Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-11-06
Encouraging the Culinary Art

AT a recent IHlI nclu III IsOAic, pCN y ID,
novel feature was introduced in the
shape of cooking contest among the
Young ladies OF that and neighbOring
towns The purpose was to decide which
Of the number could produceth the best din.
ner from given quantity OF meats and
vegetables, and the gastronomic strife was
encouraged by an award OF prizes for the
best and second best dinners, another for
general proficiency, and fourth Tor ex-
ccllence. The test was by taste and ap-
pearance, and the judges, after sampiing
the viands Of each particular miss, gave
to Miss Hottie j. Johnson the first prize,
which was cooking stove; to Miss Octa-
via Shropshire the second prize, another
cooking stove; to Miss Z. j. Shropshire
$40 for general proficiency, and to Miss
Alice Camp, of the mature age of II, $40
for excellence.
This innovation on the usual purpose OF
agricultural fairs cannot but be COM
mended. 1t is well, not only for the
young ladies of Georgia, but the young
men Of that State and posterity, that efforts
for improving the breed of racers, or de-
veloping the most profitable species Of
kline have at last given way to the eneour-
agemcnt Of the culinary art. Certainly
such championship is an immense i'm
provement upon the baby and dog shows
which have become features at some agri-
cultural fairs. There is no subject, next
to the production of his food, in which
man is so much interested as its prepare
ton. The Georgia young ladies have evil
IDENTIFY OWNED this secret, and remember
ing the old aphOrism about the quickest
route to mans heart being ola his stom
ach, are confident of gaining greater
matrimonial prize by means of this ac-
compIishment than without it.
Such contests Of the pot and kettle de-
serve to be encouraged. Music. the polite
languages, pleasing manners and taste in
dress, are accomplishments that need not
and ought not to be discouraged, and
when supplemented by some practical
knowledge Of the ordinary and unpoetical
affairs of life, they shine to much better
effect But music and manners cannot
take the place of sound common sense,
nor will repast of French colloquialisms
answer for good, square meal. Why is
it not as desirable that an accomplished"
young lady have sub stratum Of practi-
cal Information, as that q young man of
wealth, or a professional gentleman, be
indicted into the mysteries of trade.
The kind Of education which most
young ladies of America receive is not
built upon a solid foundation, and right
here is the secret of the trouble which so
many housewives experience in procur-
ing domestic help--it is that they know
little themselves about the science of
housekeeping. II the reader has the Gu
riosity to inquire, he will ascertain that
good housekeepers have LESS annoyance
from their servants than poor. AS rule,
girls know but little about housekeeping
when they first go out to service. If the
mistress be thrifty, economical, tidy, skill
ed in cookery, and .amiable, the novice
will become like her, and vice versa. But
servant that is "broke in" wrong gener-
ally goes wrong throughout her life, as
does, also, lady who attempts TO conduct
the affairs Of house without first having
been educated in the fundamental princi-
Piles thereof A good servant will no
more suit than bad one.. Indeed it is
not upon record that an undomesticated
mistress and good servant remained I'M
der the same roof, bearing those relations
to each other, more than twenty-four
hours. The baggage Of the latter Is gen.
orally hustled out upon the sidewalk even
sooner than that.
II, instead of rivalry in fashion and
dress, the ambitionof young ladies should
be directed toward excellence in the art of
making home. comfortable, there would
be less dependence Upon outside assis.
lance, and there would he fcwer stupid
servant girls" fewer complaining wives,
are Chicago Times. LgA4N29 GH