VARIETIES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1035, 19 October 1877, Page 3

VARIETIES.

It was a Dutchman who said that a pig had no marks on his ears except a short t dl.

It was a Scotchwoman who said that the butcher of her town only killed half a beast at a time.

It was a British magistrate who, being told by a vagabond that he was not married, responded, “That’s a good thing for your wife,”

It was a Portuguese Mayor who enumerated among the marks by wh eh the body of a dr iwned man might be identified when found -“ a marked im ediment o' speech.” It was an American lecturer who solemnly sai 1 one evening, “Parents, you may have children : or, if not, your daughters may have.”

But i “pass,” said a minister one Sunday, in dismissing one theme of his subject to take up another. “ Then I make it spades !” yelled a man from the gallery, who was dreaming the happy hoars away in an imaginary game of euchre. It is needless to say that he went on the next deal, being assisted by one of the deacons with a full hand of clubs.

A Turkish Dikxkk. Our dinner at A Pasha’s was presided over by his sister in-law, Bcsme Hanum, an elderlywoman, very 7 amiable and attentive to her guests. lam placed beside her, my friend, the eldest daughter of the family, a niece, a young bride, the elder wife, and a Turkish visitor, complete the circle. Zeheira Khanum keeps order among the children at a second dinner-table which had been set up within a short distance. There is no table-cloth, but everything is neatly arranged upon the polished metal. Before each guest is a piece of ordinary bread—a flap of unleavened dough slightly baked and looking like mottled leather—and two spoons, one of them in a box or horn, and the other, more delicate, in tortoiseshell, the handle ornamented with coral and inlaid mother-of-pearl. Sometimes these spoons have a little crooked branch of coral at the tip to avert the evil eye. Each person is provided with a small ring-shapel cake called ~ semitt,” some|pi ces of which are always taken before the Ramazon dinner, as well as a small quantity of condiments, such as caviar, olives, salted or dried mu'ton, che se or pickle. At the table which lam describing, those “hors d’oeuvre” were spread ab ir. in abundance, surrounding a handsome silver stand, Inldmg envied cups filled with excellent lemonade, of which each guest partook ; and then, the stand being removed, a -tout ncgress deposited in its place with an air of triumph a large tureen tilled with delicate white soup The spoons are raised in expectation; it is Bcsme Hanum who resolutely tucks up her right sleeve above the elbow, and, as mistress of the ceremonies, is the first to dip into the tureen, murmuring the customary invitation “ houyouroun,” at which all the spoons join company ; and after a few minutes of silence well emp'oyed the soup is borne away 7 , to make room for a turkey stuffed with rice, currants, fir nuts, and spices. \ ery little is taken from each di-h, as their number and variety are infinite, but each one is tasted, and little excursions are made between while amongst the saucers —a pinch of salad fom one, a preserved fruit from a other, then a morsel torn as delicately as possible from the centre dish of fowl, taking in passing a dip iuto the curdled milk or a flavor of pickle or red pepper ; then back agam to the noddle of the tabic, which exhibits probably by this time a mound <f luscious pastry 7 . V "etablcs form an important pa>t of the Turkish culinary system : yon may frequently count a dozen varieties at the same time, besides many herbs and plants, of which we have no knowledge on our Western tables. They use, a coming to ihe seas m, marshmall.>w leaves, cucumbers, wine leaves, cabbage, or even the half open bud of the your.i° or melon, to f rm the “dolmas” stuffed with rice and chopped nvat, which never fail to make thei' 7 appea ance at every 7 repast. In serving the dinner it is consider, d i he right thing to alternate the sweet and 'ho savoury ; thus our turkey is b Bowed by “baclawa,” a rich pastrv composed of flour, hivter, and pounded almonds soaked in honey; after this the “tcheurek” puff paste filled with cheese and herbs ; a d'sh of fried fi h yi Ids the place of honor to the knv kka i if,’‘or thin pan akes interlard, d wth lumps of clotted cream; and to this again succeeds a mould of artichokes dressed -in oil.