The Chanute times., 1912-11-22

place were large ovens in which baK-
ing and roasting were done.
There were no tin utensils in those
old days and brass kettles were
worth SIS piece The utensils were
mostly of iron, wood, pewter or lat
tern ware. Glassware was practically
unknown and bottles were made of
in kitchen and tableware. Wooden
trenchers from which two ate were
used on the table for a century after
the settlement at Plymouth. Wood
was also used for pans and bread
troughs and a host of other things
displaced by tin in the modern kitch-
en-. OF wood were made butter pad
dies, salt cellars, noggins, keelers,
rundlets. and many kinds of drinking
bowls which were known under the
names of mazers, whiskins, piggins,
tankards and kannes, words many or
which have disappeared from use.
The dining table of these old days
was the old Anglo-SaXon board placed
on trestles, and the tablecloth was
known as the board CLOTH" Thus
we have the origin of the time-worn
phrase Gather around the festive
board" And the furnishings of the
board" were simple, inventories OF
that period mentioning only cups
chafing dishes, chargers, threnchers'
salt cellars. knives and spoons. The
table fork was an innovation not yet
in general use; the fingers of the
eater were used to thrust the food
into the mouth. The spoons were OF
wood and pewter mostly. Silver
spoons were rare. There was no
chinaware on the tables of the early
thanksgiving feasts; for no china
ware came over on the Maytower.
That and the lack of glassware ana
silver would make thanksgiving
table of the seventeenth century look
impossible to a housewife of today
Complete the picture by imagining
large trenchers. square blocks of wood
followed out by hand placed arouno
the "board" from each of which two
people dig their food out with their
fingers. and you have an idea of the
manner in which our ancestors cele-
brated Thanksgiving three centuries
ago.
But If the kitchen and table furni'
ture would appear strange to mousse
wife of today some of the dlsnes
served would appear even stranger
How many housekeepers OF today can
cook "suppawn" and "samp' from
corn meal? Or bake manchet, SIM
mels. cracknels. jannacks, cocker
bread, cheat loaves, or "wasef Dreau
The colonists did not take klndly
at first to the pumpkin, which IN the
ME form has become distinctive fea
ture of the modern thanksgiving feast
They called them "pomions" theh
and this is awe-inspiring recipe from
which the colonial housewife maze
"pompion" pie: ,or
"Take a half pound of Pumplon
and slice 1t. a handful of Tyne, ilt
+le Rosemary, Parsley and sweet Mar
ioram slipped off the stalks, then tne
cinnamon. nutmeg and pepper, ana siA
cloves. and beat them. Then NIX
them and beat them together ano pu'
in as much sugar as you see nt' then
frv them like a froiz. After II il
fried let 1t stand until it be cold. IaRs AK
sliced apples, thinne rounde ways any y.
Law a row of the froize and layer o. o.
annles with currents betwixt the iayel
while your pie is fitted, and put IN n
good deal Of sueet butter before yoe
close it. When the pie Is oakeo laAe
six volks of eggs. some white VINE VINE
or Vergis and make caudle OF 'nlS s
but not too thick. Cut up the llu snu
nut it in. Stir them well togelne, :.
whilst the eggs and the pompions O'
not perceived and serve it up
Thus saith the old cook book. an1 I.llS
the modern housewife " who haTa ial,n'pt y,
" follows this recipe can nave a.
least a unique concocton' feaIiIn, III,
and wonderfully made. to grace ne'
thanksgiving table.