HINTS FOR HOSTESSES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21360, 1 June 1939, Page 12

HINTS FOR HOSTESSES

The Dowager Lady Swaythling, who visited New Zealand recently, is to address the annual conference of the Electrical Association for Women at Cardiff this week. Lady Swaythling has always taken a particular interest in cooking and in the quality of food. As a girl she learned a great deal from a chef when she was abroad with her father and mother. She would have liked to study cookery in various countries. During 40 years of housekeeping Lady Swaythling has always found the arranging of menus one of the most interesting duties of the day. She has an instinct for new recipes at home and abroad. Many of these recipes have come to her in response to her habit of sending a word of appreciation to the cook when a dish has I pleased her. I Lady Swaythling’s idea is that there would be better cooking if hostesses [ did less grumbling and gave more in [ the way of suggestions and appreciaI tion. It is only lack of interest that brings bad cooking. She does not conform to the modem custom of prefacing dinner’ with sherry. She considers that the palate should not be dulled immediately before partaking of good food, and, accordingly in her house the due processions of wines accompany the I several courses, and sherry or madeira is served with the soup. A considerate thought for her guests is that of I placing a small tumbler of cold water ; beside everyone's plate.