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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1923)
THANKSGIVING “Some hae meat that canna eat, But tve hae meal, and we can eat, ha* no.' meat, but want it; And sae the Lord be thankit. —Burns. Food Thoughts for Thanksgiving By VERBA E. WILLIAMS Household Arts Department, Omaha Central High School EDITOR'S NOTE—The Thanksgiving dinner is in the nature of a tradi tional feast, and this is as it should be. It is icell that u'e should have one purely American festival when we gather in family reunion and, eating the dishes beloved by our forebears, recall the memories of their sacrifices and efforts. HANKSGIVING day is very dear to the hearts of all Americans. This is a day when our minds are filled with childhood impressions and early training. When we think of Thanksgiving we really like to be old-fashioned for a day at least, and we somehow want our Thanksgiving dinner to be an old-time one. Thanksgiving is a day to be celebrated with the true harvest home spirit, a day of real thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. Our Pilgrim fathers rested and feasted for one whole week. They exercised and enjoyed various recreations. They entertained the Indians for three days. The food was prepared in large quantities. The ocean gave them oysters, fish and clams. They feasted on wild turkey, geese, duck and venison. Hardships With Compensations They had cornbread, johnny cake and barley bread. Rye, oats, beans and peas were plentiful. The little farm plots had grown all sorts of roots and herbs, besides parsnips, carrots and turnips, for their winter's supply’. Onions, melons, cucumbers, radishes, beets, skirets, coleworts and cabbages were all added to their winter’s provisions. Many of these vegetables were used at this week-long festival. Wild grapes were plucked in large quantities and were “very sweet and strong” at this time. Apples sputtered in a row. The cider mug was in common use at this festal board. Wines were used in mince meat, much pastry, such as pudding sauces, cakes and spiced fruit. New England Thanksgiving Dinner If one’s ancestors were New Englanders, then a New England Thanksgiving feast is wanted in Novem ber. The housewife will probably plan oyster soup or escalloped oysters; if not oysters, then fish, clams, lobsters or scallops will find a place in the menu. Roast turkey appeals to the Yankees and is often garnished with sausage cakes and Italian chestnuts. It is said that Priscilla Mullen had no chestnuts, that she used beechnuts in her turkey dressing. Sweet potatoes baked or candied are usually a fa vorite New England dish. Spiced fruit may be peaches, pears, cherries or apples, but spiced fruit it must be in some form or other to give a relish to the meat course. Then come jellies and jams—goose berry jelly has been a favorite one, but any spread may be used that happens to be in the fruit cabinet. Cauliflower with Hollandaise sauce is in good taste and suggests the Pilgrim influence from Hol land. Creamed onions, baked squash, diced turnips or turnip cups are all used for a second vegetable dish. Succotash sounds too familiar to be forgotten by a New England woman. Cranberry sauce, jelly or conserve should be served with turkey or meat. Favored Yankee Desserts Ginger ice cream is a Yankee dish and is a happy dessert for the Thanksgiving<feaat. Hot apple pie with Neufchatel cheese or individual pumpkins pies are al«o a necessary part. A Thanksgiving pudding of some sort, perhaps a Puritan pudding or some other delicious steamed fruit pudding, with fruit, nuts, cider cup or black coffee complete the New England Thanksgiving menu. Thanksgiving in the South The woman raised under southern influence will probably plnn Virginia roast ham with cider sauce. She knows just what to add to bring out its delicious flavor—onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, cloves, pep per corns, paprika and cider are used in just the cor rect amounts. It may be that her mind runs to a crown roast of pork instead of ham; if so, you have a treat coming in a browned roast topped with button onions and garnished with potato and baked apples. (Continued on Opposite Pflge.l The Thanksgiving Dinner of Yesterday __ F ONE had lived in Priscilla Mullen’s day, the Thanksgiving dinner would have been in process of preparation many days previous to Thanksgiving. In October, 1621, Gov. Bradford ordered a three days’ feast and celebration. This celebra tion is said to commemorate the first Thanksgiving feast. Chief Massasoit and other Indian friends were invited to attend these holidays. The Indian guests brought an offering of five deer, wild turkeys, geese, ducks, water fowl; various kinds of fish and vegetables. Combread and barley loaves formed a large part of the Thanksgiving menu. The Colonial Thanksgiving usually ended with a state dinner that contained some f of the following dishes: , MENU I » Clam Chowder Pickles Roast Turkey Brown Gravy Spareribs (Pork) Spiced Peaches Baked Sweet Potatoes Boiled Onions Mashed Turnips Cucumber Cups Boston Brown Bread New England Thanksgiving Pudding Mousselaine Sauce Hot Mince and Apple Pie Assorted Nuts Stuffed Dates Black Coffee t ( -* ■ i \