New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-24

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u who made each year a Christ
81 mas pie Il stood just outside
AZ the door Of The inn al through
UESS Christmas week, and al who
! AI we're hungry and who had but
small chance Of other Christ
49, vere welcome 70 cut and come again.
| ,u.amirhty "Pye," worthy to mark the
| - generous giving to al men, and the
! = i,-tee7er saw 70 it thst there was no
.a,e IN either materials OF proportions.
| -. az book. black-letterei or rough yellow
-. e. Us tina; into It's making went four
- ,t stone q -four, nine pounds q lard,
Il I. ,,--.s q sue; and four e salt. This was
/. =, .,o4a." which vas more than three
:. ,a.. nearly two feet broad and seven
/, Assa.2. Inside this coin of pastry were
,,.-ss 80 legs q veal, weighing not less than
,',,vs pounds; thirty rabbits ard forty
!, ,rr S q pork. When finished, the pie
-se5 ,our;een stone, o. one hundred and
,s;y-s, pounds.
Accustomed as we are 60 legends q the
s,gantaan appetites Of our sturdy and hearty
-r.-es ancestors, this would seem to be
sne0 pie, even for an inn. But bigger than
:. ME was the cordial Christmas spirit Of the
=, vbo was willing TO give Of his best to his
m-er rdrhbors. Certainly, it was a most
-,c,icsl evidence Of goodwill toward men.
Hrb and low alike, they all seemed TO be
r,isl solk. who regarded hospitality-cs-
vcslv a. Christmas time-as both duty and
pivlsre. We read Of feasts at the tables
rea, lords which would make Lucullus seem
-asr atstemous than otherwise, were 1t not
!, ,he hundreds who were welcome to par
axe Of tfe good cheer on the literally grcaning
iri
Only small part Of it were the "pyes,' yet
sg strange and complex examples Of the
and mystery Of cookery, as set forth
nnly by great cooks and greater ladies.
pied exactly the spirit Of the age-child-
81 cxtravagant, lavish, and ever seeking for
,e aew and curious thing.
They were inspirational cooks in those days.
It Old black-letter recipe books, formally
approved by divers Of the Prime Nobility
liom contain anything even approaching TO
1 exact rule, either as TO quantity or method.
ipparently those cooks who prided themselves
a performing in "a Courtly and Grand Man
,a7 achievements which appealed to 1.-The
Highest Taste in Elegant Eating simply col
scted everything in the farmysrd, added every
Ting il he storehouse, and put it all into
Ns' II it happened 10 be a Christmas Pye,
ne vho. world was called upon TO contribute,
from sl,en Samarcand 10 cedar'd Lebanon
me spictd dainties that my lady and her cook
demanded for the honor Of the Christmas feast.
And they were put in with lavish hand. The
clubbing exsctitude Of our modern measures
oar eye ieaspoonsful and fractions Of an ounce,
Measured by scientifically exact measuring
ipoons and graduated cups-was thing as far
rom these daring creators Of culinary bomb
'asIs as our modern way OF entertaining is
ron the oldtime hospitality that extended
Standing invitation 10 the entire neighborhood
and had enough left 70 welcome waits and
s'rays from all corners Of the earth. The
more the merrier-and the same spirit ruled
over the building Of their monumental pies.
Take, for instance, lamb pie. We have now
Aaays something We are bold enough TO call by
ne same name, but what an emaciated and in
l'a shadow Of this lordly dish!