Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-26
THE DINNER PAIL.
Familiar Talk Concerning 1t in An
swer to an Enquirer.
BY MARION HARLAND.
'eader of this department writes I:

"A TeaueE Oh JulS department. WIILes'
81 know nothing about cooking, but in
reading your Household Department
was inspired to ask if you could not help
me in matter important at least to me.
81 am one of the many who take their
luncheon with them to their work, aud L
trust you will do me the favor to publish
in your column some hints as to how it
should be prepared.
MY MONDAY feast varies from abso-
lutely nothing to articles | cannot eat, so
that as night approached | am either in
terrible rage or state OF exhaustion.
'lf you can help me please do 1T, L
shall be grateful. Yours truly,
While sitting on the piazza of a house
in a New England town two or three years
ago, a mrthful caprice moved me to count
what the young people about me named
the pail brigade" few minutes after
O'Clock the pleasant street was the thor
Oughfare to the upper suburbs TO many OF
the operatives in large downtown fac
| tory. Out of $50 of these, 140 carried TIN
| dinner pals, seven baskets and three we're
empty~handed. The question then sug
gested aud discussed as to the superior
convenience of the close, airless pail over
the basket for the conveyance of cold
| luncheon recurs to me on reading the
| letter given above.
| What is known as the ''picnic basket
| is heavy and costly. Otherwise, the neat
! service Of plate and china slowed away
! in sockets made fast to sides and top,
| would soon drive the unsightly tin vessel
| from the field. A stout willow basket of
| convenient size, with straight sides and
! a well-titting cover, can be made as COM
| modIous by the exercise of little temin-
| inc ingenuity. Let inch-W de strips OF
thick linen, doubled and stitched at the
edges. be tackled in loops on the inside,
| with white flax thread that Will be scarce
| ly visible on the exterior. In these keep
| knives, forks, spoons, pepper and salt
| cruets and napkins. Lay folded napkin
| in the bottom, another over all when the
provisions are packed in the interior; tie
! the top in place with a bright ribbon or
| braid, and you have what, while it is really
pannier (trom the Latin DdRiS, bread },
might be a pretty hamper of fruit or flow
ers, such as an Opulent householder would
| be willing to carry to nelghbor. DR..
| Hollands celebrated essay on "Ihe Little
TIN Pail' may do much to modify the es-
sential cOmmonness of the utensil to those
| who have read it. But il is not false pride
that makes man unwilling TO proclaim
to the street-car and sidewalk public: 81
am taking my dinner with me to- my shop
or factory" The editor does not care to
wear his pen behind his ear abroad, nor
the clergyman his gown and bands. Good
]
of general resort.
The actual drawbacks of the ''litte tin
paiP' outweigh the aesthetic objections.
| Fresh bread becomes sOdden, pastry
heavy and the most strongly Favored edi-
Bile wins the day to the extent of sleeping
all the contents OF the vessel IN its own
OdOr by dinner-tjme. To this is super
added The smell and tasJe Of the unventi-
lated chamber, large or small, Ill which
provisions are kept.
Before Offering recipes for some Of the
scores of dainty lunches, neither eXpen-
siye nor difficult of preparation, with
which the mOnOtOny OF the midday meal
may be varied, let me enter plea for the
stomach of tired man whose appetite
has been dulled by mechanical, indoor
toll. He needs more cunning caterer
than does he whom fresh air and the ira
GRANGE of growing things provide with
| sauce for his daily saieratuS biscuit and
fat salt pork. You cannot tempt the ar
tizan with the revelation OF hot roast, fri
casee and warm vegetables as he opens
| pail or hamper. but neither need you give
| him every day slices of cold meat, packed
| between bread and butter "hunKs." with
pickles and pie as after courses. Keep
| on hand tissue paper in which to wrap
| his sandwiches; save up candy and Christ
mas boxes for cake; buy tanciful (and
! cheap TASKS and cruets for condiments.
See Jnat he has clean napkin daily-nOt
a cere-cloth in which the dead smell of
yesterdays lunch is EMBODIED. In hot
weather tell him to buy ice at noon for
the bottle OF sugared tea or OF cafe az lat
you have put in cold, lest the warmth
| should melt butter and soften meat.
THE SANDWICH FAMILY is most useful
| and popular when the business Of the hour
is the preparation of a portable lunch.
The general directions for sandwich man
ufacture are the same i'll all cases. But
ter the end of the loaf smoothly, slice thin
with keen knife and pare off the crust.
| Cut in tTiangles or in long, narrow strips,
or give the full size of the Loaf slice, as
you like. Lay the filling thickly on the
buttered side of one piece, and press the
| fellow, buttered side inward, gently upon
1t. Make all of uniform shape and di-
mansions, that you may pile them into a
| neat parcel.
HAM SANDWICHEs.-Chop the meat,
lean and tat, fine, season with pepper,
and if agreeable. very little mustard.
| Toe yoiks Of two or three hard boiled eggs,
minced and worked in with the meat make
pleasant change.
CHEESE AND EGG SANDWICHES
the cheese, and TO each cupful add the
yOlks of three bard-bOiled eggs, minced
fine; rub TO a paste with teaspoOntul OF
| butter, season to taste with salt and pep
per and spread between buttered bread
or crackers. These are nice made OF gra-
| ham bread.
SARDINE SANDWICHES.-Was the oil
! from a dozen sardInes, wipe item dry,
take out the backbones and scrape with
knife and fork to a paste; season with
pepper and lemon juice, and lay between
buttered slices of bread.
BACON AND MUTTON SANDWICHES
| Fry slices OF breakfast bacon in their own
tat and let them get cold; slice cold NUT
ton, lamb or veal thin, pepper lightly and
lay on buttered slice OF bread: on the
meat one or two bits of bacon, and cover
with the fellow slice Of bread and butter.
| Proceed thus until all the materials are
! used up.
CRACKER AND ANCHOVY SANDWICHES
-TAese are rather an "appetizer" than
substantial food, Toast split Boston
crackers or whole 'snowflakes" lightly
butter while not, and when cool spread
| with anchOvy paste, put together, OF
! course, with the butter and paste inside.
DEVILED EGGs.-BoIl six eggs hard
and throw them into cold water. Divide
into halves, cut crosswise, take out the
yolks and rub to a paste with generous
teaspoonful of butter. Season with pep
per, salt and II suspicion of mustard.
! Ntntd inf halls tina giZp and ehaua n tho