The morning call., 1894-12-22
FOR THE TABLE.

We seem TO have right TO expect clear cold |
weather at Christmas lime, but This steady |
doWnpour, Keeping people al home is damper |
10 the enthusiasm OF the marketmen, who |
nevertheless are bravely scraping counters and
getting everything into a state OF waxen clean
illness In readiness for MONDAYS displav. !
Everywhere are busy hands and cheerful faces, !
punches OF bright berries, and over all the
fragrance OF Christmas greens. Fruit stalls are
glowing aud overlooking with late vegetables
and fruits In astonishing variety, while the
more recent Corners like new potatoes and as
paragus are showing more bravely each day. |
Poulterers' stalls and hooks literally groan be-
meath their burdens of turkeys, chickens ducks
and game OF all sorts.
Conspicuous now is the Christmas goose.
which is much more orthodox fowl for This
season than turkey, and is quite as easily pre-
pared. Remember 10 feel the Windpipe in
selecting goose-it is flexible in young bird.
but becomes rigid with years. The roasts of
beef, if what we see now foreshadows them
Will reach the limits of excellence even for
stabilized meat, and much to be envied is the
man who can compass the purchase of two or
three prime ribs and can serve the same
roasted TO perfection. and accompanied by nut
brown squares of crisp light Yorkshire pud-
ding and perhaps cucumber pickle or a dash
OF tomato catsup. What more worthy pre-
cursor could be wished for the plum pudding
which must form the Christmas dessert, be the
roast what II may.
There are many recipes given for this de.
lightiul article, ana they range In richness from
the comparatively simple pudding which is
made with butter instead of suet and which re-
qulres but two hours cooking to a most elabo-
rate affair which requires almost every known
ingredient and which must boil uninterruptedly
Tor ten hours, ten long hours, in which the
cooks heart is In her mouth lest the water
cool degree and boiling stop or boil away en-
tirely aud ruin the pudding.
For the first named. soften a scant cup OF
butter and cream, with il a cup of brown
sugar; add two eggs well beaten. half cup OF
molasses or syrup, then one cup of milk and
thiee cups of flour in which have been sf ed
one teaspoonful of salt and one OF soda Beat
these well and add to them one cup of stoned
Talsins. Then. having ready two-quart pud-
ding mold, pour the mixture into il and place IL
In kettle deep enough 10 hold 1t, but not SO
large thai the mold can fail over in boiling.
Let the water come nearly half way up the tin
and boil necessarily for two hours This is
very nice light pudding. but it bears only
faint resemblance TO the real article, which is
so rich with its load OF fruit. spices and fragrant
peel that 1t just manages to hold together and
that is all.
THIS is the real English plum pudding, and
English housewives make it In quantities, boil
.
use To make Ii, clear from all fiber and chop
fne two POUNDS of kidney suet. Mix with this
two pounds OF moist brown sugar and one
ounce of salt; then remove the crust from
some lOaves of stale bread and rub the crumbs
through cOlander until you have TWO pounds
Of it, which is used in the place of flour. Be
careful 10 lay in your stock of bread day or
two before Christmas, as there is generally
dearth of the article on that day, and dried
crumbs must not be used, as they will absorb
all the moisture in swelling and ruin the pud-
ding.
Having carefully mixed crumbs, suet. salt and
sugar, add pound and half OF seeded raisins
and the same quantity each of Sulfana raisins
and carefully cleaned currants. Cut six ounces
Of candied orange-peel In fine shreds and add
it. Add also sixteen eggs, well beaten and one
ounce of bitter almonds, we'll pounded. Theu
having stepped one ounce OF nutmeg one of
cinnamon and one of mace in half pint of
brandy or rum add this and the grated rinds
Of TWO Sicily lemons. A pint Of old ale can be
used as well If wished.
Put all these ingredients into deep pan and
mix carefully; then pour the mixture into six
quart bowls aud tie each bowl IN piece OF cot.
ton cloth, letting the folds hang loose ana full
10 allow the puddiugs to swell. The bags
should have been dipped In boiling water and
sprinkled with flour before tying. HaVe ready
a large kettle OF boiling water, lay a plate on
the bottom 10 keep The puddlngs from burning;
set these bowls in carefully. making sure that
the water Is deep enough to cover them COM
pletely and boil as before stated for ten hours
The buildings may be made over night and put
on 10 boil In the morning. ana If no kettle large
enough TO hold six bowls is available Doll what
you can and steam the rest. Be sure 10 keep
the teaketIle full of hot water with which to re-
pIenish the pot.
II more convenient the buildings can be
-,
can be covered with branded paper before set
ting away but the regulation shape is round
and the decoration sprig of holly. 1t must be
sent to The liable alight with rather a poor quail
iIy of brandy as the good article does not burn
freely.
Tie sauce for this pudding should be hot and
strong with wine, but needs no butter, as the
pudding is rich enough in itself. Beat well in
a bowl the yelks Of six eggs and the whites of
four with cup Of fine sugar; set the bowl into
a saucepan Of boiling water over the fire, and
with Dover egg-beater whisk we'll till 1t begins
TO thicken; then add one cup of Madeira or
sherry, still beating rapidly; then take 1t from
the fire and add teaspoonful of lemon juice.
Where wine is not liked gill OF orange
Juice and the grated rlnd OF one orange can be
substituted.
There is still another and quite different sort
of plum pudding which is dear to the memory
OF New Englanders. This is a baked pudding,
which can be prepared days In advance and re-
heated by steaming for an hour or TWO. To
make the pudding, which will fill a Deep gallon
dish. put enc quart OF rolled cracker crumbs in
a bowl and pour uDon it three pints OF warm
milk, cream half cup Of butter with two cups
of sugar, add to them six well-beaten eggs, mix
this well with the soaked crumbs and add TO
them one pound Of stoned raisus, one OF cur
rants and quarter Of pound of ctron, finely
shred, one teaspoonful of salt one ounce each
OF cinnamon, Glove and nutmeg.
Turn this Into deep earthen pan and bake
In a slow oven for seven or eight hours, with
the door of the oven open part of the time.
Suet can be used In place OF butter.
Family Retail Market
Dairy products are unchanged Hams are lower
Game is Oh eaper. Turkeys are hardly as cheap as
they have been, though they are not dear
Strawberries and Raspberrles have been finished
rbab aav ainG