The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-16
AMERICAN GIRLS AS COOKS.
Are They Careless and Do They Hate
Kitchen Mathematical


To THE EDITION OF THE SuN--sir:
didn't think a little statement of the
fact that the average American girl has
an aversion to iearning to cook would
draw SO much fire as II seems to have
done. Your correspondent In East
Orange and the cooking bachelor OF Cos
Cob certainly take exceptions to my
views. but IL they will observe a little
more closely. directly In their own cir
cles, I think they will como nearer
agreeing with me.
Confining our remarks to the average
not the exceptional. GIL 7 venture the,
will ind II hard to ind more than one
In ten who has the simplest knowledge
Of the art.
No one wishes more frankly than
that the American girl could cook. but
II she can In any great numbers have
some other opinions.
Tho Rev. DR.. Rainsford. late OF St
Georges Church. a ripe scholar. world
traveller and close observer. was re-
ported by the papers to have said in q
public lecture: You American women
are the worst cooks on EARTH" and
know several women who did not dis
cent from his view. The trouble Is that
since Eve women have been supposed,
tho cooks; but II they were masters oi
the art, why Is II that our Delmonicos.
Sherrys. &C, invariably have men chefs
When women appear at all in the game
It Is as helpers to men.
During the Billy Sunday campaign
the Y. W. C. A. ran n cafeteria next
door to his tabernacle. The cooking
was 90 fine that I took some little pains
to take several OF my dinners there
I'm afraid. II I must confess. ! tool
more delight in them than did In
Billys sermons. As l paid my check
one day remarked to the cashier. q
woman: Your cook certainly knows her
art. for that was a fine dinner"
She smiled as she replied: ut happens
that her is a him."
what" exclaimed. why, your
organization is q woman's affair. Yo,
are not consistent
''well,' she replied, I'VE believe In
getting for a certain Job the people who
can do II best, and We may as wei
admit It. men can beat US cooking"
Did either Of your correspondents
ever hear Of q Mrs. Got Rocks sending
for a woman cook when she wanted &c
give a dinner to some foreign duke oil
lord? She invariably sends for a chez
or a caterer Of the male persuasion.
We may as we'll be frank. As women
We are not fond OF the exact. Nine
girls in ten hate mathematics. Wher
We fx UP dish we are in the habit
Of saying "a pinch or a half handful.
or we guess tho amount OF water fol
q pot Of coffee or throw the coffee ir
at random, when In all these things We
ought to learn the value Of measure.
What but this careless habit bring,
the excuse SO often heard, THE coffee
isn't very good this morning. dear.
Tho potatoes are a little heavy. dear
| to-day. I forgot to drain them wher
the cooking was DONE" or Il let then
cook a little too long" Now the same
| coffee, tho same potatoes. tie Sam
water, tho same heat, viii always. whe!
used in the same way. produce the SAM
result and there isn't the slightest ex
cuse why coffee should not be real am
brosia just 965 mornings in the year
, Water always boils at 2l2 degrees, anc
starchy foods require this Temperature
! to break UP the starch cells; but how
often is what might have been a tast,
| and nourishing breakfast spoiled fol
want Of attention to this little fact.
Thousands OF our young men were re
jected for the army for the sole reason
that from babyhood they had not beer
properly nourished. This was not be
cause their parents were poor. In tn,
majority OF cases they probably hat
enough to eat. but II was not the righ
| food or It was not properly cooked
Usually too little protein when the,
were In their growing years. and unles.
| our girls OF to-day wake up and Learn
! something about the proper food fol
children and Its proper preparation WI
| are going 10 have repetition OF th'
| same trouble In the next generation.
Cooking Is not difficult to learn. On,
| OF tho best cooks and housekeepers
ever met was a little girl of only II
| but she had an exceptional mother II
a FTench-ltauan woman, VINO perhaps
made her children work too hard, but thi'
little thing knew more about the acid
and alkalies used IN kitchen than an!
American woman ever met who hat
been cooking for forty years. Talking
| to me one day she remarked that "acidi
| and alkalies fight like dogs and cats.
/ She knew how to save sugar when hel
| mother was cooking some cranberries
She said a little bicarbonate Of sods
! would neutrallze cllilr was her word
the acid and they wouldn't need so mucl
sugar. l wonder II our girl cooks gen
orally know that.
However, I am hopeful. The boys whit
! como back from over there are goini
to have more than one point about cook
| Ing that they didn't have when they lief
home. and the girls will have to stud!
a little to answer properly some OF theil
| cooking queries when they return.
(Mrs.) n. A. WILCOX.
NEW YORK, September IA.