The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-06
ideas for dMomen

Says the chef In a big restaurant
apropos OF the Thanksgiving bird: sThe
best carver on earth can't carve neatly
unless the bird is properly arranged. TO
begin with, no man wants to stand to
carve a fowl or anything else. His seat
should be a trihe higher than the others,
and If he is SHORT why ascareful hostess
viii consider that point. The fowl
should lie with his head toward the ear
yer, TheSearyer does not flourish the
slender carving knife as if it were a wea-
pom of war.
1.-The first move he makes should be on
he legs. These should be lifted one at
a time and with the knife two cuts made
to form a circle about the second joint OF
the leg. Cut only through the skin, and
then the leg should tear off easily, leav-
ing the meat light and f1aky at the end.
After the legs are taken off the fork is
plunged into the breast as near the een-
tire of the breastbone as is possible
need not be removed if the correct place
is found until the turkey is practically cut
IN. The white meat on the breast
should be the second portion attacked IN
the carving act. The meat should pc cut
in the thinnest, fakiest of slices, so that
while they will not break to pieces, they
will still be tempting in their daintiness.
So
.sWhere do the wings come in for at
te~ntion?"
The expert looked puzzled for a second,
then had to laugh as he answered: why,
here we never serve turkeys with wings
ON them. The wings are off before the
turkeys are cooked with mashed chest
nuts than roasted"
~"Supposing the turkey has a DISPOSE
tion to skate around on the platter or ny
into the lap of the lady sitting beside
you?"
The expert chuckled in a dignihed way,
as if he might have seen turkeys behave
in just that manner, but he didn't like to
tell about it.
"Oh. a man has to get over being ner-
vousi If he's calm and understands
how to handle the turkey no well-breo
bird will make any disturbance
is that all?'
mo. certainly not. After the breast
is cleaned it is the caryer's duty to carve
the legs"
.eCarve the legst Indeed, and What about
drumsticks? Can't he help any one to a
whole drunstick?"
mot at all. He must slice close to the
bone of the leg up to the first joint ana
turn the angle and strip the bone of the
second joint in the same way. This sup
plies plenty of dark meat"
rs that all a man should doT'
THAT'S all most need to do, The small
parts aren't generally needed in a family
serving. If a man wants to snow
that he really understands the art OF
carving, he win turn the fowl over ana
get the two choicest, finest bits OF meat
on the entire turkey. Right on top OF the
back. one on each side of the spine, are
two dopressions not bigger than a silver
dollar either of them, but in those Two
hollows is the finest grain"
Before the portions are served a cross
should be cut where the stuHing was
put into the fowl. 1t is common to cut
only one way, but by making the cross
cut the stufing can be served neatly.
A good carver will not allow any DTS
to fall around the platter, and, in fact
there shouldn't be any crumbs
Are there ladies who carver
Yes. there are a number of ladies OF
another generation who are more skill
full with the knife than men are. 1t
used to be the style for ladies to frequent
ly care at their own table
.sWell, can't you invent some plan cal
culated to insure a turkeys staying on
the platter?"
And the expert simply shook his head
mournfully and confessed practice was
the only thing able to achieve that re-
sui.
Because we cannot nave the Yule log
49, -z.-A 10 rboi1 NO raf3ISp
the cheer of anthracite coal and baked
turkey?' asks Florence Hull Winterburn,
writing on the spirit of Christmas in
tho December .woman's Home Com
p~anion., sOr If even the open fire, the
mistletoe and the family gathering are
beyond US. must we disdain the home
making attempts of the steam radiator,
and find no comfor in the dainty elabor-
ateness of a Widespread table, catering
to the needs of a refined modern taste?
Suppose the misanthrope fer the re-
cluse who lives only in an imaginary
Christmas is a naisanthrope) came out of
his shell and gathered the young people
about him to charm their ears with tales
of the old days of holiday-aeeping when
he was a boy Would not this be better
than grumbling out protests against the
new ways that have their own reasons. for
being, and offer in turn their own meas
ure of enjoyment to willing spirits?
Genial old age is always a welcome pres
ence, and it never suggests any contrasts
that put US out of conceit with the pleas
ures that lie within our reach. But carp
ing, even if it proceeds from the patriarch,
is an infection severe enough to blight
any holiday
IN the nature of things there must be
holidays. How poverty-stricken is that
soul which does not recognize this neees-
sity and throw itself heartily into the
work of helping forward the good time
youth and ali unspoiled minds accept with
gratitude. There is no predeterminate set
of conditions for holiday-making that
need tie adventurous hands, and if ira
ditional customs belonging to Thanks
giving and Christmas are vanished be-
yond recall, we can harmonize the day
with our present abilities.
My sympathy is with those who wish
to bring back upon Christmas day the
sweet old traditional -observances. I love
them well, even those that are known to
me only by hearsay and were outgrown
in that shadowy period alluded to as be-
fore the war But no one thing is indis-
pensable to happiness with any Of us, UNI
less with children. and not even with them
w - ~ @x,~-