Home › The Principles of Cookery › Cookery as a Branch of Education

Cookery as a Branch of Education

Before bringing these pages to a close, there is one subject remaining that demands our greatest attention, and that is:--How far it is possible to impart even an elementary knowledge of the principles of cookery to the poor and uneducated classes? There is probably no country in the world that has any pretensions to civilisation in which there is so profound an ignorance of even the rudiments of cookery as in our own. Indeed, the difference in the mode of life between a French family and an English one, in which, say, the goodwife in the former is allowed thirty francs and the latter thirty shillings a-week for housekeeping purposes, is something astounding. In the former there is comfort and even luxury, and, in addition, money is regularly saved; whereas, in the latter, the week which commences with a hot dinner on Sunday usually terminates in the plainest kind of food, such as bread and dripping, and that too often obtained on credit.

Again, amongst the English poor it will be observed that there is scarcely any variety of food whatever. The hot dinner on Sunday is almost invariably the same. A blade-bone of beef and a heap of baked potatoes cooked at that real poor man's friend, the baker's oven--the usual charge for baking being twopence on Sundays and three-halfpence on week days. Week after week the fare is the same--baked meat and baked potatoes--the one change coming with Christmas, and, like it, but once a year, when "the goose" takes the place of the meat, the huge heap of sage and onions being placed in a saucer underneath the goose to catch the fat.

Again, in sending rice pudding to the baker's, his man is frequently obliged to take out some of it, as otherwise the pudding would be so close as to be barely eatable, the rice having no room to swell. Sometimes a batter pudding is sent with the dish so full of batter that it would be certain to overflow when baked unless some were removed.

Perhaps the greatest difficulty to be contended with is the rooted and unreasonable prejudice to be met with in some of the poor. They despise soup and fish, unless the latter be a bloater with their tea. Great changes have taken place lately in regard to education, which is now compulsory, and the young girl who a few years back was the mother's chief help in household duties is now, at any rate for a certain number of days, compelled to attend a school. In all these schools cooking should form a part of the regular routine of school duty. It should be borne in mind that it is quite as important for the future wives of the poorer classes to be able to cook their husbands' and children's food as to make or mend their clothes. What a wonderful effect it would have on the future generation were each child--i.e. each girl--properly instructed by some competent teacher in the elements of domestic economy! Unfortunately, at present it will be found that girls who have shown ability at school too often rather despise household work; and generally it will be found in a family where there is more than one girl that one sister will cook and scrub, while the other--who prides herself somewhat on her "gentility," as those sort of people call it--looks out for a business that is light and fanciful, such as millinery. Suppose, however, the girls get married in their own station of life, which would make the better wife of these two? It is only first-class cooks who realise the first principles of cookery--viz. cleanliness and economy, and it is on these points that the poor chiefly break down; indeed, we have already called attention to the want of cleanliness on the part of cooks, which arises not so much from indolence as ignorance. Unfortunately, our English kitchen utensils are, as a rule, so shaped that perfect cleanliness, such as is met with in France, is barely possible. The English enamelled stewpan is, however, quite equal to the tinned copper utensils of France for ordinary purposes, and in these vessels perfect cleanliness is, comparatively speaking, easy. We shall refer to the shape of vessels at more length when we come to consider kitchen utensils, but would here say one word to housekeepers on jugs. Is it reasonable on your part to continue buying milk-jugs shaped bulb-like, with narrow necks, into which the hand cannot be inserted, and yet to express surprise that your milk is sometimes sour? I am perfectly aware that jug-brushes exist, but it is almost impossible to get servants to use them.

With regard to economy, we have already explained that we do not mean living plainly or even cheaply, but using up all the material we have. There is no want of economy in the strictest sense of the word in giving broken victuals to the poor, provided we know they eat them. Want of economy is exemplified in giving a half-picked sirloin of beef-bone to the dog, in throwing the end in the pig-tub, or in leaving the ends of mutton chops and the bones half picked on the plate.

Again, a fruitful source of waste, which is in reality a synonymous term for want of economy, is allowing, through carelessness, ignorance, or want of forethought, food of any description to get bad. For instance, forgetting in hot weather to warm up soup when it has been left, but is not required for the next day's consumption; or in leaving in sultry weather a joint of meat all night in a hot place, instead of preserving it by placing it in a cool larder or ice-chest. Again, milk can often be preserved from turning sour for one night by the simple plan of boiling it, and pouring it into a clean jug. These and a hundred other simple methods by which food can be preserved, and thereby added to the wealth of the country, are principles of education that ought to form part of every girl's elementary education.

There is perhaps nothing that would so affect the future prosperity and greatness of our country than universally inculcating in the minds of the young throughout the length and breadth of the land the importance of economy in the necessaries of life. Our present teachers of the young have high responsibilities. It is not so much that a great multitude follow them as that a great multitude are driven unto them. Whatever differences may arise as to creed or no creed, surely all will unite in agreeing with the great Teacher that it is our duty to gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.