The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-24
FOR THE TABLE.

Ai0auH Tue doors OF restaurants are hung
win garlands OF feathers and fur; but this Is
% no.hihe 10 what next weeks Offering will be.
ana there are few families whose tables Will
not be graced on Thursday next with bird of
sumo sort, accompanied by the time-nonored
mince pie.
Ahere are as many grades Of mince pies as
mere are makers of them, and each has its own
peculiar feature, which makes IL better than all
Tue rest. But, after all. they are simple
varieties grated upon the original stock, which
must have been compounded Of its ingredients
in the following proportions: Four pounds Of
lean beef, weighed after boiling, then chopped
Inc; TWO pounds of kidney spet chopped TO a
meal, and this Is most easily accomplished by
pulling II into small pieces and removing all The
hoer, then ehoppng a small quantity at a time
put meat and suet into pan, add 10 them a
tablespoonful of salt and four pounds of tart,
juicy apples (Rhode Island Greetings il posi-
slole), weighed after being peeled and cored and
chopped not TOO fiue.
Next add four pounds OF raisins from which
the seeds have been removed; loose Muscatels
are very good Tor this purpose, and they are
much cheaper than those which come IN
lunches and are quite as good. They can be
had for from 10 cents pound and are so
large that four pounds can be easily seeded in
an afternoon. The easiest way 10 seed them is
10 put couple OF handfuls In bowl and pour
boiling water over them, then with small
sharp knife cut them in half and remove the
seeds. which Will slip. out easily. Some cooks
chop the raisins, but that has tendency TO
make the mlncemeat pasty, and il is we'll to
leave at least portion untouched.
After adding the raisins, add four pounds of
currants, which We been carefully washed
ano dried and picked over. The currants
which sell for cents a pound are cutie as
good. after they have been freed from cObbleS
and from adheTing fragments OF the Asiatic
seashore, as the more expensive ones are. To
clean them, put few in the cOander and set II
In pan of warm water, rub The CUrrants well
between the hands. drain, ard wash again in
ccld water I'LL clean, then spread them upon
shallow pans 10 dry, rub Them again between
the folds OF crash towel lay them upon the
breadboard and examine them carefully a few
al time, 10 lie sure no stone nor stick is left
with tie currants, rub them again between The
hands TO diSlodge the stems, ana add then
10 the mmcemeat; add also four pounds OF
brown sugar and half n pound OF citron. cut in
fine shGedS but not chopped, the Juice and
grated rlnd Of two oranges, one pint of mo.
lasses ana one pint each of sherry and brandy,
IN which four grated nutmegs, one tablespoon
ful of cinnamon, one half tdblt spoonful of
cloves and an equal quantity Of mace have
been standing for twenty-f0ur hours; this Will
insure an equal distribution of the spices. Then
make tie mincemeat moist with cider or with
part cider and part liquor from The sweet pickle
jar.
THIS is the kind Of mince pie which Is CON-
monty made with a not 100 rich crust, and can
be eaten IN rather large quantities, and is very
good cold and eaten in conjunction with Il
glass OF ice-cold milk.
For richer mincemeat take twice the guam
thy OF suet given above. ana omit the cider
vinegar and molasses, substituting sherry and
brandy ID their place and adding more citron
or candied orange and lemon peels to taste.
Many people add the juice OF an orange 10 eacn
pie just before baking, and use a crust made
from pun paste.
This mincemeat keeps longer than the plain
est Kind, as California cider is not always to be
depended upon; il is as well 10 cook the mince-
meat for few minutes, taking care that it does
not burn, before putting away in small Jars.
Perhaps squash or pumpkin pie is quite as
essential feature 10 The Thanksgiving dinner
as the minee pie: pumpkins. howtyer, are apt
10 be disappointing. watery and fibrous; but a
good squash does not leave much to be de-
sired. The green Hubbard squash is usally
recommended, but there IS a small yellow Vari-
ETY. which makes excellent pies.
This can be steamed or baked whole in A
moderate oven, then opened, the seeds and CEN
Ter removed and the pulp passed through
cOlander. Upon one quart of this pulp pour
one pint OF hot cream and one pint of hot milk,
then stir IN one cup and half OF light brown
sugar and half a teasDoOnfu each of salt
mace, cinnamon and uimeg; let ii cool and
add nine eggs, beaten lightly and separatelv.
This VIII make three or four pies, which, OF
course, are 10 baked with lower crust only.
Line the deep plates with a generous GUAM
tity OF crust, letting II come we'll up on the
edges; I'LL with the squash miXtu re and bake In
moderate oven. II II is too cool the paste
VIII slip softly back into the squash crater and
small persistent stream will ooZe down one
side Of the pie upon The oven floor and some
times will issue in milky lIickl through the
stove door and 20 on 10 the kitchen. If too hot
he squash will boil and crack when cool but
If just right. like the little be1r pOrridge in
The tale of Silver Hair" Il viii be shapely.
brown and golden, and so good that we viii
bless the man who invented it.
There Is one other dessert which New Eng
landers usually indulge IN upon THANKSGIVING
day. That is the cracker pudding made with
BOs ION crackers. Not The crisp crackers made
by Bent, but tie large rather dry ones, which
are not much esteemed as an unmXed article
OF diet III Sc are spllt open and laid I'm milk
for an hour or so that they may absorb all they
VIII, then | Id IN an eaTthen dish IN alternate
layers with raisIns and powdered cinnamon
and covered with a custaTd made by adding
10 quart OF milk three or four eggs and sugar
TO taste. This pudding Is to be baked slowly
that the custard may not boil out until the pud-
ding Is a delicate brown. Then serve with a
cold sauce Favored with wine. This Is as good
cold as hot.