Evening Star Newspaper, December 22, 1929, Page 93

BON, D. C, DECEMBTR 22 1929, “So you left me for a fog-horn! Well, what are you bumming around here for now? I advise you to make yourself scarce before he gets home. surveyed him with deliberate satisfaction. “You look to me like a common bum. I always knew you'd never get anywhere.” “I guess you were right.” He smiled as he said this. Mrs. Burchall waz irritated by the easy good humor of his tone, by the calm confidence of his eyes. “Why did ycu do it?” she asked. “I don't know. It was a rainy night, and I heard a fog-horn out in the river.” “So you left me for a fog-horn!” “Yes—I knew you'd be all right. Your people had money, and I sent some.” “A lot you sent.” “I guess it wasn't much—but it was all I could scrape together.” “ ELL, wnat are you bumming around here for now? What do you want? More money? Well, you won't get it. Not one nickel. I told Pred Burchall if you ever showed up he was to kick you right cut. And he’d do it, too! I advise you to make yourself scarce before he gets home.” “Don’t worry, I'm going. My ship sails at 6.” “Oh, your ship sails, does it! I'll bet it's a fine ship.” She laughed at the mental picture of any ship on which Roy Whidden could ob- tain employment. “How did you ever find out where I live?” “Oh, 1 kept track of you through the bank. I knew when you got the divorce and got mar- ried again.” “Well, then, why didn’t you leave me alone? What did you come snoopin’ around here for?” “Just curiosity. I wanted to see what the boy looks like.” “Well—you've seen him.” “Yes, I've seen him. That’s all I wanted.” He straightened up and started to move away. “Well—good-by, Em.” RT E. SHERWOOD “Gcod-by, and I hope you enjoy yourself or: that ship of yours.” He was walking away down the street when suddenly she called to him: Roy!” He stopped abiruptly in response to that well remembered summons. “There was something I meant to ask you,” she said with an unusual hesitancy. “What— what was that extra about?” He rubbed his none-too-smo:th chin and thought for an instant. Christinas Dinners Continued from Third Page public as terrapin, théy would be overcome with mortification, but to the gentlemen of Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay country, terra- pin was terrapin, and there was no other way to cook it. TERRAPIN. “Boll the terrapin 45 minutes, or until the hcad will pull off easily. Remove the thin gray skin and under shell, cut out the gall most carefully. Dice the whole remainder and put into a stew pan holding not less than two quarts. ‘ “Add one teaspoonful salt, : “One-half teaspoonful cayenne, “Two tablespconfuls Worcestershire, “Two ounces of port wine, “Two ounces of sherry, “Six ounces cream. “Dredge very well with flour and boil 2 min- utes. Add one-quarter pound of butter and serve as soon as melted.” While we are speaking of the Chesapeake Bay country, many are the eulogies of the can- vasback duck. In the days of which we write “duck was canvasback, sir, the only kind that a gentleman would eat, sir,” and it was not uncommon when there were guests for din- ner to see six, eight or ten of these choicest cf all water fowl on the serving dish, and only the breasts were taken off of each one. It has also often been told that there were probably only about four people in the world who could tell a canvasback from a red head after it was cooked, and one of those for whom in- fallibility was claimed was the famous restau- rauteur, Jimmy Jones of Norfolk, but Jimmy Jones was of relatively recent times, and today when we are lucky enough to get any kind of wild ducks to grace our table, the prodigality of the past is almost unbelievable. From Tide- water Virginia come these instructions for pre- paring wild ducks as they were served in that country. TO ROAST WILD DUCK. “Pick, dress and wash wild duck, being espe- cially careful not to leave them in water, as soaking destroys the flavor. If there is any fishy odor about the ducks rub them lightly with a piece of onion and put three or four raw cran- berries in each duck before cooking it; adjust the wings and legs, and run a skewer through, so as to keep them in place. It is not unusual to stuff wild ducks; just put a few raw cran- berries and a few small onions in them. Rub well with butter and put one tablespoonful of butter in the duck; place in a hot baking pan, pour one gill of boiling water in the bottom of the pan, and stir into the water one tea- spoonful of salt; put in a very hot oven, baste well every five minutes, first with butter melt- ed, and water in the bottom of the pan, aft- erward with the drippings. When done serve with their own gravy poured over them. It is hard to prescribe the exact length of time for cooking wild duck, because of the differ- ence of size and age, as well as for the differ- ence in taste, some persons liking them very rare, while others like them well done.” Many of the Chesapeake Bay huntsmen like their duck cooked only 20 minutes in a very hot oven, but this is not usually cooked enough for the average person. The inseparable dishes that should always be served with wild duck are applesauce and wild rice. If this latter is not obtainable, coarse hominy makes a de- lightful substitute. As a curious commentary on the domestic economy then in vogue, one of the delightful dishes of the “day after” was “duck soup,” held in the same high esteem as “turkey hash.” Agam I draw on my old cook book