The record-union., 1892-12-17

The Honored TurI1ey-An Expert
HouseSeeper's Reliable Recipes for
Making Numerous Dainty and De-
licious Christmas Dishes.
The dinner is, of course, one of the
most important events of Christmas Day.
In the joyous looking forward to the
fruits of the Christmas-tree and the spoils
of the Christmas stocking, the dinner
may for time sink into comparative in
significance. But it will not remain there.
1t does not take long to strip the tree and
empty the stockings, and then the eager
mind looks around restlessly for some
thing else to anticipate. And that some
thing it finds in the dinner.
Luckily for the less important members
of the household, the housekeeper has
not waited until then to take the dinner
into consideration. Upon her has de-
VOlved the responsibility, in the midst of
the whirl of keeping every ones secrets
and recollecting every ones presents, of
preparing a bill OF fare that will do honor
to the day.
A calm content fills her soul as she
thinks ofthe mince pie, pudding and
the Christmas fruit cake upon which she
has expended head and hand work. The
feast she has designed Will he culinary
triumph that will add fresh glorles to her
fame as housekeeper.
DINNER FROM , TO 3.
1t is not well to have the Christmas din
ner too early in the day On that morn
ing the breakfast is not usually an early
meal, and The entire family have done
more or less munching of fruit, nuts and
candies all the forenoon. IL is wise to
postpone the dinner hour to or O'Clock
and thus give everyone an opportunity
Tor little exercise that will bring up the
appetite to the point requisite to the iull
enjoyment OF the meal. An evening din
ner Is hardly TO be commended on aC-
count Of the little folk. who, on this day,
at least, should be permitted to dine with
their elders.
Make of your Christmas dinner a ra-
Their stately affair. Serve it in course and
let the best OF everything adorn the board.
The finest linen, the choicest silver, the
prettiest china and glass should be aired
on this day, If ever. Flowers should
brighten the table, boutonnieres and b0u-
qHetS de c0rSGge should be mixed with
/ holly, and spray OF mistletoe should
hang from the chandelier.
ARRANGING THE TABLE.
The service Of the dinner need not be
elaborate. A low bowl of flowers may
stand in the middle Of the table, dish Of
fruit on one side. one of nuts and raiSins
on the other. Here and there may be set
little ornamental dishes of candles, OF
olives, of sailed peanuts, of radishes. The
anberry jelly and pickles, etc, may also
find their place there, and this, with the
array of plates, knives, forks, etc., will
probably leave no room for the vege-
tables. These may stand on the side
table and be passed. But the turkey
must have his post of honor at one end Of
the table.
A word about the small silver and cut
lery. A great deal of trouble is caused by
putting most Of it on the table when it is
first set. To the right ofthe plate lie a large
knife for the meat and a small one for the
cheese that accompanies the salad. To
the left are two forks, one for each of
these courses. At right angles to these
is the soup spoon. BY the forks lies the
napkin, with q piece of bread folded in it,
The meat and vegetables are all removed,
of course, before the salad, cheese and
crackers are brought in. Tea plates are
large enough to serve these on. After
this course the table may be cleared Of
everything but the sweets and fruit, the
crums brushed Off and fresh plates,
knives and forks passed before the pies
and buildings are brought in and placed
at opposite ends of the table. When they
have been discussed, fruit-plates, finger
bowls and fruit are brought and
coffee is served.
AN ELEGANT FEAST.
Here is a suggestion of a menu for
Christmas dinner:
Raw Oysters.
Clear Soup.
Fried Smells with Butter Sauce
Chicken Pates.
Roast Turkey with Oyster Stuffing.
Rice Croquettes. Sweet Potatoes.
Green Corn Pudding.
Cranberry Jelly.
Celery Salad. Sailed Almonds
Pumpkin Pie. Mince Pie.
Plum Pudding.
Ice Cream.
Christmas Cake.
Coffee. Fruit.
AN INEXPENSIVE MENU.
For those who cannot afford the time to
prepare or the money to purchase so
elaborate feast as this, it is a simple
matter to modify the bill of fare to the
following:
oyster Soup.
Roast Turkey. Chicken Pie.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. Boiled Rice.
Cranberry Jelly.
Mince Pie or Plum Pudding.
Fruit, Nuts, and Raisins. Coffee.
The chicken pie and the roast turkey
each end of the table.
Persons who desire a more elaborate
feast may add to the first menu a sorbet
and game, and introduce one ortwo more
entrees.
SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD.
of course there must be some planning
ahead for this dinner. Mince-n meat must
have been compounded at least a week
earlier, that it may have properly
ripened. The clear soup, the pastry, the
pies, the plum pudding may all have
been prepared the day before, and the
Christmas cake, like the mince-meat,
will be all the better If it is made several
days before it is needed.
MANY PALATABLE DISHES.
Recipes for a number of the dishes
mentioned in the menus are subjoined.
PASTRY FOR PATEs AND PIES.
Two pounds sifted flour.
One and one-half pounds butter
Ice water enough to make a stiff paste.
Have bowl, chopping- knife, butter and
flour well chilled before beginning work.
Chop the butter into the hour, and when
the bits of butter are the size of peas.
pour in the ice-water, mix it with the
chOpping- knife into a rough paste, and
turn it out on the board together with auy
scraps of butter that have not been
worked in. Roll it out quickly, into a
sheet about half an inch thick. Flour
lightly, fold it in three, turn the rough
edges toward you and roll out again. Re-
peat this process three times. handling
the pastry just as little as possible. Set