Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-12-04
CHRISTMAS CHEER.
Christmas Lore Among Nations
Roast Beef and Plum Pudding.

You're welcome to my table
As long as you're able
TO sit up and eat;
When you can't eat any more
Slip right down on the floor,
For post-prandial snore-
Grace after meat
1t is great mistake to suppose that
the eagle is the bird most dear to the
heart Of Americans. 1t is the turkey,
that delightful fowl, of which one is al
ways tempted to say as some wit did of
its prototype, the goose: "a fool Of a
bird, too much for one and not enough
for two, which is no small measure of
epicurean praise. A Christmas without
turkey in this country would be but a
poor sort of feast. Such a few cooks
realize that the turkey meat has a dis
tinct and succulent flavor of its own, a
rich, sweet, nutty taste that is fragrant
with deliciousness and can no more be
artifcially produced or found in any
thing else than can the flavor Of buck
wheat or chicken pie A rank onion
dressing kills this delicacy of taste. The
Philadelphian will not buy any other
than young female bird dry-picked.
No turkey that has had its feathers
scalded off in tub with dozen others
of his tribe will 60 down with him. In
this way he preserves the golden essence
of the meat without taint A turkey
Of the approved pick, stuffed with a
crumb dressing, stirred with beaten
egg, seasoned with summer sa-
worry, sage and sweet thyme,
and half an onion boiled in milk, and
chopped fine, with plenty of African
pepper and some well-washed butter.
and Drowned to a rich dark color and
well bastcd-well, man wouldn't mind
seeing all his maternal relatives in dreams
the night after such repast
Account Of Christmas pie, taken
from the Newcastle Chronicle, of Janu-
ary 6, 177O:
Monday last was brought from Ho-
wick to Bewick to be shipped to London
for Sir Henry Grey, Bart, a pie, the con-
tent whereof was as follows, viz: Two
bushels Of flour, twenty pounds Of butter,
four geese, two turkeys, two rabbits,
four wild ducks, two woodcocks, six
snipes, four partridges, two meats
tongues, two eurlevs, seven blackbirds
and six pigeons. 1t is supposed very
great curiosity; was made by Mrs Doro-
thy Patterson, housekeeper at Bewick.
1t was nearly nine feet in circumference
at the bottom, weighs about twelve
stone, will take two men to present it to
table, it is neatly fitted with case, and
four small wheels to facilitate its use to
every guest that inclines to partake Of
its contents at the tablen
The Christmas goose is the piece de
resistance of the Christmas dinner in all
comfortable households, but the sirIoin
Of Christmas beef is the most welcome
to the true Briton. the turkey is in
general use, bnt it rates third on the
list. The goose and the beef are historic;
two sirIoins roasted and brought to the
table undivided, constitute baron of
beef. This is a favorite dish at Christ
mas with the English nobility, the cere-
mony of knighthood having been per-
formed over the royal feast by King
Charles H., of whose pleasantly it was
recorded:
"Our Second Charles of fame facete
On loin Of beef did dine;
He held his sword poised DER the meat
Rise up thou famed Sir Loin.'
It is still the custom at Christmas tide
to have baron Of beef enthroned in St.
Georges Hall in Windsor castle, which
is borne thither by lacqueys in scarlet
and gold.
Sir Walter Scott gives the best, as it is
the briefest, description Of the customs
Of the country in Marmion:
Heap on more wood, the wind is chill,
But lei it whistle as it will,
Well keep our Christmas merry still
"'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest tale,
Twas Christmas told the merriest tale
'Then the grim boars head frowned on high,
Crested with bays and rosemary.
''The wassail roun1 in good brown bowls,
Garnished with willows bravely trowls
Then the huge sirloin reeked; hard by
Plum porridge stood and Christmas pie
Nor failed old Scotland to produce
At such high tide her savory goose.
The boar's head had peculiar signi6-
canoe in Scotland, and it was sometimes
borne to the table surrounded by little
banners displaying the colors and the
achievements of the baron at whose
board it was served.
Game pies were also considered a great
delight to the. palate at Christmas feasts,
while venison s'pastie" was always an
accompaniment tothe oxen roasted whole.
English plum pudding is the national
dish of England, and whether, like Brus-
sells lace, it requires home climate to
make it properly, it is certain that Eng
Iish plum pudding does not taste like it
self outside of England. There is a
rumor to the effect that the real bona
fide recipe has never been in print; that
it is an inherited and entailed luxury
handed down from mother to daughter
viva voce, and that it was Of it the
famous maxim was addicted: "The proof
Of the pudding is in the eating an ar
tist-proof, the authority might have
added. The French do not take kindly
to John Bulls table luxuries and will
not eat plum pudding, averring that it is
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