The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-11-22

place were large ovens in which baR.
ing and roasting we're done.
There we're no tin utensils In those
old days and brass kettles we're
worth SIS a piece. The utensila were
mostly OF iron. wood. pewter or lat
tern ware. Glassware was practically
unknown and bottles were made Of
leather. Wood played a great part
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 we're made butter pad
dies, salt cellars. noggins, keelers,
%rundlets, and many kinds OF drinking
bowls which we're known under the
names Of ma2ers, whiskins, pigglns,
tankards and kannes, words many Of
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,
chatting 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 Mayfower.
That and the lack Of glassware and
silver would make a thanksgiving
table Of the seventeenth century look
impossible to q housewife Of today,
Complete the picture by imagining
large trenchers, square blocks of wood
followed out by hand. placed around
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 a house
wife Of today some of the dishes
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, cocket
bread, cheat %loaves, or "wasel' bread?
The colonists did not take kindly
ut first to the pumpkin, which in the
pie form has become a distinctive fea
ture of the modern Thanksgiving feast
They called them "pomions" them
and this is awe-inspiring recipe from
which the colonial housewife mads
'%pompion" pie:
Take a half pound Of Pumpior
md slice It, a handful Of Tyne, a lib
lie Rosemary, Parsley and sweet Mar
Dram slipped off the stalks, then the
cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper, and SIX
cloves, and beat them, Then mlS
hem and beat them together and put
n as much sugar as you see fit; then
ry them like a froiz, After 1t Ia
ried let 1t stand until 1t be cold. Take
,liced apples, thinne rounde ways, and
ay a row of the froize and a layer OF
Ipples with currents betwixt the layer
while your pie Is fitted, and put in a
rood deal Of sueet butter before You
1t. When the pie ia baked take
tx yolks of eggs. some white wine
n yergis and make a caudle OF this,
nut not too thick. Cut UP the lid and
nut 1t in. Stir them we'll together
yhilst the eggs and the pompions DO
OF perceived and serve 1t up"
Thus saith the old cook book, and
modern housewife who faithful.
! follows this recipe can have at
east a unique concoction. fearfully
nd wonderfully made, to grace her
Thanksgiving table. /,
4