New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-12
TENEMENT-HOUSE COOKING
DISADVANTAGES WHICH FORCE I'M.
POOR TO LIVE WAsTFFULLY AND
UNCOMFORTABLE


young woman who is connected with -.
Of the city settlements and has devoted ,..4'
years to teaching the poor how and wbo, -
cook has been able in the course Of her w.
to gather much interesting knowledge rega,s.-
this particular department Of tenement LIE an
has learned to be extremely tolerant Of m,,.
OF the criticised ways Of the poor
zone Of the things which / realize most cs.,
now" she said the other day, lis the grea, =,
tent to which one must modify ones ideas ah,..
methods Of teaching in order to make them an,
cessful When | first came here had firm M,
victions on most of the points of my work ANA
carefully laid plans. from which | should the,
have considered it impossible to depart sbou,.
have held up my hands in horror at many Of IN,
practices which l now not only countenanc.
but actually engage in myself every day Ibsv.
been gradually finding out how absurd il /, IA
expect the very poor TO conform to ways q,
doing things which would appeal to housewjy..
with more comfortable incomes
For one thing. the poor have not and cannot
get the utensils to work with. and for anoth,
they are invariably crowded for space Beside,
these hindrances they are always busy ana
must get their meals ready in the quickest And
least troublesome way. As as you begin
to teach them anything hard or complicated
they become discouraged. It is too 'fussy. ,b.v
say. and they are right. It would not pay 70,
them 10 spend the time upon 1t.
simplicity in cooking instruction has become
such a constant and growing motto with m.
that I sometimes wonder where | shall stoo
But the results OF the work show me that Il
Interested. and they learn rapidly. just In pre
portion 10 the hopeful aspect Of the task st
before them
II learned more by going around among Il.
homes Of the poor 10 teach them cooking thar
| ever could have done in the classes here at th.
settlement. Any one who has tried to work 10
the average tcnement-house kitchen will ever
afterward sympathiZe with the women who ar.
discouraged at sight Of elaborate preparations
You need not ask there for different kinds d
pots and pans The entire stock u utensils will
be on the table or stuck away IN a small DARK
closet. and you will find that the same dish will
have 10 serve several purposes such an ar,ic.
/ as "A rolling board is absolutely unknown in most
places When there is any dough 10 be rolled 4
/ is laid upon the piece of dirty ohcloth which
covers the table. | wage an unceasing war
against the oilcoth habit. but | have ha'!
: time trying to induce people % give II up and
! keep their table tops scrubbed clean and Whit
Another difficulty is always met with 10 n.
miserable stoves Of the poor. have never Ys
found an oven III to bake in. one woman whS
house / went to the other day told me that ~
had Just got a new second hand stove that q,
| thought would be very good for baking. dti'
/ like 10 disappolnt her. but after trying u !!
couldn't see that ii was much better than TIE
rest You can't blame them for not making
bread when. no matter how carefully It Is p@
together and kneaded. il Is sure To be rulA
in the oven.
1T is customary to blame the poor for buying
things in small quantities. thereby payI
more for them but in most cases this is aos'
lutely unavoidable on account OF lack OF s'N"
room. or course some Of the people are na'3'
T rally improvidcnt. and never save money en0Is'
To live in anything but this hand-to'moul
fashion. but It has been my experience tha' W.
majority would buy more wisely II they D'.
any possible place in which TO keep s'ocA 7"
PROVISIONS.