The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-09-28
SANS COOKING SCHOOL

I consisted of Captain John A. Hunker. senio'
member: Medical Inspector w A McClurg
| recorder; Lieutenant Commander " Il
Cottman. Lieutenant Commander Charles
]. Badger. Paymaster ]. S. Carpenter, Fay
master F. Thornton Arms and
] William Jackson Littell.
4 TIT question of the food for the man be
| hind the guns had never been discussed be
fore. Similar rations were handed out as
/ were before the War Of 1872. OF course wher
! canned goods were discovered they were
used in the navy. but no other change hao
i been made.
Among other things 1t was recommended
that the addition OF sauerkraut (as pickle)
would be a good thing. They also recon-
mended that the commanding officers be
authorized to direct an issue Of turkey oil
other fowls las fresh meat upon legal hol-
idays. when such articles can be procured
at reasonable prices"
The board also discovered that the "man-
ner Of preparing and serving the ration Is
next in importance TO the ration itself.
Much Of the dissatisfaction now expressed
Is due to the lack Of skilled cooks and zeal
Gus messmen." and in order to secure skilled
stewards. cooks and bakers adequate pay
should be provided such men; and since the
board recommended that no additional com-
pensatiou shall be paid by the commissary
officer or by the men themselves, II raised
the pay as follows:
Chief commissary steward. SIS per month;
commissary steward. $50: ships cook. first
class. &5; ships cook. second class. $40:
ships cook. third class. $780,: ships cook,
fourth class, SIS; baker, first class. S5, and
baker. second class, SIS. .
As a result of the boards deliberations a
regular table was instituted, known as the
navy ration" consisting of salt meats,
smoked meat. preserved meat, dried fruit.
canned fruit, beans. peas. flour. rice. canned
vegetables, desiccated vegetables. soft bread,
butter. sugar. condensed milk and cream.
macaroni. cheese. canned tomatoes. mo-
lasses. with substitutes of fresh meat and
vegetables whenever available.
The new ration costs 30 cents per man.
which Is a great increase over the cost OF
the old. and which VIII literally eat I'D
many thousands of dollars more each year
than did the old ration.
1t became necessary that rules should be
laid down as to how things were to be
cooked. and Paymaster Arms. who is Pay
master OF the Navy Yard. and in charge
PEELED to seek out Chief Cook Pohlman and
find how things were to be done in the flu
ture. The result was the navy cook book.
1t contains other things besides ham and
eggs. and omelet. and all the recipes ara
based upon the requirements of 100 men, for
the berth deck" Is gone and all the men
are served from one galley by the ships
cook in q general mess"
AS for desserts, the cooks are taught how
to compose a timed corn fritter out OF ten
pounds OF sifted -four; a potato salad of
thirty pounds of peeled. sliced and boiled
potatoes. They also have the boarding
house standby. stewed runes place Six
teen pounds of prunes in cold water in q pot
on the galley and boil forty minutes saws
the cook book. They also have a thing they
call plum dun" Says the cook book:
Soak twenty-five pounds OF stale bread In
cold water and drain dry. Add twenty-five
pounds Of sifted -four. hye pounds of suet,
chopped fine; three pounds of raisins, five
pounds Of sugar. four pounds Of ~currants.
two pounds of prunes. three t~ablespoonfuls
OF salt. one t~easpoonful Of ground cloves,
one tablespoonful Of ground cinnamon and
one wineSlassfrl OF vinegar, and mix thor
oughfy with COLI water. Turn the bags In
side out. drop them into boiling water.
render out slightly and drop into dry nour,
dredging them thoroughly. Turn the bags
hour side in and all them with the pudding,
securing the opening firmly; drop Into the
copper in boiling water: cook for at least
two hours II there IL suficient time the
pudding will be Improved by boiling three
or four hours"
After the cooks learn their little book they