Snacks and things
Appetizers were rare in early Thanksgiving menus. Often the soup was considered the first course, and anything set out before the meal for guests to enjoy was not included in the actual menu. When they do appear, they often show up as "cocktails": not in the alcoholic sense, but in the same vein as a shrimp cocktail. As the decades progressed, appetizers appeared more often on menus. Sometimes they consisted of nothing more than celery and olives and nuts, moved from their original place at the end of the meal to the beginning. Other times they were more elaborate.
Appetizer Recipes
1882: Fruit Cocktail
- Mixture of grapefruit, oranges, bananas, pineapple, and white grapes
- Sugar or maraschino syrup
- Maraschino cherries or regular cherries, when in season
Select from the fruit list given fruits that are in season or available. Use equal portions of each. Remove all seeds, membranes, and skins. Chill thoroughly, and sweeten with sugar or marashino syrup. Arrange in cocktail glasses: place a cherry on top of each glass. Serve very cold.
- De Graf, Belle. The California Practical Cook Book. Oakland, Cal.: Pacific Press Pub. Co., 1882.
1882: Oyster Cocktail
- Pimentos or green peppers
- 1 cup tomato catsup or tomato sauce
- 1 tsp onion juice
- Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp grated horseradish
- Paprika
- 1 cup small, fresh oysters, drained
Chop the pimentos or green peppers very fine. Add either tomato catsup or tomato sauce. Season with onion juice, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and a dash of paprika. Add in oysters. Serve.
- De Graf, Belle. The California Practical Cook Book. Oakland, Cal.: Pacific Press Pub. Co., 1882.