Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-14
IN COOKING.
Government to Advise It in the Public
Schools.
How the Culinary Art is Taught in New York.

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The government recently has been CIV
Ing a good deal of attention to the ques-
ton of establishing cooking classes in
the public schools of cities and towns
throughout the country, and recOmmen-
dations in favor of the adoption of such
d system will be made in a forthcoming
bulletin. of the department of asricul-
ture. This bulletin will contain, for illus
methods of culinary instruction which
have been practised for some time past
in New York. AT the present time the
art of cooking is taught in the ~ met5ropo.
numbering 4l30 pupils. The number OF
pupils in each class ranging from
eighteen to forty-hve; 1t is obvious that
widely and carried into a great number
of homes
Those who have made this question
their specially assert that STUDY OF the
chemistry of cooking and an intelligent
application of the information thus
gained cannot fail to work a revolution
in the homes of thousands who now SUI
governing the proper preparation OF
foods. The courses of instruction in the
public schools are made so interesting as
tsseinate the nupish ahe P For
ample the potato is taken as topic. and
the pupils begin by learning something
about the botany and history OF the
plant They ascertain that it contains
poison which is neutralized by COOKING
The starch of which it is mainly COM
posed they examine under microscope
admiring its beautiful FREDERICKSBURG
forms In similar way other vegetables
are taken up, and it is shown why white
vegetables should be cooked IN unsaltei
water, and why green vegetables should
be cooked in boiling sailed water. Incl
dentally the usefulness OF fresh vege-
tables to the body is explained.
Things of this sort can be taught by an
intelligent teacher in such a way as 20
make learning "a recreation The science
| of cookery becomes Il source OF amuse-
ment and the pupils are eager to learn
more of it. They find out that rice IS the
most easily digested of all starchy foods;
| they learn how eggs may be tested for
! freshness, and how to keep them, they
| ascertain that peas and beans are partlc-
ularly suitable for men at hard work, In
| asmuch as they are extremely dfgestible
| and yield d large proportion of muscle
| forming substance: they investigate the
| composition of cream. and examine ITS
| fat globules under the microscope; they
| study tests for tannin in tea, which is
! specially injurious to children. and they
| find out much which they had never
dreamed of before about the anatomy of
| the chicken, which information is of use
when it comes to trusting or carving Il
| fowl.
to the cooking classes in New York has
! been found most advantageous. 1t is be-
lieved that it will accomplish wonders
| for the homes of the future. The public
| ones in the country which are supplied
with microscopes for domestic science
| classes. These instruments are employed
for an immense variety of useful pur-
poses. BY their aid. for example. the
growth of yeasts is illustrated; The
yeast plant, of course. is humble run
| gus. but it is difficult to see how moderi.
civilization could do without it. But for
its assistance, bread would be an impossi-
| bility. In like manner. 1t Is shown now
germs of different kinds. contained in or
binary dust that floats about everywhere.
| get into the household products stored
| in the pantry and. by the production OF
| mouds or otherwise-moulds are funig,
| of course-spOil them.
| Similar lessons are given IN the chems-
| try of cleaning. The little girl who
studies in one of these schools of domes-
| tic science becomes interested in the bac-
| terra of the dishcloth. of the ice box,
and of the garbage-pail, and. when she
becomes mistress of home. these Things
| will receive her serious attention. With
| such a mother, little Johnny will not be
| seen among the boys who buy a hot fried
! cake for a penny and a cup of coffee FOR
and slush to eat mem. For this mother
| has learned how to make whole wheat
| bread at school, and she knows that one
of her nice light mullins and little nat
| bottle of heated and cooled milk which
| she tucked in Johnny's pocket in the
| morning will give him more nourishment
| than d CARLOAD of coffee and fried cakes
Such a wife and mother is blessing 10
| her home, and consequently TO me
| state. If she has servants they are good
ones because she is a capable mistress
| The courses of instruction described re-
auire. incidentally. the writing OF ESSAYS
| on cooking and food materials by the
pupils Some of these are very amusing
as might be expected. Take. for example
| the following by IA girl of fourteen:
Bread can be traceu almost as far
back as the first man. In different parts
of ne world the natives use the cereal
country. 1t is but a small portion OF tns
world that enjoys the luxury OF go4d
wheat flour. We should Therefore t sr o,
planted the wheat and enlightened t ,1t
| process of bread-makng. We should
show our gratitude by trying to enligtiter
ii still more. The people in the mortimer!
part of Sweden bake bread twice year
and when it is eaten it is like brick
Large loaves Of bread are not apt to .l p'
Yeast plant has not been killed. Whel
eatcn The Yeast will go on growing il
our stomach. thus causing disorder: In'
baker in olden times was respected IN th'
This is well enough. but inferior. to tn
following. which has for its topic INT
egg:
.'rhe shape OF an egg is considered on N
| Of the most beautiful, as many ilne arcni
tects use it for the base of columns. Dii
| fcrcnt kinds of eggs vary IN snape'
fowl whose flesh is eaten usually pro
| duces ovalshape EGGS, and those OF u
sea fowl are pear shape. The hens eS'
is the smallest, weighing one and h3i
to two ounces; an ostrich egg is IN IN
largest. weighing as much as three ,Ioz
en- of hens eggs. The egg of che M. hei
duck goose and turkey. are the KIM
! which are mostly used thrc aghout "
world In Africa the NATIVES ,n iye e cn'e n
shells for drinking vessels. All civilize
some barb % nd n eansder use th egs
tmore value than twice their weight !
Eggs eont fe w sYs1y'h IS prdve
nv the fact of a chick, a perfect ANNA
being Matched from an egg.
The above compositions betray the az
sornt;on n much knowledge. which i
course Of tine I'M ta is b beS , o 3hs cook
'r,. srbnoI scientific informa ton is re
uced to highly digesatb rsa GGnd' %sces
sariIv :, @ood deal of the instruction re
lates to the Fundamental facts Of chen
istry and the pupils are taught TO kho },
hpiIt the COMPOSITIONS or IN