately procession.
| Spread around it were rosemary and
bays. An apple or an orange graced its
mouth, and mustard was its sauce.
The fancy cooks in Boston and New
York hatter themselves that they are
artistic and original when they put
roasted ducks and grouse on the table
arrayed in their natural feathers. But
300 years ago Christmas dinners in Eng
land were ornamented with a roasted
peacock, respondent in his feathers, va
riegated tail and gilded beak. Some
times piece of cotton, saturated with
| spirits, was put in its beak and lighted
before the carver began his work on
this "food for lovers and meat for
lords"
| LIZ SSAODIatth pluul- puOlulhS- -Lllc
pride Of an English Christmas-illus-
trates the theory of elevation. At first
1t was plum porridge made from NUT
ton boiled in a broth, thickened with
brown bread, in which half-hoiled rals-
ins, currants, prunes, cloves, mace and
ginger were mixed. The whole was
thoroughly boiled and served with the
meats. From that mess came forth the
glory of the table, an English plum-pud-
| ding.
The well-known mince-pie, whose in
reference with the digestive organs has
given it the name of "devil's pie" is an
! ancient and popular Christmas dish.
! Mince-pies were formerly made of meats
tongues. chickens, egg, sugar, currants,
lemonade, orange peel, with various
spices. The crust was oblong, in the
form of a coffin IN imitation of the man.
ger where the Holy Child was laid. The
ingredients were supposed to refer to
the offerings of the wise men.
Neither the PuIitans nor the Quakers
would eat mince-pi on account of their
association with the observance OF
| Christmas.