THE SCHOOL OF COOKERY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 655, 8 June 1878, Page 2

THE SCHOOL OF COOKERY.

Miss Fuller, a lady who has studied the art in the Edinburgh School of Cookery of properly preparing the good things of the earth, and rendering them suitable for food, is opening a school at the Masonic Hall, Oamarn, where she will give instructions in the same art for a fortnight only. It will be seen, on reference to the.notice in auother column, that every eflVivt is being made to popularise the lectures by dividing them into two classes—Pain Cooking and Fancy Cooking. On the afternoons of Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, lessons will be given in all styles of preparing food, whilst the evenings of Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays will be devoted to lessons in the homely style only, adapted to the working classes. The terms an; reasonable. Who would not expend 15s. in learning how to properly prepare food, or L2 in acquiring a perfect knowledge of .ho art of cookery \ We can well understand .that there are mysteries connected with cooking, as there are in everything else. Anybody who has travelled c.m.iot have failed to have observed the mavkeil difference in the wholesomencss and flavor of the food that he has met with in lis travels. There is more food wasted than ':hcre is cooked ; this so true that it has become an axiom. That which is both palatable and nourishing treated by one person, may be nauseating and injurious when treated by another. Now let us look at the moral bearing of the question. No one would attempt to assert that wholesome food is not conducive to health, and that health does not alfect one's humour. Let a bilious man partake freely of some bile-inducing mixture prepared by his dear wife, and, more especially if he does not feel in a happy mood, there is sure to be moral discord in the house. It is surprising, too, what a good housewife can do, in tho way of cooking, to please her husband, and that out of the most inexpensive materials. There can be no doubt about the advantages to be derived from a knowledge of how to . properly prepare those good things which nature has given us in order to make eating pleasant and assimilation easy. The subject is an important one ; and it behoves all ladies that are wives, as well as those that hope to bo wives, to carefully study it. Two pounds spent in learning how to cook would produce more lasting and satisfactory results to both the wife and the lover than any amount of dress and honeyed words, not to say anything of the decided advantage to the husband, whilst the amount is so small that it would scarcely be missed from the family purse, and "John" need nor, know anything about it until the pleasant change wrought in the style of cookery in his house was made apparent by some delicious, although inexpensive, dish placed upon tho table for the first time. The turn of a straw will either create schism or maintain unity in some households, and we are convinced that any number of family jars might be avoided by a little more attention to cooking on the part of wives. We recommend the fair sex to attend Miss Fidler's lectures, feeling that they will be productive of good. If the ladies fail to take advantage of the opportunity, the gentlemen must seriously cinsider doing so with the object of imparting the information gained piecemeal to their wives. We are sure that the ladies will take prompt measures to prevent an occurrence of this kind, OPENINrt OP THE CLASSES,

The initiatory lesson which took place this afternoon at the Masonic Hall was well attended, the front seats being entirely occupied by ladies, whilst several gentlemen were present. His Worship the Mayor, in opening the proceedings, appropriately delivered a discourse on cookery, embracing its history from a veiy early period, and containing many interesting facts connected therewith. He then introduced Miss Fidler to the audience ; and, as that lady proceeded at once to business in a busi-ness-like manner, it was not long before the hall was redolent with the savory odour i>f cooking. The first lesson was on tiie method of making rissoles. The operator, during the process of adding the various ingredients that went to form such a satisfactory whole, succinctly gave the audience an account of what she was doing. Everything was so distinctly laid down that, the rissoles having been . pronounced as remarkably line by those who had the. pleasure of tasting them, wo would not be surprised if rissoles were to form one of the principal fancy dishes in Oamaru for some time to come. Votes of thanks were passed to the Mayor for his address, and to Miss Fidler. We are glad to hear that Miss Fidler has already a large number of pupils. Applications from those desirous of joining the classses should be made on Monday next, between the hours of 12 and 4 o'clock.