principles ; to show you how to economize thoroughly, jet
get a better result than by the expenditure of perhaps much
more material. Before our course ends, joii will have had
performed before you every essential operation in cook-
ing, ajid will know, so far as I can make 3'ou know, prices,
qualities, constituents, and physiological effects of every
type of food. Beyond this, the work lies in joui own
hands."
Armed with manuals, — American, English, French, —
bent upon systematizing the subject, yet finding none
entirely adequate, gradually, and in spite of all effort to
the contrary, I found that my teaching rested more and
more on my own personal experience as a housekeeper,
both at the South and at the North. The mass of mate-
rial in many books was found confusing and paralyzing,
choice seeming impossible when a dozen methods were
given. And for the large proportion of receipts, direc-
tions were so vague that onl}^ a trained housekeeper
could be certain of the order of combination, or results
when combined. So from the crowd of authorities was
gradually eliminated a foundation for work ; and on that
foundation has risen a structure designed to serve two
ends.
For the young housekeeper, beginning with little or no
knowledge, but eager to do and know the right thing, not
alone for kitchen but for the home as a whole, the list
of topics touched upon in Part I. became essential.
That much of the knowledge compressed there should
have been gained at home, is at once admitted : but, un-
fortunately, few homes give it ; and the aim has been to
cover the ground concisel}^ yet clearly and attractively.
As to Pnrt TT.. it doo« not ]MT)fos;s to lie the wIujIv
8 INTRODUCTORY.
art of cooking, but merely the line of receipts most
needed in the average family, North or South. Each re-
ceipt has been tested personally by the writer, often many
times ; and each one is given so minutely that failure is
well-nigh impossible, if the directions are intelligently fol-
lowed. A few distinctively Southern dishes are included,
hut the ground covered has drawn from all sources ; the
series of excellent and elaborate manuals b}" well-known
authors having contributed here and there, but the major-
ity of rules being, as before said, the result of years of
personal experiment, or drawn from old family receipt-
books.
To facilitate the work of the teacher, however, a scheme
of lessons is given at the end, covering all that can well
be taught in the ordinary school j^ear : each lesson is given
with page references to the receipts emploj^ed, while a
shorter and more compact course is outlined for the use
of classes for ladies. A list of topics is also given for
school use ; it having been found to add greatly to the in-
terest of the course to write each week the story of some
ingredient in the lesson for the da}^, while a set of ques-
tions, to be used at periodical intervals, fixes details, and
insures a certain knowledge of what progress has been
made. The course covers the chemistry and physiology
of food, as well as an outline of household science in gen-
eral, and may serve as a text-book wherever such study
is introduced. It is hoped that this presentation of the
subject will lessen the labor necessary in this new field,
though no text-book can fully take the place of personal
enthusiastic work.
Page 2
Presented as published in 1881. 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
principles ; to show you how to economize thoroughly, jet get a better result than by the expenditure of perhaps much more material. Before our course ends, you will have had performed before you every essential operation in cooking, ajid will know, so far as I can make you know, prices, qualities, constituents, and physiological effects of every type of food. Beyond this, the work lies in your own hands."
Armed with manuals, — American, English, French, — bent upon systematizing the subject, yet finding none entirely adequate, gradually, and in spite of all effort to the contrary, I found that my teaching rested more and more on my own personal experience as a housekeeper, both at the South and at the North. The mass of material in many books was found confusing and paralyzing, choice seeming impossible when a dozen methods were given. And for the large proportion of receipts, directions were so vague that only a trained housekeeper could be certain of the order of combination, or results when combined. So from the crowd of authorities was gradually eliminated a foundation for work ; and on that foundation has risen a structure designed to serve two ends.
For the young housekeeper, beginning with little or no knowledge, but eager to do and know the right thing, not alone for kitchen but for the home as a whole, the list of topics touched upon in Part I. became essential. That much of the knowledge compressed there should have been gained at home, is at once admitted : but, unfortunately, few homes give it ; and the aim has been to cover the ground concisel}^ yet clearly and attractively. As to Part II. it does not profess to be the whole
8 INTRODUCTORY.
art of cooking, but merely the line of receipts most needed in the average family, North or South. Each receipt has been tested personally by the writer, often many times ; and each one is given so minutely that failure is well-nigh impossible, if the directions are intelligently followed. A few distinctively Southern dishes are included, hut the ground covered has drawn from all sources ; the series of excellent and elaborate manuals b}" well-known authors having contributed here and there, but the majority of rules being, as before said, the result of years of personal experiment, or drawn from old family receiptbooks.
To facilitate the work of the teacher, however, a scheme of lessons is given at the end, covering all that can well be taught in the ordinary school j^ear : each lesson is given with page references to the receipts emploj^ed, while a shorter and more compact course is outlined for the use of classes for ladies. A list of topics is also given for school use ; it having been found to add greatly to the interest of the course to write each week the story of some ingredient in the lesson for the da}^, while a set of questions, to be used at periodical intervals, fixes details, and insures a certain knowledge of what progress has been made. The course covers the chemistry and physiology of food, as well as an outline of household science in general, and may serve as a text-book wherever such study is introduced. It is hoped that this presentation of the subject will lessen the labor necessary in this new field, though no text-book can fully take the place of personal enthusiastic work.