Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-12-23

Observance oil Til. Annual Festival
Now good digestion wait on appetite.
Ard health On both
No other festival is so universally Cele-
brated throughout Christendom as is
Christmas, and no festival carries with it
quite such Il spirit of ioyousness apart
from its own inherent reasons for joyous
ness. Century after century poetry ard
art have been adding to the associations of
the Christ child's day new and beautiful
conceptions and associations more than
making up for the gradual dropping Oft
of the grosser traditions and delights of
the Christmas of our early English an
cestors, when 1.-THE mightiest ale was
preached and the boar's head grimly
stared as the 'wassail cup" went round.
But If there is less "wassaiG' the an
nual feast known as the Christmas din
ner remains an interesting feature in the
programme Of the days celebration.
There is less novelty in modern Christ
mas fare than in any other yearly feast
except Thanksgiving. The time hon
ored mince pie ranks first as standard
Christmas dessert, although real Eng
fish plum pudding may take its place,
when both are not provided 1t is to the
inators of the fruity mincc pic. The
Saxon kings and mobiles always had a pie
upon their Christmas tables. sometimes
SO large as to fill up the width of the
board These were often used as a
means of presenting surprises in the way
of gifts that were hidden underneath the
crust. To such excess was the mince
pie carried that Cromwell and his fol
lowers looked with horror upon it, and
the Scotch and English Prcsbyterians
adopted instead what they called plum
porridge, and from this plum porridge
was gradually evolved the English plum
pudding, which today stands as the
great rival of the mince pie.
In place of the bO1rs head and stout
sirloin, we long ago adopted that national
bird, the turkey, which in the past few
years has given way in some households
to the goose.
For the housekeepcr it is an agreeable
fact that the preparation for the Christ
mas dinner can be made SO long in adj
vance. The apples for the mince pies,
for instance, many early be selected for
peeling, and the fatted heifer killed for
suet and meat. This relieves the prepa-
rations that under any circumstances will
pile up as the day approaches,
/ A standard receipt for minco pies: Sc
/ lect from the round three pounds of beef
it is best not to have it fat-and boil it
in water enough to cover it. Smoked
| tongue is a valuable ingredient to add
with less of the beef, Chop fine and mix
with it three pounds of suet, four pounds
of apples, four pounds stoned raisins,
| two pounds OF currantS, one pound of
citron, a quarter of a pound each of
lemon and orange peel, the juice of four
oranges and four lemons, four pounds of
coffee sugar, two grated nutmcgs. a tea
spoonful each of ground cloves, allspiee,
cinnamon, mace, pepper and two table
spoontuls OF salt cider enough to moisten.
/ The plum pudding may be made ready
also in advance and await the glorious
day. Here is a receipt which cannot be
bettercd: Stone pound of raisins and
1 pour on them half gill of brandy. Lay
/ on them two ounces of citr0n, and one
each of candied orange and lomon peel
sliced, the grated juice and rind of ono
orange and ono lemon, four ounces of
blanched almonds, pound Of currants,
a pound of suet chopped, Il pound of
coffee sugar, and the interior of bakers
loaf crumbed, mix well with grated nut
meg, little cayenne and Il teaspoonful
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the house descend and IN turn vlgor-
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| luck" Butter the water tight pudding
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