His mind must comprehend all facts and circumstances; Where is the place and what the time for supper; Who are the guests and who the entertainer; What fish to buy and where to buy it.—Ath exams.
Fish that are fat are pleasant to the palate, but heavy and difficult of digestion, therefore they are better cured or roasted, for by that process their fatty parts are got rid of. Oysters when boiled get rid of most of their saltness which they infuse into the water which boils them, and this water is apt to disorder the stomach; but roasted oysters have all their evil properties removed by the fire.— Af rusithus.
Placing all my pans upon the fire, I soaked the ashes well with oil, to raise a rapid heat.—Archedis, The cook held the life and honor of his master in his hands, so common was poisoning by food; honors and wealth were bestowed upon those who had ability, those from Sicily ranking highest.
It was not until chemistry had advanced to the position of an exact science, and had evolved methods of analysis for organic sub stances, that the nature of food constituents, the changes in the nutritive value of food brought about by cooking, and what becomes of food in the body, could be determined.
Although vast strides have been made since Count Rumford, an American, who lived in Europe the latter part of the 18th century, taught the world how to cook and was the first to note the changes in the nutritive value of food on a large scale, the insight and method of the scientist,— the science of cookery is yet in its infancy.
The Agricultural Department in Washington has done a fine work along the lines of scien tific analysis and experiment in food values, and its bulletins, issued frequently and free to any one on application, supply the latest and most reliable information. Investigations have also been made by many of the most civilized nations into the best way of preparing food for the army and the inmates of prisons and hospitals. Chefs gain their knowledge of the art of cookery by apprenticeship to noted chefs, taking a long and thorough training in every branch of the work. Training in the home, by "mother's way," is all the teaching many skilful housekeepers have received, but this, combined with judgment and faculty, has produced much good work.
During the last half of the 19th century, schools for instruction in cookery were opened in England, the agricultural colleges of the West, New York, Boston and other large cities. Here not only the art, but the scientific principles were taught, and the pupils included children from the mission schools, servants, housekeepers, young and old, college and medi cal students and ladies of wealth and leisure.
The first outgrowth of this beginning was the establishment of schools for training of teachers of cookery, and later cooking was made a part of the regular course in the public schools. Boston led in this part of the work, and now at the beginning of the 20th century, there are but few States in the Union and but few European countries where cooking schools are not found in successful operation.
Literature.— Cooking and feasting have been the theme of brush and pen, of song and romance in all countries, and from the earliest days of book-making, cookery has had quite a literature of its own. The names of Arch estratus, Herodotus, Homer, Apicius, Lucullus and many others are associated in the minds of the student with•the cookery and banquets of the Greeks and Romans. To attempt to enu merate those who have helped in the develop ment of modern Italian, French and English cookery would be to do injustice to many of whom limited space would prevent mention. If one were to ask for the catalogue of culinary literature in any large public library in America, it would be found to be quite a volume, so rapidly has the literature of cookery multiplied, since it has taken front rank among the arts and sciences.
It has been claimed that men are the only really good cooks, chiefly because they make it their business for life and strive to excel in the art, whereas women adopt it only as a means of support until marriage relieves them from its necessity. And Dr. Johnson said that "women could not write good cook books.' Perhaps men are better fitted to be chefs in hotels and large establishments, and to work with and manage a great body of men, and from having no other duties they have had ample time and means to give the subject more study. But when we recall the many women who have always prepared good, wholesome (if not fancy) food for their large families,— those who have catered to institutions; and those who have done fine work in teaching the science of cookery in schools and by their books and lectures, we question the statement. The Amer ican cook book of the 20th century is not a mere compilation of untried and inaccurate recipes, it is not a record of only one person's experience, where much is left to judgment, nor of a style of living too extravagant for the i average home; but it is an evolution from the best experience of all nations, a collection of exact formula deduced from actual experiment, giving the results of the latest scientific research, and all presented in an entertaining way in the best literary style.