Cooking Schools.

Southland Times, Issue 9390, 2 December 1886, Page 4

Cooking Schools.

(N.Z. Mail). The undoubted tuccesa attending tbe cake fair and cooking leesons held receir.lv in codnection with the do.l show, proves two im> portent facts. First that much more interest is taken in practical cookery than miobt at first sight appear; and eecond, tnat the need ofr a cooking school is beginning to be felt, and the question is asked, ' Why should we be behind other countries in the adoption cf means to educate our girls in culinary science ? We believe in the system of cooking schools now in operation in Europe and America. The world is indet d both civilised and sensible when it admits practical cookery to appear among its modern arts, and recognises its advantage to y^ung girls in every station of life. Cooking is a science, and for this reason gils are effcen more taccessful than their elders in culinary experiments, becauis they comply strictly with directions, instead of guessing at quantities ; their Btudies at school teaching tbem tbe value of exactness. Then girls as a rule like making good things, and throw their whole mind into themanufacureof a cake or pie. Invalid diet in particular has a charm, and many a clever cook has been developed by the at first erode efforts of some loving child to administer to tbe w«n's of a Pick mother or other member of the household. It was delightful to see the alacrity with which the High Bchool girls responded to tbe jequ^s' to send fpecimens of thtir skill in cakemaking to the cake fair ; indfed, tbe quantity and the qnality of the exhibits from various sources was really remaraable. And then the lessons, few as they ne-essarily were from the limited time and paucity of appliances to hand, were thoroughly rn joyed, Some Udiea came day after day, taking io eagerly the words of wisdom falling from the lips of charming Mrs B j .etbnrn— the lady who so kind'y gave her time and §kin, to say nothing of her unique cbarcoai stove, an elegaot cooking apparatus that at once made its owner the envy of her less fortunate s>*ters and Ms Thomas, the clever ch-f .<t • Bellamy's,' whose patience nevei gave out wh le replying to the question* of his attentive class Many a valuable lesson was learnt in tbove few day* I^sjis which served to whctUe appetii* f r knowledge ; and now, while ihe remembrance i- fnshin tbe nnDd,is :h- time to pgttate for the establishment of schools in our widet. I hope, sincerely bope, '.hat sooner or later may it be tbe forrrer— clatses will be formed, not only at the liigh Pcnooi, bat in every fimie school in i » e country I know the objection «M be ibued, 1 girl* hive already Mitficien^ -tudiee wi' bout t-Wng up an extra one.' We 1, I answer, if tbafc iaio.and giilß me alrt-ady fully weighted. let one. or other of th less lmpoiunt branches of education ba It t alone wbil« the most imp'>runt one is learnt. Hyw many rt'ad-nts are there compelle-l to -lave bo-^r after hoar, varafur y^r >.t. accmplishmem nturly foreign >o .huirioclmauou. Look at the hours wasted at the piano by performers who will never pe;form creditably; *nd who, all the while are esecra-mg the inßtrnraent and ail connerted with it. The same with drawing, and the rest of the so-called aPcoaJpiishmectß of tbe day. ifivef y gill must have exactly the fame coarse of etody -•« ter neighbooi without regard to !»« U thii ida by wbicH 10 ffl«ny

Jives are embittered, and botk s time and money worse than wasted. 3? fill means let natural tastes be cultivated, but do not let as pnt oh one side thebighestbniiineßS of man- ! kind— the careof the household. Every gixl when she becomes » wife, «nd' many before that period arrives, holds in^her bauds tbe health and happiness of a family, foi we know the intimate relationship that exists between the mind and the stomach, and tke influence of diet on health. ; ; , . Ability to be a perfect nonjekeeper w.not conferred on every woman, aiid certainly it is not inherent ; but itis possible to cultivate the art withoot sacrificing other interests, and when once acquired thert, is a freedom and sense of. power which amply compensates fop all the effort made. The caTe of the table generally makes itself felt more ;) tjhan any other household burden, atxAno 'jneilMeT how well conducted all the other departments may be, if this one be neglected, .discomfort and unhappiness must ensue ' A hungry man is an angry man,' is an axiom which wbb well illustrated lately, when a bright little boy who had been engaged in a wrongdoing with some other boys, was called' into the house under somewhat circumstances. « Did you get licked ?' asked one of his companions on his reappearance amongst then?, 1 Well yes, I did,' admitted the young phiJ. osopher, ' but I should have got off all right if there had been anything for dinner that father liked. 1 That boy knew the value of good housekeeping, and I only wish the members of the School Boards had as keen an appreciation of means to an end, and would take thought for the well-being of the future heads of households. I am given to understand that it ia in contemplation by a resident of Wellington to open a school of cookery very shortly ; that she is highly competent, and will instruct systematically and thoroughly in all the branches of hoasehold management: Such an opportunity should be cordially embraced, since the best informed amongst us have still fomething: to learn, and a most practical lesson is that 'diplomacy lieth under The dish-cover.' Elise.