The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-12-07

leu, VIII plculy VI lEcSAI McuI, SCSS-
tables and soft bread no matter what the voyage
he NAV be on. Modern refrigerating plants and
modern cooking methods are to be thanked for
that.
On the hundreds of new ships which are being
built for the merchant marine by the United States
shipping board careful attention Is paid to the
equipment for storing, cooking and serving food.
The government Is fully aware that sailors, like
soldiers, work best on well-flled stomachs.
Care Is taken also that efficient men are en-
ployed cooks on the nations new merchant
fleets. Good sea cooks are not numerous, even In
normal times Having that fact In mind, the
United States shipping board. with the thorough
ness that marks all its efforts to create an I'M
equaled merchant marine. is engaged in training
an adequate number Of cooks to man the galleys Of
its new ships. Young men of character and inteN-
gence are chosen for instruction.
The training Of cooks Is part of the work done
by the shipping boards recruiting service This
service has feet Of training ships. based at At
lantic and Pacific ports. on all Of which young
Americans are taught by experienced cooks the
serious business Of preparing good food at sea-
Besides that. the board has special cooking schools
on two Of the ships-the Meade. former Atlantic
liner stationed at Boston and the steamer Dorothy
Bradford, stationed at New York.
Cooking Of sea is by no means the same thing as
cooking on land. The sea cook has several things
to bear in mind that the land cook in hotel restau-
rant or home Kitchen never has to think about
Take for Instance some Of the precautions he
must observe illustrated by the following
"Don'ts for Sea Cooks
Don't expect the stove to remain in a perpendicular
position nor the cook. You are on a moving
platf.rm, namely. the ships deck. which often
rolls and sways with the motion of the ship in
the sea.
ship will cause the contents to slop over and
with fats may start fire.
Don't allow pots and pans to get adrift AS guard
against this, the galley range has an iron rail
around 1t.
Don't permit dishes to be left on dresser pantry
shelf as on land. If you do they will slide off
ana and be e. smashed There are little pigeon-holes
for each kind into which the dishes At there
being a high bar across the front, with space
emf out through which dish may be reached
and lifted out
On modern ships the serving is done by men in
,he stewards department called stewards so the
aea cook of today needs none Of that dexterity Of
foot that onelegged John Silver showed as he
pegged his way aft with dinner along the slippery
deck in the brig Of Treasure Island"
II is trusm aboard ship that only a cook who
likes his Job is worth his salt discontinued cook
will spoil good food Ihis psychology is reeog
nized by the shipping board in choosing young men
for training as cooks Only those who volunteer
for the lob are wanted. There are plenty who do.
Ont of 5000 apprentices always on the training
ships n certain percentage may be counted on to
ask for training as COOKS
These young men are serving on the nations
.bridge of ships" from patriotic motives. Some
NAV 90 back to their home towns when the war
is over. Int others will remain In the merchant
marine. and will take part in the countrys peace
expansion at sea as dignifed as that taken by
captain mate or engineer on the ship on which
they serve Nor Will they suffer In financial
way. for chief cook gets 500 a month wages be-