The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-07
MOTHERS "PUNKIN" PIE.
WHAT a WOMAN SAYS IN HER
4. lCONClnSTiC INDIGNATION.
Weary OF the Talk Concerning odd Fash
toned" Cookery. She Sounds the Praises
of the Ms-lcrn Pic-Toofhsomc and Al
together Dclicions.

dinner the other night and there was a casua
reference to Thanksgiving. Something
prompted me 10 say;
How ! u-od 10 look forward 10 Thanks
giving when was boy. IL was ono Of the
events of the year to select and bring in from
the corniiel1 the thanksgiving pumpkin, and
what pies il madcl Somehow | don't get
any punkin pies nowadays such as mother
used 10 mosor
And took n sip Of coffee and laz.ly pulled
at my cigarette without n suspicion Of hav-
iUg turned on TIE consequences, rs 20 were.
An ominorg sort If silence made mc glance,
after q minute. across 81 my wife Fer face
was flushed, and he chol.od a ht.e as sho
began 10 srcak.
TO begin with. john" she said, "dont
say puukln. Tic p should Zee distinctly
sounded, and 800 fhe next pioce do you know
what ha mI1l % 90"
confessed tlat o. pr0grosticatc her NEIL
tai gyratoas was old mc.
AZ INDIGNANT wIrc
well she went on, Ignoring The inicr-
ruptiou, II have % strong mind 10 give you
one Of thcse same puolpidn pies such As your
mother used o. raa4c. Lopc J am superior
q any small J-alousieS cone rning yOur
mothers Virtuls, LIt am Thoroughly weary
about this tai. of old fashioned cookery
Why, Go YOU know, John, TINT / have eaten
fried steak 90 yo,r mothers table and had
baked potatoes served in n covered dish,
What would son say TO have either offered
you now Tho actual fact j. that the cook
ing Of fifteen or twenty years ago is not 70
be compared ia any way with that Of today.
We have advanced in that rs in all the sci
'ences.' Aud sLo shook her fingers out OF her
finger bow with unnecessary vim, and rub
bed them with her napkin more vigorously
than the occupation demanded.
"All tins may he true" allowed jud.ci-
ousy, but cpcrc me- pray you, tn, idol
OF my boyho0d-thc Thanksgiving pumpkin
pie And / sounded the p broadly, hoping
to appease The icoroclastic Indignation had
unwittingly aroused.
j cant. replied Mrs John relentlessy.
IL can't really. and be honest.
Recall for yourself the actual pie Of which
you speak, separated from All Its Surround
ings, and answer no truthfully II l describe
II Alright. 1t was yclowish brown in color
except IL occasional spots, where the bis
tered top had broken uclcr uneven heat: 10
swas very shallow, the filEag barely twice ox-
cccding tic crust 10 thickness when il was
cut, and i,s la'or was strong OF pumpkin,
with various specs moro or less predominant
ing.
"Nou were apt 90 find little pieces Of the /
vegetable IN your laouthful, which had cs- /
capped tie cOolre Eo.ci C.lallcr through +
which u had leea strained and yol wcrc I.
fortunate u t.l UllCr crust was rot 'sog-y,' +
a. III Those good old days it Yves the fashion
60 bake haicEcs' Of pics weekly 10 last
through the following seven days, custom
which did not e1i to the uhclc,oilcacss of '
such pie, as survived the fig. dav. And
this, ny dear, D. tle 'lviihin' ueof your boy.
.hocd.'
My silence aues.cd the truth of this aszeI.
ton.
But what, io went on. "is tho pumpkin
pie Of today. = very different crG iauch
moro ucccssiu. ,.ronoa!c lrclretol is
"a friid SAID o. --s tlo Other day. d consider /
pumpkin lo tae CO. use for aii ilc gooG
things have Be-. -,- st9r,r19m-sucar. cream,
eggs, dash 81 sherry. l.t,c lmol. nacc,
cinnamon, ru;m -.len Iclcat al hbi.
tum, size flashed ..ith laugh.
g.- .-larNS PIE
"fhc modern t" Iu>rol my wiz, 'is a
solitaire, or az m4.t $50 90 p taking. and IS
the under cus. j, lightly baked first, before
tho filing Is lct i1, Tine 'socgy' characteri ~
IS entirely l,.J cu;. You VIII miss. too. The
lumpy element from the properly made me
OF Today We tia.a the pumpkin through
sieve; $50 al'o rs' deep dishes which takes
away ircn tlo slab appearance 81 The deli
cacy. FINALLY, uAca TINS toOthso.nc ard
altogether delicious article of feed Is offered
a. q, s,crt, grated cheese Is served with *, and
II You VIII once moro turn retrospective
eye upon tho past you will discover TIA. the
cheese OF tleiarm harder invariably appeared
al supper, wh lc the pastry dessert cf TIE
monday dinner was unaccompanied by its
natural and wholesome relish.
No, John, sLc continued, rather sadly,
'it IS not the pumpkin pie, pure ard sinDlc,
Of your childhood. which yol fordly recall;
1t IS the pumpkin PIC seasoned with your
boy ish appetite, the pumpkin pie surrounded
by tic accessories OF your dear and familiar
home, the pumpkin pc ia fact, set II TIE
glorious halo Of your youth
You say u Was tie event OF the yer to
bring in the Thanksgiving pumpkin LAM
sure II Wa Yet 1 don't suppose ]. Houd
give you any especial pleasure to 20 clown 10
Ful,on Market tomorrow and Ealf carry, !
half roll, homo one OF those great yellow veg
etabcs
But ont ia tie corrncld back of vorr
fathers house tire cCrnieid whose BOUNDARY
was tie Sparkling. dancing brook. and vGc.c ,
background Wa Tic cvcriastug h.is hathci
IN the lovely haz2 of autumn, out ia that
corniield m the mellow October afternoon. !
every breath inspiring the delicious an .
w.ach hadn't ], such an indcscrbabla mixture l
Of unmcr iangucr and crisp, frosty vim, ard
every nerve tnghns with the unconscious
bus Nivfying essence Of healthy, happy boy
hood that indeed was aa event =
Here amid tsc citys turmoil that grows .
AZ times 50 trosome and mouoto.ous; with +
the responsibilities 2danxiS ieswhich every ,
man Of family feels, and VITA - weight of .,
years beginning, over 50 little 10 press 1 90 :
pot wonder that the happenings Of those care :
FREQ DAYS sand out ia bold relief, but in jus .
-icc, my dear TO the science Of gastonomy :
and 10 ,ho development and progress OF tho Il
lay. tear down from rs haliowcd uicho in $
Sour memory the dun and bilious image OF 81
id fashioned Tuukin' pie."-'M. II. W" IN il