The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-16
OLD AMERICAN
DISHES RETURN
TO POPULARITY
Served at White House and
Elsewhere in High
Society.

Foods prepared in early Ameri-
can style have found their way to
the White House table and into
fashionable society, for those foods
which suggest so much Of history
are being served even for formal oc-
casions.
A search into history reveals that
meat was as popular a food in
early American days as it is now,
for seldom was a meal served with
out it,
In those pioneer days meat was
not measured in calories and vita
minis, but it had a prominent place
on every table at every meal be-
cause it was food which gave en-
ergy and strength for the strenu-
GUS life of the times.
When there was nosother meat to
be had, the pioneer placed his gun
over his shoulder and sailed forth
to kill what game he could find. AS
this supply Of game decreased, the
| people relied more and more on the
domestic animals for their meat
supply.
On the plantations of the south,
the domestic animals provided the
greater part of the meat, and it
was on these plantations that baked
ham became so famous. Here is a
recipe for preparing ham which
came from an old Charleston
kitchen.
Virginia Ham
The ham is scrubbed thoroughly
and put in tepid water to soak over
night. In the morning, it is put on
to cook in unSeasoned water. This
is poured off after about an hour,
and a second bath is prepared. In
to this go half a handful each of
cloves and peppercornS, one or two
bay-leaveS, an onion, several stalks
of celery and most important Of all
is cup Of vinegar or a quart of
very tart cider and about table
spoon of mustard.
All this is allowed to cook from
four to six hours, according to the
size of the ham. Then it is skinned
and placed in a dripping pan for
dressing. A paste of bread crumbs,
brown sugar, mustard, onion juice
and vinegar or tart cider is gener-
ously spread on, and the whole is
studded with cloves
A cup of cider is poured around |
it and it is allowed to steep in this |
liquor another ten or twelve hours |
before serving.
How to Make
Perhaps many of the younger
generation have scarcely ever heard |
of scrapple, and much less tasted it. |
Scrapple was an all-purpOse dish in
the early days and was served as
often for breakfast as for dinner.
Before starting out to a hard days
work the early pioneers needed food
to give them strength and energy,
so combination of meat and corn
meal was a most welcome dish. Here
is the way scrapple was made:
Take the head, liver and feet Of
a hog and cook them in water I'M
til the flesh drops from the bones,
about two and a half hours. Grind
the meat and season it with red
and black pepper, adding salt to
taste.
Make a cornmeal mush of 1 cup
cornmeal and 3 cups of meat broth
Add the ground meat and mix well.
Cook this meat and cornmeal mix
ture in a pan set in another pan
of water, or double boiler, for half
an hour. If the mixture seems too
stiff, a little more meat broth may
be added. 1t should be stiff enough
too cut when cold. Mold in oblong
pans and set away to cool 1t is
then cut into slices, rolled in flour
and fried.
If you do not want to make
scrapple, you need not do without
this old-time favorite, for in these
days of easy living, scrapple may
be bought ready to fry.