The Washington times., 1936-11-26

while year, we cooking editor
wishes to thank Times readers. 1t
has been gratifying to see the in
terest taken in our Favorite Re
cipe Contests.
The task of discovering new
culinary treats and planning
menus that might tighten the
task for busy housewives has been
abundantly repaid in the letters
of appreciation to this depart
ment. We are grateful to you.
We hope that this day brings as
much happiness to you as it has
to us.
AS you enjoy this day we
thought you might find interesting
some stories on the holiday that
is so linked with American ira
dition.
HOW 1T STARTED
Exactly 328 times has this
country sat down to Thanks
giving feast if the original cele-
bration in 1907 at the Popham
Colony is to be included in reck-
oning. The Pilgrims had their
first feast IA years later. In the
New England States, for 314 years,
families have sat down to bounti-
full tables creaking with delicious
food.
And if you have been fortunate
in having turkey for your feast
meal today, you are only having
what those Pilgrim families en-
joyed 314 years ago.
It seems that wild turkeys we're
plentiful over the country at that
time. And it was really no feat
at all to bag a couple of turkeys
for the occasion. This bird with
the bright plumage that fell so
easily with the shots from the first
New England blunderbuss gained
from these Pilgrims marksmen an
exotic name which has stuck for
three centuries. It's build and
bright plumage suggested to them
the sultans and Shahs.
That there might also have been
complications on the feast day is
shown by the recordings of the
Rev. Lawrence Conant at DanverS,
Mass, in 1714. 1t seems at the
feast of the town council there
was both bear and venison, but,
"After We blessings was craved
by Mr.. Garrich of Wrentham,
word came that We buck was shot
ON We Lords day by PequOt, an
Indian who came to Mr.. Epes
with a lye in his mouth like
Ananias of old.
"Ye council therefore refused
to eat ye venisOn, but it was after
wards decided that PequOt should
receive 40 stripes save one, for
lying and prOfaning We Lords day,
restore Mr.. EpOS We cost of ye
deer, and consider this a just
and righteous sentence on We sin
full heathen and that blessing
had been craved on We meat, ye
council all partOOk of it, but MIR.
SHEPPARD whose conscious was
tender on We point of ye veniSOn."
Such a thoughtful solution and
the dinner was enjoyed by all, l
am sure, except Pequot who prob
ably wasn't asked anyway. His
tory doesn't explain this point.
The appreciation of how much
it meant to these early pioneers
to have enough food can only be
shown by the privations they suf-
fered in founding our country.
What a contrast to our modern
style of living.
HAPPY MEMORIES
When the English arrived at
jamestown in 1907, they brought
with them no livestock and only
a limited supply of grain. They
reached the point where a small
can of soaked barley was days
ration for five men. With the
future Thanksgivings came an
abundance of wild fowl. Such re
joicing as there must have been,
and reminiscing on the old days.
For many the memories OF
Thanksgiving dates back to a time
when feasting preparation took
days. The pumpkin had to be cut
and scooped out for the pies.
Black walnuts and hickory nuts
were cracked on the flat iron with
the hammer. Arguing over the
wishbone and getting forbidden
samples of frosting from the cake
that was iced and on hand just in
case there might be company IN
the afternoon. Happy, pleasant
DAYS they must have been.
AS you enjoy the memories OF
such days and, perhaps, the COM
panionship of your family and
friends, here are some very hght
refreshments that you can serVe'
MAPLE CREAM FROSTED
Zone Serving)
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Gingerale
put the maple syrup in the bot
tom of a chilled glass. ADD the
cream. Blend. Fill With tne
gingerale and mix until trothy.
Serve at once.
CINNAMON COCOA
(Six Servings)
4 tablespoons of cocoa
4 tablespoons of sugar
"a teaspoon Of salt
cup of water
3 cups of milk
Cinnamon
BLEND the Sllpar. cocoa and