Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-13
rh.uk.giviug in the Cooks Domain.

Thanksgiving In the Cooks Domain.
The provident housewife, especially II
she must rely upon her own efforts, or.
at best, supplement them with those OF
an inefficient servant, prepares, In 80 far
as practicable, her Thanksgiving dinner
in advance of the momentous day itself,
thereby giving herself time and molina
ton to enjoy her guests and join
them in being truly thankful for the
bounteous spread.
To the majority of housewives the
work of planning . properly balanced
meal-that ia, one In which each course
Ia we'll rounded out, both as to the kind
and number of dishes served, each dish
having its complement-is second only
to the actual preparation of the food.
Especially is this responsibility felt when
q holiday or other red-letter day menu
must be evolved.
In the case of the Thanksgiving feast,
however, tradition and custom have
combined to pave the way, by debating,
to q certain degree, what shall comprise
it; yet, at the same time, granting re-
stricted license to the woman who de-
lights in modern innovations. A pleas
ing change along this line would be the
serving of delicious cocktail for the
usual bowl of soup, which, unless it be
unusually light in character, would best
DO omitted in view of the heavy course
to follow it. On the other hand, cock
tail serves to whet the appetite for the
good things to come. Very often house
wives are deferred from introducing
these relishing dainties into their menus
because they may have an idea that the
connecting of them is beyond ken and
skill of the home cook.
That this is erroneous the following
recipe for oyster cocktail proves: Mix
together until we'll blended one table
spoonful each of grated horseradish,
vinegar, tomato catsup and Worcester
shire sauce, two tablespOonfuls of lemon
juice and oue-half teaspoonful each OF
tabasco sauce and salt. Stand on ice an
hour or longer before using. Thorough
" chill two dozen small oysters and ar
range for individual serving in six cock
tail glasses, or, in lieu of these accesso,
ries, in lemon cups made by cutting q
round from one end of medium-sized
lemons and scooping out the pulp. Over
each helping pour tablespoonful of the
sauce mixture. Stand the glasses OF
cups in the centre of small soup dishes,
surround with crushed ice and garnish
with crescents of lemon and sprigs Of
parsley.
That the piece de resistance of the
substantial course of every Thanksgiv.
ing dinner worthy the name should be
the turkey, young and tender, plump and
juicy, within its armor of golden-brown
goes without saying. That it does moi
always possess these palatable attributes
and is everything but the savory dist
the imagination pictures, is either the
fault of the buyer or the cook. Proper
dressing, trusting and cooking will work
wonders, and every housekeeper has bel
true and tried cookbook, that fairly
teens with practical advice and recipes
galore.
To serve turkey without its compile
ment, cranberry jelly, is to rob it of
portion of its value from palatable
standpoint. To add the further virtue
of attractiveness to the eye, the up-to
date housewife serves her cranberry jelly
in tiny individual shapes in a lettuce
cup or with a garnish Of fringed celery
or other green.
Although the housewife has an en-
barrassment of riches in the way of sea
sonable vegetables from which to make
her Thanksgiving selections, she shoulc
not err on theside of providing too grea
variety, which always carries with Il
the suggestion that ones guests have
tasted before coming to the feast. Tit
more simply the vegetables are cooked
the better, too, in order that the appetite
which should be centered upon thu
turkey, will not be cloyed before full
Justice has been done the dish of honor
A very acceptable and suitable trio o.
| vegetables for such an occasion woulc
comprise dish of Irish potatoes tina
have been cooked tender and mealy, thei
whipped light and white, nicely season
ed and heaped high like snow; white
onions cooked dOne-yet retaining theil
original shape-in boiling sailed water
drained and dressed with cream, and ,
dish of stewed tomatoes, corn or linn;
beans.
In view of the heavy course which
precedes and the equally rich one which
follows it, the Thanksgiving salad shoult
be light in character and as attractive a
possible.
Nothing more fully meets both thes
requirements than celery salad arrang
cd for individual serving in a ring o
tomato aspic. To make the aspic, cove
| one half box of gelatine with cold waite
and let stand an hour. Strain the liquo
from a pound can of tomatoes and adj
enough water to make quart. Pu
over the fire and bring to boil; season
to taste with salt, sugar and cayenne
Pour over the gelatine and stir unit
thoroughly dissolved. Invert small
cups in salad saucers; pour the gelatin
mixture around each cup to the depth o
one half inch and stand in cold plac
until it has CONCEALED. Then remove tn
cups and fill the space with NIGEL.
seasoned celery salad.
As to the sweets for the Thanksgiving
feast, custom has decided this question
and courageous, indeed, is the hostes
who ignores the dictum. For novelty
sake, however, the time-honored pump
kin pie may be served in the form o
attractive pellets or tartlets and toppe'
with delicately Drowned meringue
When one is near confectioner, the ice
cream, which now forms one of tn
standard sweets on such an occasion
might be nodded in individual pumpkin
molds with spun sugar stems and leaves
Or, when the cream must be of HON
manufacture, freeze it in the usual man
uer and serve in pumpkin she'll whicl
has been neatly lined with severa
thicknesses OF paraffined paper.
Although, from dietetic standpoint
some variety of cake less pronounced i
flavor and richness should be served wit
ice cream, custom, scorning such
weakness as indigestion, again takes tn
lead. with the result that fruit cake
pound cake and crisp, toothsome cruller
walk hand in hand, so to speak, with pi
and ice cream, forming delectabl
combination that should satisfy tn
palate of the veriest epicure, and leav
| 10 the mouth delicious comminglin
Of flavor that even the small cup Of blacl
coffee, which puts the period to tn
n