In 1897, at the request of many for my recipes, I de-
cided to publish my little book of "One Hundred Tested
Receipts," but not until I had subscriptions enough to pay
for the complete edition.
Two years later I was forced to give up my work tem-
porarily, and in the fall of the same year, as chairman of
the Lunch Committee, I took charge of and personally
conducted the lunch room at the Business Woman's Club,
which position I filled until April, 1900, when, with Miss
S. E. Kerr, my present business associate, we bought out
an established catering business on Fourth Street, where
we now are fully equipped for any order, however large.
For those who would like to follow the same business,
and there are many, for rarely a day passes that some one
does not come in seeking suggestions and advice as to how
to take up the work as I did — for the benefit of these, I
will say it is not by any means smooth sailing; that there
are many snags which might be emphasized. First of all,
we must make sacrifices at every point, and social duties
must be wholly abandoned. No business requires more
tact, patience, or originality, and surely none requires
closer attention or more constant study. One has to fully
realize that she must think, plan, and entertain. She
must be ready to suggest new menus, originate artistic
table decorations, and carry out unique ideas in forms of
16 MY WORK AND HOW IT GREW.
entertainment, being ready with attractive souvenirs,
keeping abreast and often ahead of the times.
She can not depend upon other people's books or ideas
for new dishes or garnishings, but must be able to think
them out for herself. Never be satisfied with anything
but the purest and best material and the most skilled
workmen. Without these two essentials we can not ex-
pect to make a success of the undertaking. We have found
that cooking possesses the dignity of an art, of a science,
and of a philosophy, and in its place in this age it is one of
the still unseen powers that uplifts and enables our great
people to progress.
" It is not the branch of work alone that lifts to a higher sphere,
For man may choose the humblest part, to find the great is near.
God gives us all our part to do, and with our life the right
To leave our path uu beautified, or mighty in His sight."
Jennie C. Benedict.
We quote the following interesting article from the
Boston Cooking School Magazine:
LOVE FOR WORK.
Love of the work — contentment, as President Eliot
puts it — is the key to the solution of the labor problem.
By enthusiasm we overcome obstacles and reach the final
goal. People are very likely to gain, at least in a measure,
that which they most earnestly strive for. Difficulty after
difficulty is overcome, and the object or end, long sought
perhaps, is at last attained. The single eye, or desire to
win, is the secret to all successful achievement. "The
ideal man is a worker," or, as Carlyle tells us, "the cap-
tains of the world have been the leaders of industry."
LOVE FOR WORK. 17
On the contrary, nothing good can come out of dis-
satisfaction and discontent. We do best that which we
are fond of doing, and a work well done always brings to
the doer its own rich reward of pleasure and satisfaction.
Page 3
Presented as published in 1904. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
In 1897, at the request of many for my recipes, I decided to publish my little book of "One Hundred Tested Receipts," but not until I had subscriptions enough to pay for the complete edition.
Two years later I was forced to give up my work temporarily, and in the fall of the same year, as chairman of the Lunch Committee, I took charge of and personally conducted the lunch room at the Business Woman's Club, which position I filled until April, 1900, when, with Miss S. E. Kerr, my present business associate, we bought out an established catering business on Fourth Street, where we now are fully equipped for any order, however large.
For those who would like to follow the same business, and there are many, for rarely a day passes that some one does not come in seeking suggestions and advice as to how to take up the work as I did — for the benefit of these, I will say it is not by any means smooth sailing; that there are many snags which might be emphasized. First of all, we must make sacrifices at every point, and social duties must be wholly abandoned. No business requires more tact, patience, or originality, and surely none requires closer attention or more constant study. One has to fully realize that she must think, plan, and entertain. She must be ready to suggest new menus, originate artistic table decorations, and carry out unique ideas in forms of
entertainment, being ready with attractive souvenirs, keeping abreast and often ahead of the times.
She can not depend upon other people's books or ideas for new dishes or garnishings, but must be able to think them out for herself. Never be satisfied with anything but the purest and best material and the most skilled workmen. Without these two essentials we can not expect to make a success of the undertaking. We have found that cooking possesses the dignity of an art, of a science, and of a philosophy, and in its place in this age it is one of the still unseen powers that uplifts and enables our great people to progress.
" It is not the branch of work alone that lifts to a higher sphere, For man may choose the humblest part, to find the great is near. God gives us all our part to do, and with our life the right To leave our path uu beautified, or mighty in His sight."
Jennie C. Benedict.
We quote the following interesting article from the Boston Cooking School Magazine:
LOVE FOR WORK.
Love of the work — contentment, as President Eliot puts it — is the key to the solution of the labor problem. By enthusiasm we overcome obstacles and reach the final goal. People are very likely to gain, at least in a measure, that which they most earnestly strive for. Difficulty after difficulty is overcome, and the object or end, long sought perhaps, is at last attained. The single eye, or desire to win, is the secret to all successful achievement. "The ideal man is a worker," or, as Carlyle tells us, "the captains of the world have been the leaders of industry."
LOVE FOR WORK. 17
On the contrary, nothing good can come out of dissatisfaction and discontent. We do best that which we are fond of doing, and a work well done always brings to the doer its own rich reward of pleasure and satisfaction.