Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-28
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. Good Cookery,
Copyrighted
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.cHRIsTMAs DAY HINTS.


The approaching Christmas dinner |
will be the first served by many an |
American housewife Who may read this
column. To her the meal is looked for
ward to with apprehension IL not with
dread. In the past she has been but a 4
guest or. q dutiful daughter at some
other board. now she Is TO preside over
her own She desires to do all that she can
and all that her mother and friends
have done to make the festival dinner
a great success, In this she probably is
making q mistake and as result will
overload her table, overexert herself,
and perhaps destroy the pleasure of
the occasion for all.
The American woman as rule tries to
do too much, not because she desires to
do SO in all cases. but because too much
is expected of her. She must be wife,
mother. teacher, cook, chambernaid
and hos tess in many cases, and in these
later days is expected to be club wo-
man and whist expert as well. She at
tends dinner given by some more
wealthy person, and goes home to fret
and worry as she plans how she can
equal it. 1t is against this ambition to
Guido others that 1 wish to protest. A
plain dinner served with taste and
graced by "a smiling woman who is not
tagged out and nearly tired to death is
far preferable to an overloaded table
that pals by its congested condition
s and Is not accompanied by q CHEEKY hos
pita1ity. tf.a
Now my young friend, let us build
your Christmas dinner on simple lines,
have bill of fare that you know you
are equal to preparing without too
much fatigue, and let your easy grace
and pleasing smile serve as a sauce. You
should wish to please your guests, not
to stuff them, to satisfy their appetites,
not to overload their stomachs. A good
soup, followed by fish, roast and des-
sert is enough.
With such dinner you may give
plenty of time to a simple decoration of
the table and the preparation of few
dainty salads and side dishes that will
make the meal the equal of banquet.
To elaborate this plan little let me
suggest that 1t is easy to overdo the
decorations and make them almost vul-
gar. A handsome vase with approprl-
ate flowers and few sprays of vine on
the cloth is enough in the flower line,
for your glass and silver ware will COM
plete the setting.
Have the soup good, but not heavy nor
too rich. A rich, thick soup destroys the
appetite, while light soup lays the
foundation for good dinner.
The fish also should be SO cooked as
to be appetizing a second step up the
ladder leading to the feature of the din
ner, the roast. With these two courses
ne hat ttfotr
confidence. Whether you follow with
turkey, goose or the reliable English
Christmas roast of beef and subsequent
plum pudding your nervousness has
gone and your guests are now at HON,
at your table-the bonds of fellowship
are established
To make your dinner doubly attrac
tive secure from the dollhouse grower o
from the market the rarest of greer
stuffs that can be obtained at reasona
BILE price. Celery you will have, o
course, but you should add lettuce, rad
ishes and cucumbers as well. fey
years ago these out-of-season delica
cies could not have been obtained at an,
price, now they are comparatively chea
and obtainable in any first class mar
ket at this time of the year. The fac
that they are out of season adds to thel
desirability for your Christmas spread.
Instead of the conventional chicke
pie to be served as an entree with til
roast suggest sweetbread pie. 1t
just as easily made and will add a nov
city to the meal. Blanch the sweet
breads as for cooking In other ways an
carefully pick them apart, into sma
bits, removing all the membranes. Coo
two tablespoonfuls of -four in one
butter, and add gradually one and one
half cups of cream; season with salt ar
pepper, few grains of cayenne, ha
dozen mushrooms and two Tablespoon
fuls of strained tomato. Put the swee
4. breads and sauce into deep dish, COZ
er with a rich crust, make hole in Il
center and ornament the edges viii
fancy cuts Of paste. Bake half an. hou
Beat one egg, add half cup of h
cream and pour into the opening in Il
crust just before removing from Il
oven.