The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-24
OLD TIME DINNERS.
The Way the We'll TO DO In the South
Lived Before the War.


Lived Before the War.
An old fashioned gentleman growing
eloquent Oh the subject OF southern
hospitality and the viands that were
set before friends and ncighbors when
invited 10 feast, II reporter said:
"Will YOU state your reco!lcctions OF
what was served on such occasions If
write IL down for you:"
"Of course l WILL" was the reply. Il
can see such table in my minds eye
right now. First. there was soup of
course. If it was cold weather, we had
oyster soup. or perhaps ii3.l. If it WAS
III the midst Of the vegetable season.
we had rich, high colorcd beer Sup.
with plenty of tomatoes. oira, grated
corn and such like. well proportioncd
ana we'll seasoned with pepper AMI Il
little onion.
when the soup plates were taken
Off. and after the turccn was set aside.
then fine home raised ham took its
place in front OF the hostess. can
discern the delicious flavor right NOW
In my recollection. Sometimes ;i,. skin
was peeled Off and the outside plruti-
fully sprinkled or busted With black
pepper. and that delicious meat WAS
good ms long rs Il piece WAS left on the
bone. For my part, liked it best with
ihe skin left on, because the nleai was
cured so perfectly that even the skin
was toOthsomc and preserved the
juices until the meat was consumed.
At the other end OF the table. in
front Of the host, you would see IL fine
roast turkey-if the season was winter
or early spring with pars-
ley and slices OF cold boiled eggs Tho
dressing was rich. made OF bread
crumbs If you had them. otherwise q
pan was filed with thick, rich batter,
plenty OF eggs, plenty of butter, daIn-
tily seasoned. and cooked until the
stuifing OF the right consistency, and
then tie fowl was packed full, and lit
tie cakes Of the dressing baked along
IN the pan, to garnish the sides OF the
great turkey dish. II the time was mid
summer, the turkey was replaced by
huge dishes full Of fried chicken and
baked chicken. sometimes with the
fowl smOthe-ed.' The chicken mcnu
was varied IL the time was ripe for kid
meat or fat mutton. as it happened.
Late IN the fall shoulder Of fat pig or
a whole young pig was seen. roasted to
a turn.
"All along down the table you would
find bowls Of apple sauce. green or
dried; stcwed peaches. sweet and
choice; rice. every grain standing
alone; pickles Of all kinds, potatoes.
butter. honey, light bread, nice beaten
biscuit and such desserts. Mince pies.
apple and peach pies, the crusts crisp
and faky; apple dumplings, rich with
sugar, spice and butter; cakes that
were cakes sure enough, sponge jelly
and pound cake that took an hour to
make and three to cook, fruit cake
that was better six months after 1t was
made than at first, jellies, preserves,
boiled custards and syllnbub that 1t
makes my mouth now water to recall
them in such bountiful profusion. Gra-
cious plenty was in the kitchen rs we'll
as the house, and no chef in million
aires kitchen is as much gratifled as
the old time cook, whose head kerchief
or turban waB as white us her fresh
apron was sp0tless whenever her mis-
tress called her name and introduced
her to the ladies who fingered at the
table after the men folks had gone to
the piazza or the parlOr fire for an att
Hr dinner SI:lOiSe."-Atiunta journal.