The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-14

most interesting of the year, and the white
capped cooks clustered close around the
trim white-gowned teacher as she patted
and kneaded the squeaky dough.
IF it squeaks it's surely gOod,'' she said,
and all the girls laughed and hen hushed
to listen eagerly for the little complaining
squeaks. The teacher talked on the prop
critics of yeast and its action under different
conditions as she cut the white dough into
sections. Then she took the little pieces
and patted, cut and braided theer into a
dozen different styles of rolls, explaining
the advantages of each one as she did so.
81 made bread Saturday and my mother
said it was fine. She didn't know l could
cook so good" said one little maid proudly.
The lesson before had been on bread-mak-
ing proper, and the pupils had gone through
all the processes of that most difficult art
from yeast up to loaf. A certain amount of
home work is required of each one of the
pupils, and the results of their experiments
are retailed at the lesson.
After the trim instructor had demon
strated the fashioning of all possible kinds
of rolls the dough was divided into sections,
and each girl bore off her piece on a saucer
to her own desk. where she proceeded to
twist it into strips. TO braid it and to curl
1t into crescentS. Nobody wanted rolls all
alike, anu Wnen Lney were all 1dSnlOneQ
and set TO raise for the second time each
little baking pan showed six or seven va
rieties of rolls, which finally came from the
oven brown and crusty and appetizing
enough to tempt an anchorite.
The cooking course lasts only one year,
but in that time the pupils learn enough to
give them a good foundation in practical
cooking. In the first half is undertaken
cereals, of proteids in meat, eggs. fish and
milk, and lessons on soup-making are also
given. The second half of the year is de-
voted to the study of baking of all kinds
of breads, pastries and cakes to salads,
gelatine desserts, ice creams. ices and in
valid cooking. Practical work is given
twice a week, and the pupils are also given
the benefit of theoretical work in the anal
ysis of their cooking at school and at home.
Another valuable bit of knowledge is given
in the mastering of the meat charts, which
are hung upon the walls. The charts look
like X-ray pictures of those four good
friends of mantle COW, the sheep, the
calf and the pig. A study of the charts
gives the pupil a practical knowledge of
the different "cuts" of each animal and the
location of the bones, and endows her with
a knowledge of good and evil in the matter
of meat. which places her at an advantage
in the butcher shop.
THE FIRST REQUISITE.
Absolute cleanliness is demanded of the
pupils. both in regard to their utensils and
to themselves. Sinks and saucepans are
kept scrupulously clean, and hands are as
spotless as the sinks. Each little maid
when she enters the classroom dons the
c~ooking-class uniform. a cap. apron and
sleeves of white. Miss Josephine Loomis,
a graduate of Pratt Institute, who has had
the cooking classes for five years, man.
ages her girls in an admirable manner. and
the spirit of the classroom is that of quiet
but intense enthusiasm. The girls are per-
mitted to talk together but it is rare in
1aa1 that fhnxr discuss nnNfhinU 0XR0nf fhA
important matter in hand. The little cooks
put their heads together over some knotty