Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-08

BILL OF FARE.
Monday morning-To prepare soup
\ stock: blanquette OF veal; 10 MAKE
tough steak tender; bIoiled steak, win
Parisienne potatoes; orange omeielte. -,
Monday afternoon at o'clock the bill
of fare will be puff paste, oysters Ia
! roulette. oyster pattles, rissoles Ia
| creme, Jelly twist. Twelve lessons IN
this course; tuition, $40; single lessons,
SO each.
There is nothing specially startling in
the above, and We might add there IS no
loager anything uncommon about such
advertisements. They are now sppear-
ing in ali the newspapers OF the larger
cities as standing advertisements. The
cooking school is gaining a footho.d in
this country, and, il we mistake not, IS
destined to work a great revolution In
the American culinary department,
Some philosopher has said that he
coull reyolutionize the world If allowed
to prescribe its bill OF fare. There is no
individual who has not realized that he
can revolutionize himself by the like
process. A single meal is all that IS
necessary to change his temper and
transform his sunny mood into one oil
cloud and gloom and storm.
We are nation OF good livers, but
we have no cooks. Long abused and
long suffering stomachs, bad digestions
and cloudy tempers are demanding with
considerable emphasis that there shall
be an advance in the field OF culinary
science, and the cooking schools are in
hopeful response to this demand so
sharply outlined in the condition OF
American humanity.
We want cooks. There are none. A
man advertses for cook and gets a
b!undering apprentice. II she attempt
ed to set up in any other occupation
with the same knowledge OF it that she
has Of cooking, she wouldbe discharged
on the evening OF the first day. The
ranye of knowledge OF the average cook
extends to frying a steak till it is hard
and indigestible, baking heavy biscuit
and boiling q cup of coffee till it Is bit
ter. Give a French cook, or any other
real cook, the same abundance and va
riety Of articles which are habitually
brought 10 the kitchen of even the poor
classes OF Americans, and what luxuri'
Gus ieasts could be provided. The
American blunderbus, who calls her
self cook, will waste what would make a
dainty meal in the hands OF the skillful
cook.
Tie trouble is ignorance. Frequent
ly it is innate stupidity. Generally ii
is want Of training, whichit is the pur'
pose aud province OF the cooking
school TO supply. The difficulty of Sc
curing good cooks is an obstacle in the
way OF family comfort that is becom-
ing more formidable every day. Either
the cooking school or some other ageE-
CIV must furnish a remedy. We be-
lieve that every female seminary or in
stitutiOn OF learning where females are
taught, should have cooking school
department attached to it. That is sn
art that every intelligent lady will mas
ter if she has proper pride and ambi-
ton. She may not aspire to enter into
the practical drudgery OF it, but she
can't afford to be ignorant if she aspires
to the position OF head OF a household.
She ought to have 4 chance TO learn.
When the knowledge OF cooking be.
comes the recognized part OF a cultured
lady's requirements, the domestic
economy of households will be greatly
improved.
As long rs cooking remains drudgery
il is useless to expect the reformation
desired; but elevate it into an art, an &C.
complishment in which ideas have a
chance; iufuse into the work some OF
the surplus enthusiasm which now
maniiesls itseifin bad painting and poor
music, and American homes would soon
escape from their present thraldom and
bad service aud come out into the free
dom and sunlight Of good dinners. We
do not expect all our ladies' to turn
cocks, but their own welfare and COM
tort demand that they know how to
cook and that they cultivate standard
OF taste in the culinary art, which they
Ough, to insist should be satisfied by
those who undertake the responsibility
Of supplying the table.