Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1928-10-13


came home one day early in the
term and announced that he was
going to take cooking, I smiled
and asked what the joke was.
mo joke about it. A bunch Of
US fellas want to learn to cook
and Miss Akin says we can have
class after school once a week
That announcement left me
stricken dumb. 1t was almost in
credible that this particular boy
should want to learn to cook, but
that he should went TO remain
after school oJlce a week was even
harder to believe
True, on several occasions he
had tried messing around in the
kitchen, sometimes with passabl4
results, and sometimes not so
paSsable. The most outstanding
result Of such occasions, however,
was a disreputable looking kitchen
for mother to clean.
Well" thought I, 1t wont be
for long. suppose they will talk
Miss Akin into making candy for
them once or twice. and then
about the time she asks them to
help wash up the dishes, their
enthusiasm will ebb, and the Boys
Cooking Class will be a thing Of
the past"
On the evening of the first
lesson, our cooking school member
came home to recount the de-
lighte of creamed carrots as pre-
pared that afternoon. This from
one who had heretofore begged
for the exclusion Of carrots from
the daily diet.
On succeeding Wednesday after
moons samples of several varieties
Of muffin, all extremely edible,
were brought home, and enthusi-
aSm seemed to continue growing.
In fact conversation overheard be-
tween some Of the members di-
vulged the fact that the boys
were trying to prevail upon Miss
Akin to conduct the class two
afternoons a week instead of one.
After a month of this, curious
ity sent me schoolward, with a
view to visiting this queer, and
as I thought then, unheard of
freak, a boys cooking class.
I hadn't any very definite idea
where the cooking room was To-
Gated, other than the building. I
thought the noise of these seven
cooking class members would
guide me to the spot. Silence
greeted me as I opened the front
door. and going down the hall, I
peeped in at the first door to the
left. Silent sewing machines
greeted my gaze. Hearing some
movement in the room across the
hall, I looked up and saw the
instructor, Miss Akin, looking too
dainty and ethereal for anything
so mundane as cooking.
She beckoned, and went
across the hall to find our cooking
class boys, all seven of them,
leaning on the work table, pour
ing over small typewriter pieces
of paper. These I found later
were recipes.
In moment or two activity
commenced, but it was a business
like and orderly activity, as the
embryo chefs began getting out
mixing bowls, and other utensils.
In a very short time the making
of baking powder biscuits was well
under way. Half the dough was
made into biscuits, and half into
cinnamon rolls.
have never seen boys any
more intently interested than were
those seven in the making of
their baking powder biscuits There
are apparently no strict rules of
discipline, as the students are
allowed to come and go, and move
about as they please, but there
is no need for anything of the
sort.
While the biscuits were baking,
cocoa was made, and Miss Akin
discussed with them the proper
method of serving hot biscuits.
At last the feast was ready. One
of the boys had brought & glass
of jelly from home, and the visit
ing mothers were proudly served
with cocoa, hot biscuits, and jelly
and cinnamon rolls, all done in the
most approved drawing room style.
The young cooks then took half
an hour of and enjoyed the
fruits Of their toll.
And let me tell you, those were
good biscuits. I have eaten bis
cults made by some of our best
housewives that weren't nearly
so good. The finished products