for this peculiarly piquant and savory soup. DUCK SOUP. “Cut off neat bits, as much as possible, of the meat from the ducks that have been served roasted. Break up all the bones and trim- mings, cut up several onions very fine, and add enough water to cover all well. Let sim- mer gently for three or four hours and, just before ready to serve, take out the bones, sea- son well and add enough sherry or cider to complete the seasoning.” It has often been argued that the wild tur- key should be the American national bird in- stead of the bald eagle, and there is no doubt that in Colonial times the wild turkey was very generally distributed all over this country. It is more than probable the early Puritan “Let's see,” he said. “It was something about . . . mo, that was later. I guess I've forgotten.” “Was it about the world series?” she asked, as though trying desperately hard to prompt him. “The morning papers were full cf it. Was it about that?” He smiled with relief. “Of course—that was it! The Red Sox won.” (Copyright, 1929.) in Old Virginia. Thanksgiving was celebrated over a wild tur- key, and all through the histqry of Colonial Virginia we find constant reference to this grandest of all nature's contributions to man’s food. To have been on a turkey hunt, to have seen the flash and sheen of a great strutting, blue-black gobbler as he calls, and felt the excitement of the luring of this most wary of all game birds, is to have known a sensation that burns itself into the memory as the une forgettable culmination of all hunting experie ences. Turkey hunting still remains an ope portunity for many, but I do not think there have been any improvements on the way of preparing a wild turkey for the table from that recorded many years ago. TO ROAST A WILD TURKEY. “Cut off the head, remove every feather, taking the largest first. When all the feathers are off, wash the fowl carefully and look to see that no feathers have been left on. It is best to pick the fowl dry. After dressing the fowl, prepare a stuffing of bread crumbs and celery. or bread crumbs and chestnuts. Alway; lard the breasts or lay a buttered paper ov them, as the meat of a wild turkey is very dry, Roast carefully before the fire, basting fre- quently with melted butter. Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce.” One generally associates the cranberry of turkey fame with the bogs of New Jersey and Massachusetts, but in reality the tidal swamps of Eastern Virginia were also the natural home of this peculiarly American berry, and from earlier times up to now, the wild cranberries have been gathered locally, and used for make ing cranberry jelly or sauce, for serving as a companion for wild turkey, these two forming an almost inseparable combination for American holiday dinners. CRANBERRY SAUCE. “Put the cranberries, after carefully picking out defective ones, into a kettle with just enough water to prevent burning, and stew until the whole becomes a homogeneous mass, with no semblance of whole berries, stirring all the time, Then add the clarified syrup, which should be previously prepared, and stir a few minutes while boiling. The syrup is made by allowing a quart of water to three pounds of sugar, Allow equal weights of fruit and sugar.” Today the deer hunt is the chance of a ‘lifetime, the turkey hunt a thrill that does not come often, but to most of us who have lived or spent some time in the country, memo= ries flash back oftenest to the call of the “Bob White” in the wheat stubble. This gleaner of fallen grain, this little brown chicken nature lives on, raises her brood and whis at sunset her familiar call. It does not take much prodding of the imagination to picture the Autumn glories of the woods, afire with color, the corn shocks, the straw stacks and the sedge field; and more than all old Don working down the corn rows, and you yourself with your gun following on behind. He stands, you send him on, then a whir, the covey is up, and you fire; and there goes crashing down the most delicious of all nature's chickens, the partridge. It is only when you yourself have ranged the woods and fields behind your dog, with your own gun, and brought in your own birds, that you can know the surging thrill of the hunter when he comes home at the end of the day, tired, but more than repaid by what nature has put in his bag. It is fortue nate for us that partridges continue to thrive, even as civilization advances and there cease to be any backwoods or frontiers. As a table delicacy there is nothing that intrigues the appetite to the same extent that broiled part- ridge does. Those of us who migrate back and forth between the city and the country often have the opportunity of eating this most de=- lightful morsel of nature's providing, but oh! " how often is what should be the most dainty and delicious of all game absolutely spoiled in the cooking. The recipe for cooking which is given here is one that has been passed on from generation to generation, and will go on being the simplest and yet the most satisfactory way of serving quail. TO BROIL PARTRIDGES. ™* “To broil partridges, pick them, singe and wipe nicely with a wet cloth; split down the back, dust with salt and pepper, and rub well with melted butter. Butter a broiler and broil over a bed of clear coals, turning constantly. Allow 7 minutes to each side for broiling; butter twice during the broiling. Serve hot with & little melted butter poured over each bird.” ]