The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-02-28

pork.
Good Results from the COoking.Scllo0l
System.
Time was, says lady well acquain-
ted with the subject, when the attend
ance at the cooking-school was fash
ionable fad, and the knowledge gained
there was believed by serious-minded
women of the old school Of housewives
to be superficial and impractical. Why
should girl go to her lectures upon
bread or soup making, when she
might "by doing" learn the same
things in her own kitchen? And
what is the use of learning to cook by
weight and measure after new and un-
tri d receipts, when the famous and
well-proved cookbook OF our grand
mother and mothers furnished us with
any number Of directions as exact,as
the following one for cakes give
or six eggs, a cupof butter, a cup Of
milk, cup and a half Of sugar,
enough -four to make batter of pro-
per consistency, couple Of handfuls
of raisins, spice and wine to taste.
No hint of the way Of putting the in
gradients together, nor Of the size Of
the cup or spoon to be used in
dealing out butter, milk and -four. A
pinch of this, dash Of that, and
judgments" the latter to be used
most plentifully, were the instructions
most often gwen the novice.
Probably the good old cooks, who
seem to us to have followed haphaz-
zard method, were much more exact
than they believed themselves to be !;
and had begun by following the re-
ceipts closely and carefully until, by
long practice and Gf they would but
own it) much painful experience, they
had become independent Of the written
formula. 1t was partly to save women
the more costly lesson learned by bad
methods that the cooking lessons were
introduced, as in many homes mothers
are either too busy to teach their
daughters what they themselves
know, or are too much under the rule
of servants to use their kitchens as
their own domain. Other women
have no gift for imparting what they
know or may have no knwledge Of the
household arts to impart; while
among the children of the poor in the
large cities there was oftener neither
tradition nor knowledge of simple,
well-cooked food, neatly served, nor
any idea of household economy.
Though not thing Of the past, this
condition Of affairs is slowly but sure
ly improving, and now women Of all
ranks flock to the cooking-school, TAX
ing general and often special courses
in cookery, that they may be better
able to care for or supervise their own
homes, or to earn livelihood in some
branch of cookery, either .as q
cooking-school teacher, as a cook,
or in preparing sweets and dainties for
sale.
The New York Cooking-School, es-
tablished some years ago by number
Of devoted women, who first studied
similar schools in operation in Boston,
is doing most excellent work. 1t is
maintained largely by subscription,
though it's funds are in a small meas
ure derived from the lessons given to
women who are willing and able to pay
for them. The afternoon classes are
made up largely Of children, who at
tend the public schools, and five hun
dred out of the eight hundred pupils
who received instructions during the
past year did so free Of charge. On
reaching the little ones, for many OF
them are not more than twelve years
age, make clean their hands and don
snowy caps and aprons furnished
them. They are then ready for work
under an expert teacher, herself a
graduate in the great science and
practice of cookery. Where the les
sons are given, the rooms are furnish
ed with ranges, tables, cooking uten-
sils and dishes, and the little cooks,
as far as it is possible, 60 through
each step of the process Of changing
from raw material into food, we'll cook
ed and served upon the table. Dem
onstration lessons are also given,
which are in the same form Of object
lessons, and the children are often
questioned in most thorough yet
kindly manner by the teachers while
their little dishes are being concocted
to see if they remember and under
stand the various stages Of their work.