Evening star., 1954-11-21

~ II
custom has become part Of our
American heritage.
We still eat turkey, but to-
day we order our turkey over
the telephone or pick it out OF
the refrigerated cases at the
nearest supermarket. Not so
our ancestors. They sent scouts
out to the forests to bring back
wild game, most of which we're
wild "turkies." The Pilgrim
women also had huge launches
Of venison browning on slowly
turning spits. the gift Of ninety
friendly Indians who came to
share the feast. Roasting wild
geese and duck scented the air
from smaller fires: Holsters and
oysters sizzled over the open
Goals. and In great iron kettles
that came oyer on the May
flower simmered clam chowder
and venison stew.
'Crone-berries'
Although no specific mem
ton Is made Of cranberry
sauce at that feast. "Curiosi-
ties Of Popular Customs" by
William s. Walsh, published
in 1909 by ]. B. Lippincott Co..
records "the thrifty house
wives took the matter In hand
and made all the goodies pos
sible from their somewhat
limited supply Of material"
With the nearby bogs red with
a sour berry called crane
berries" (because they resem-
bled the neck Of a crane). it.
wouldn't be at all surprising
If they had some sort OF cram
berry sauce to serve along
with the meats. Nowadays,
Of course, we just reach for
a can of cranberry sauce on
our cupboard shelves, turn
the can opener, and !. there
it is.
'Pompions' and Spice
It's safe to assume pump
kin pie was also an important
part of that feast albeit
with considerable variations
of the one that comes out of
the modern oven. Contrary
to general opinion, pumpkin
pie is not altogether an Amer
ican dish. Edible gourdS,
similar to the variety raised
by the Indians, we're culti-
waited throughout Great Brit
ian and Continental Europe.
In England they were called
"pompions" and baked whole
after the seeds were removed
and the cavity stuffed with
apples.
The Indians grew pump
kins in abundance and when
other crops failed, the Pill
grims used pumpkin often
more out of necessity than
preference. The red men
taught the women to grind the
pumpkins into -four Of which
they made the crust. which
was cooked and sMeetened with
maple sugar or honey. The
one thing they didn't have
were spices. Until sea trade
was established with the West
Indies and the Orient. cooks
of the Colonial era were lin
= tied in their use Of spices.
So- their pumpkin pies
lacked the fragrant aroma of
those we make. today. Accord
ing to one writer, a we'll
seasoned pumpkin pie was a
luxury In the new land as late
as 1890.
Turkey in Foil
Last THANKSGIVING time, q
new method of cooking the
traditional bird was introduced
to American homemakers.
Instead OF the usual low tenn
perature of 800 degrees. the
new revolutionary method
called for a very high tenn
perature with the bird encased
in aluminium foil. The method
met with enthusiastic ap-
proval. Women declared never
again would they spend a half
day or more roasting a turkey.
Mrs. Robert Barclaytof Gar
rett Park, the mother Of four
small children. is one modern
homemaker who follows this
time-saving method. For the
benefit Of others those who
have never tried this method
or those who have lost the
directions printed q year ago
we're repeating the time
chart.
Prepare turkey or chicken