New-York tribune., 1903-02-26
TIE HandicraT of Cookery.
BY f. A. STEEL.

quently good digestions-is doubtless the most
those who reaIize as ali should do bat erT pqn meal
We eat is in the highest sense sacrifice there is
of life. Of beauty: above all in the consequent
filching from other lives of matter that might
perhaps have gone toward the making of the finest
masterpiece the world has ever seen For even a
crust of bread gains dignity and claims considera-
ton from the thought that in one way man does
live by bread alone:
very true, but If We can get no one else. We have
to be THANKFUL that some person does fancy she will
sgs which i is practically 6a Impossible t e. to
simple unframed liking held by many of
US mistrcsses TO be sufficient qualification for a
cook the person in question would not be pro
duced. Her disastrous desire would die in the
eggs unless, indeed. her vocation was tery strong
IN which case she would welcome apprenticeship.
Again it seems to me. as have said before. that
vocation and so produce the dislike domestic
service which is so unmistakable sign of the
bat this by still further deIreciating the responsi-
hy j 9l service JuSt aS tht are ,iI
the popularity of military service by greater free
dom. ;reater opportunity the license which IS
one. any rate of the reasons why parents OBJ
ject to enlistment for their sons | think they
are wrong: and believe that the first step toward
a supply of good cooks is refusal to employ the
AT present the method of producing the person
who thinks she would like the cooking is very
serYan1-nurse house or parior-being of On oblig-
ing, nature, stands in ths breach and does the
ought. at pinch. TO be able to do this herself at
tP' teeP Shows itself in g; gross atteTy This Is
prompted partly BY sheer terror at the idea of
being left absolutely in the lurch. and partly by
sponsi5ility which a low standard brings with Il;
relief which | believe TO be at the bottom OF the
phenomenal patience some miStresses have with
0S Re thsf as it may The deed is done and one
more unframed cook Is started on her career or
crime; since Ii is criminal to devaState innocent
hearth by burning tons of coal with all the damperS
Church eF and Of yet a6cea ID & @ ike
the experience of a day does not suffice for them.
Even when the general theory regarding them Is
their tempers acquired from the hoar traditions OF
the craft, they still apt to remain what dear
old Scotch cook or mine. who could neither read
nor write, called just brittle monkey that will
not look at the Offender helplessly and say with
tears, I'm sure, m'm don't know what Is UP
with the stove: I've poked il sufficient I'm sure"
No! when bitter cold winters morning ex-
claimed on finding her struggling through a snov
drift to the ashpit met by this confidence:
I'VE see, M m, she's just in the mood burn the
whole world. I'm ava 70 fetch her pail O.
dust and ashes
The stove, however is bIt OF the pure hand1-
secrets 10 be maSe 4ced, though admit II Is
OF the greatest. over and over again have
book eXplatn-WeI. briefly. why fried things are
fried, boiled things not boiled stewed things
gteWeu and baked things not baked; and |
have had 20 aside the secondary symptoms OF
greasy outlets and qdamant haricot to diagnose the
original Sin-a faulty ire Until this IL perfect. II
is really use learning to bone larks at school
of cookery. It may be an aluSeInent Tor the very
large class of lady cooks who say complacently. /
made perfectly lovely sponge cake Tor my last
Wednesday and mercfully. the cook baked tt al
right" but II really makes the pelsou more ul-
OF cookery. Simply. il is impossible for them 20
teach In a few hours handicraft that should o.
learned during years of patient apprsnucesnfp In
sculisry and kitchen--trhe Saturday Review