The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-07-10
Kate Field Interviews Mrs Emma
p. Ewing.

In wandering about Glen Echo Chau
tauqua / met Mrs. Emma P. Ewing.
"You are just the person l want to
see" said |.
"Aud you are just the person l want
to see,' said she.
"What delightful unanimity want
you to talk to me about cookery. am
tired of women who are improving what
they call their mind when they know
nothing about the requirements Of their
bodies. On hearing you were coming
to Chautauqua | said to myself, There
will be one sensible course of lectures,
at least Where shall you talk?'
In the amphitheatre, where it's
cool. Let's sit there and drink hot
lemonade, the best drink in the world
for warm weather. People who take
cold drinks nuke great mistake"
| was ready to fall upon Mrs. Ewing's
neck. At last I found woman who
knew the value Of hot water. She had
taken the precaution to bring lemons
and sugar with her; Mr.. Ewing went
in search OF hot water and tumblers.
and soon We were all slipping the best
lemonade 1 ever tasted.
"Thirty years ago. said Mrs.
Ewing, II lived in Washington, and
have not seen it since until now. The
only locality recognize is Pennsylva-
MIA Avenue. I should be astounded,
did We not live in an astounding age
after hearing the photograph, not even
the miraculous evolution of the Capital
surprises me-"
"Never mind the Capital, Mrs
Ewing, / want you to tell me how you
happened to be an expert in cooking"
"I'm ashamed to confess that when
was married I knew no more about
housekeeping than the young ladies Of
to-day. l could write stories and silly
rhymes, and could teach, but the
moment | married l hadn't a practical
leg to stand on
How did you get your practical
legs?"
"My husband was confirmed dys-
peptic. Being country lawyer, he
had ruined his stomach by eating the
awful messes at country hotels, and 1
became appalled, at my ignorance of my
duty. l couldn't make bread or coffee,
or boil a steak"
80 in desperation you experimental
on confding and helpless man? As
be still lives, you evidently didn't kill
him."
"No. He's better than ever before
You SEQ I've learned something by
twenty years experience. In my days
of apprenticeship there were no books
fit to study on this subject. Chemistry
had not been applied to cookery.
Everything was experimental. I found
that some foods agreed with Mr.. Ewing,
others didn't, and the first thing |
learned was how to make the bak ers'
best bread.'
Sim glad you say their best bread,
for most of the bakers bread in this
country is atrocious, an insult to self.
respecting stomach
"I'll tell you why. The art OF bread
making is to bring fermentation to the
perfect point and there arrest it. If
carried beyond that point, the size of
loaf is greatly increased, and nutrition
and quality are deteriorated in the same
proportion. For this bakers are not to
blame. Women insist upon size,
knowing nothing of quality
"There it is-ignorance. 1 see
women constantly putting bread into
the mouths Of their families which is
nothing more or less than slow poison.
Expostulate, and they reply, Bread is
the stall OF liie,' refusing to admit any
difference in KINDS Of bread"
''You can't tell me apyihiog on that
subject. It's dreadful. Chemistry
teaches US that when -four, water and
yeast are mixed and held at a proper
temperature, the dough becomes per-
fec.ly light 10 Eve hours and ready for
the oven. If baked at once, the bread
contains all the nutrition in the wheat
When. however, subjected to ignorant
treatment, it loses eight.tenths of its
quality aud in many cases becomes
actually poison"
Is this the statement you made in
Boston which enraged the Athenian
bakers?''
Eyes, and the fun Of it was that l
merely repeated the words of Professor
Jagr in regard to English bakeries. He