Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-02-09
oLD.rlme GEORGIA DINNERS.
Mo Reason Why the weil-to-Do Should
Have Grown Thin.

An old-fashioned gentleman, grow
mig eloquent on the subject Of south
ern hospitality. and the viands that
were set before friends and neighbors
when invited to a feast, a reporter
said:
viii you state your recollections
OF what was served on such occasions
ii I write 1t DOWN."
"Of course | will was the reply.
Il can see such a table in my minds
eye right now. First there was SOUP,
of course. II Il was cold weather we
had oyster soup, or perhaps fish. II
It was in the midst of the vegetable
season, we had rich, high colored beef
soup. with plenty Of tomatoes, okra.
grated corn and such like, well-pro
poTtiOned and well seasoned with pep
per and a little onion.
when the soup plates we're taken
off, and after the tureen was set aside
then a fine, home-raised ham took its
place in front of the hostess. can
discern the delicious flavor right now
I'm my recollection. Sometimes the
skin was peeled off and the outside
plentifully sprinkled or busted with
black pepper, and that delicious meat
was good as long as a piece was left
on the bone. For my part, I liked It
best with the skin left on, because the
meat was cured so perfectly that even
the skin was tOOthsome and pre-.
served the juices until the meat was
| consumed.
AT the other end Of the table in
front of the host you would see a fine
roast turkey-if the season was win
| ter or early spring-garnishe with
| parsley or slices of cold boiled eggs.
The dressing was rich, made of bread
crumbs; otherwise a pan was filled
with thick rich batter, plenty Of eggs.
! plenty of butter, daintily seasoned
and cooked until the stuffing was of
| the right consistency, and then the
fowl was packed full, and the little
cakes of the dressing, baked along in
the pan to garnish the sides of the
| great turkey dish If the time was
midsummer. the turkey was replaced
by huge dishes of fried chicken and
baked chicken, sometimes with the
| fowl 'smothered' The chicken menu
was varied If the time was ripe for
| kid meat OF fat mutton, as it happen
ed. Late in the fall a 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 stewed peaches, sweet and
| choice; rice, every grain standing
/ alone; pickles of all kinds, potatoes,
butter, honey, light bread. nice beaten
/ biscuits, and such desserts. Mince
pies, apple and peach pies, the crust
| crisp and flaky; 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
It was made than at first; jellies, pre-
serves, boiled custard and syllabub
that 1t makes my mouth water to re-
| call them in such bountiful profusion.
Gracious plenty was in the kitchen as
| well as in the house, and no chef in
the millionaire's kitchen is as much
gratified as the old-time cook, whose
Handkerchief or turban was as white
as her fresh apron was spotless when
ever her mistress called her name
and introduced her to the ladies who
fingered at the table after the men
folks had gone to the piazza or par
lor fire for an after-dinner smoke. -
Atlanta Journal.