, 1876-04-30

cient. The United States IN this Centennial
year, whatever progress it may have made In
other directions, has no reason to be proud
of the condition Of its cookery:
Our best efforts, as whole peo-
pie, result rather in wholesale waste of
material, deluge Of grease, the promotion
of Indigestion, and the inability to mike
little money go a great ways. In these re-
spects other nations, like England, France,
and Germany, are our superiors. France has
q worldwide reputation for its cookery. Its
finer preparations Of delicate and luxurious
dishes are undoubtedly expensive, much
more so than the average American house.
keeper would feel herself warranted in un-
dertaking, but in the standard dishes. such
as soups, meats, fish, poultry, and game, the
French arc more economical than we, and
not only produce cheaper but more palatable
Dishes The late PIERRE BLOT in his valuable
lectures to American ladies, and SoYER in his
recipes, which he has left as his astronomical
monument, taught this secret, but it was
wasted upon the desert air: few enthusl-
asts may have prodted thereby, but the
great majority Of American housekeepers
go on in the old way of waste, and
grease, and bad cookery. There is one great
and important featurs Of cookery which
these men and others eminent in the cuisine
have taught US, and which the example Of
European nations is constantly teaching us,
which we seem determined to neglect, name
II, the preparation of palatable and healthy
soups. # it we're possible, there ought to be
law passed compelling every American
housekeeper to preface her dinner with soup,
first, because it is healthy, and, second, be-
cent to the expense Of the dinner, because it
can always be made from what is otherwise
wasted.
The importance Of this subject can hardly
be estimated. The connection between
physiology and morals, between the physical
and the moral man, is subtle one. What
ever disturbs mans physical nature is
bound to disturb his moral nature, and moth
ing disturbs his physical nature more quickly
or thoroughly than bad cookery. We have no
doubt that cunning analyzer might often
trace crime back to certain bad dish. We
have no doubt that vice turks between the
covers of mince pie that the seven deadly
sins float in greasy frying~pans that roaring
and devouring passions have been unloosed
by cofee-pots that ignorant kitchen-maids
have broken up the peace Of households
that heavy biscuits, soggy bread, soaked with
saleratus, and steaks burned to crisps have
thwarted the pulpit's work Of grace. Cas-
s1us' question, 's Upon what meat doth this
our CESAR feed that he hath grown SO CREATE"
is true in more ways than one. It is not al
together figure of speech. We have no
doubt that most Of our representative vices
come from our representative cookery. We
have, therefore, great fifth that the commu-
nications of cur housekeepers, which we are
printing from week to week. will work great
good if the American people will give heed to
them. In this Centennial year there is no
more beneficial reform that we can commence
upon than the reform Of our cookery. Let
the American eagle from his mountain eyrie
look down upon steaks, coffee, biscuits, and
bread that are like CEsARs wife, Or what
Mrs. CESAR was expected to be, and there
will be hope for the future.