The record-union., 1897-05-28
INDIAN COOKS
Teaching the Gentle Science in North
Dakota.

Standing on either side of the long
table, watching with attentive eyes
that help the understanding of the un-
familiar language, they show them
selves ready pupils, using the strange
cooking utensils with an adaptation
that has no awkardness in it. They are
not quick, but exact, and nothing seems
to be too much trouble. although one
woman said She makes us wash our
hands very much when we cookl'
THE yeast lesson is often asked for,
and as we teach the simple potato
yeast, without hops, it is quickly
learned and very helpful in putting
good bread into the homes. Occasion
ally we have found on visiting the cab
ins an array of crisp, brown loaves that
would do credit to a Boston cooking
school.
THE physician complains that these
people eat too much meat, so we have
confined our lessons during the summer
to luncheons and dinners without
meat, the women doing all the work of
preparing and serving the meal and af
terward making the kitchen tidy under
direction.
'They do so well, and are so good-na
tured. and the pleasant smile is always
lurking in the corners of their eyes or
trembling on their lips, ready to break
and ripple over the face at the slightest
prOvOcation.
Gwen the old women, whose lives
have spent under conditions so hard
that there is no grace or beauty left in
the scanned and weather. beaten faces
or the bent figures, show hearty
friendliness in their pleasant smiles
that explodes the idea of the hard-vis-
aged Indian so long pictured as typical
Of the race.
Sometimes, however, they are loath
to confess ignorance. Our laundress,
Rose Medicine Bird, professed perfect
familiarity with the scrubbing brush,
and attempted to use it in our absence.
On our return we found her sitting in
the pool Of water looking wofully at the
brush; on seeing us she said, He no
good. He no make dry. Gimme towel
Teaching cooking in the Indian
homes gives opportunity to exercise
much ingenuity. After collecting from
|out-of-the-way corners scrubbing,
securing and washing, we are often
limited to dish pan, iron kettle. fry
ing pan, biscuit pan, and perhaps
knife, fork and spoon, but these last are
not always to be found. The tin can
comes into use on all occasions. al
though we find few at the cabins but
the absence of markets brings a good
many to our own home, which are care
fully washed, trimmed and made to do
duty as pals, cups, receptacles for tea,
coffee, sugar, rice, oatmeal, and even as
baking tins, the pretty round Ioaves
giving us dainty slices for our poached
eggs.
''Of food materials, also. we find but
scarce supply. Flour, baking powder
and salt is the limit in many houses,
and If by chance the supplies include
sugar and lard we are fortunate and
extend our lessons.
Milk and butter we find in only one
or two homes, where by much encour-
agement we have been able to introduce
them. But with the few conveniences
it will be a long time before the use of
milk will be regular and permanent
custom. Some of the dishes cooked by
the Indian women would be appetizing
were their habits more cleanly We
cook our squash by Mrs. Mary Bears
recipe. Perhaps you would like to try
it if it is not already familiar to YOU
"Cut the squash into half-inch cubes,
put in baking tin with butter or