Gravy for Turkey.—­When you put the turkey in to roast, put the neck, heart, liver and gizzard into a stewpan with a pint of water; boil until they become quite tender; take them out of the water, chop the heart and gizzard, mash the liver and throw away the neck; return the chopped heart, gizzard and liver to the liquor in which they were stewed; set it to one side, and when the turkey is done it should be added to the gravy that dripped from the turkey, having first skimmed off the fat from the surface of the dripping-pan; set it all over the fire, boil three minutes and thicken with flour.  It will not need brown flour to color the gravy.  The garnishes for turkey or chicken are fried oysters, thin slices of ham, slices of lemon, fried sausages, or force meat balls, also parsley.

DRESSING OR STUFFING FOR FOWLS.

For an eight or ten pound turkey, cut the brown crust from slices or pieces of stale bread until you have as much as the inside of a pound loaf; put it into a suitable dish and pour tepid water (not warm, for that makes it heavy) over it; let it stand one minute, as it soaks very quickly.  Now take up a handful at a time and squeeze it hard and dry with both hands, placing it, as you go along, in another dish; this process makes it very light.  When all is pressed dry, toss it all up lightly through your fingers; now add pepper, salt—­about a teaspoonful—­also a teaspoonful of powdered summer savory, the same amount of sage, or the green herb minced fine; add half a cup of melted butter, and a beaten egg, or not.  Work thoroughly all together, and it is ready for dressing either fowls, fish or meats.  A little chopped sausage in turkey dressing is considered by some an improvement, when well incorporated with the other ingredients.  For geese and ducks the stuffing may be made the same as for turkey, with the addition of a few slices of onion chopped fine.

OYSTER DRESSING OR STUFFING.

This is made with the same ingredients as the above, with the exception of half a can of oysters drained and slightly chopped and added to the rest.  This is used mostly with boiled turkey and chicken, and the remainder of the can of oysters used to make an oyster sauce to be poured over the turkey when served; served generally in a separate dish, to be dipped out as a person desires.

These recipes were obtained from an old colored cook, who was famous for his fine dressing for fowls, fish and meats, and his advice was, always soak stale bread in cold liquid, either milk or water, when used for stuffings or for puddings, as they were much lighter.  Hot liquid makes them heavy.

BOILED TURKEY.

Prepare as you would for baking or roasting; fill with an oyster stuffing, made as the above.  Tie the legs and wings close to the body, place in salted boiling water with the breast downward; skim it often and boil about two hours, but not till the skin breaks.  Serve with oyster or celery sauce.  Boil a nicely pickled piece of salt pork, and serve at table a thin slice to each plate.  Some prefer bacon or ham instead of pork.