Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-06-07
A Boston Cooking School.
Boston Cor. Worcester Spy.

A Boston Cooking School.
Boston Cor. Worcester Spy.
A few days ago I went, for the first
time, to Miss Parloa's cooking school,
and was delighted with it. The school
room is in the upper story of house on
fremont street; it must have been used
formerly by photographer, for part of
the roof and of one side of the large ir-
regular room is of glass. By the use of
curtains over the narrow doors, an
abundance Of plants in pots, hanging
baskets, and blue and white tiles behind
the stove and the sink, the room is made
pretty and picturesque. A large table
stands near the stove, and the rest of
the space is occupied by chairs; seventy
pupils can be accommodated comforta-
bly,, and a much larger number by lit
tie crowding. Miss Parloa has classes,
with four or six ladies in each class,
seven times each week, and three lee
lures each week. For the classes there
is regular course of twenty-four les
sons; but the lectures can be attended
singly, each one being a complete lesson.
| went to lecture without having ask
ed the subject, and so chanced upon
capital specimen of ordinary cooking.
A fllet of veal weighing six pounds
was brought in. just as it comes from
the butchers. Miss Parloa washed it,
made the stuffing, rolled it up and skew
cred it into good shape, larded and bast-
ed it, giving all necessary explanations
as she worked, especially about the lard
ing, the basting and the gravy, saying
how poor and dry veal is unless it is
properly cooked. When the veal was in
the oven Miss Parloa made Italian
cream, German Puffs (Which are some
thing like Sunderland puddings) baked
in muffin pans and served with the beat
en- whites of eggs, and coffee both boiled
and filtered. The lecture lasted three
hours. The cream hardened in the
moulds and was served for the class,
the puffs were also distributed, and the
coffee in small cups. The veal, of
course, was not done, but it was to be
kept till the next day, and used in lee
ture upon croquettes and other nice
dishes made from cold veal. As |
watched her, l thought again what l
have often thought about cook books,
how many things in cooking must be
seen to be understood; the larding of
meat and the whipping of cream cannot
be properly described, but once seen
they are learned forever There were
twenty ladies and two young men pres
ent at the lecture | mention, the small
est number Miss Parloa has ever had; ;
but veal is not considered an important
dish apparently, although a good cook
can work wonders with it. When puff
paste is made, more than one hundred
ladies flock to the lecture, and generally
the lessons on luxuries are far more
popular than those that teach ev-
ery-day home cooking. There is no the
orizing in this work; it is the best kind
of practical teaching Miss Parloa is an
accomplished cook; not only are the re-
suits good, but it is pleasure to see her
work; everything goes right, there is no
spilling or stopping, and no waste. She
is really economical, knowing just where
butter and eggs can be spared and where
they must be used. The school is a
charming novelty, and of immense prac-
tical Importance, and it is all the better
because Miss Parloa is personally so
pleasing, with quiet, winning manners,
and entirely able to attend to her cook
ing and her class at the same time Her
school ought to soon become Normal
School where pupils can graduate as
teachers Of cooking. AS [ remember
Prof. Blot, one needed to know good
deal in order to profit by his lessons, as
one needs to know something in order to
make use Of cookery book, but Miss
Parloa begins at the very beginning;
not one thing is omitted, or taken for
granted and any woman who goes to her
classes and does not learn must be un-
commonly dull. The cooking utensils
used in the school become very popular;
and egg-beaters, whip-churns, and such
things, which Miss Parloa approves, are
especially advertised by the dealers in
kitchen-ware. A new bread-kneader is
Just perfected by the Stanyan Company.
| don't know neither it is in the market
or not. Man. bread-kneaders have been
made and failed, because the machinery
got out of order, and the wheels and
cogs were so hard to clean The Stan
yam mixer is simple, and makes the
bread light and even. Selling these
things is no part of Miss Parloas plan,
and she has no profit from them, but
her pupils often ask her about the new
things they haye heard of, and in an
swer to their questions she showed ex-
cellent bread made with the "Stanyan
mixer and kneader.' v