vored roast. Because the art of
utilizing every part of food is eminently French, the NEW YORK COOKING
SCHOOL plan has been to adapt foreign thrift to home kitchen use. To
provide enough at each meal; to cook and serve it so as to invite
appetite; to make a handsome and agreeable dish out of the materials
which the average cook would give away at the door, or throw among the
garbage; all are accomplishments that our American wives and daughters
will be glad to learn from their European sisters.

The day has passed for regarding cooking as a menial and vulgar labor;
and those who give some thought to their daily food usually gain in
vigor and cheerfulness. It is a truism that food is concentrated force.
The manipulation of a motive power capable of invigorating both body and
mind, is an occupation worthy to employ intelligence and skill. In
countries where the people depend upon meagre supplies this art is
brought to perfection. The _pot-au-feu_ of France and Switzerland, the
_olla podrida_ of Spain, the _borsch_ of Poland, the _tschi_ of Russia,
the _macaroni_ of Italy, the _crowdie_ of Scotland, all are practical
examples of this fact. In no country in the world is there such an
abundance of food as in America; all the needful ingredients for making
these national dishes, or their equivalents, can be found in the markets
of our cities, and most of them are the products of this country. This
being true, there is no reason why American cookery should be so
comparatively limited--why the question of "what shall we have for
dinner to-day?" should be the despair of the inexperienced housekeeper.
If in no other land is there such profusion of food, certainly in none
is so much wasted from sheer ignorance, and spoiled by bad cooking. In
Europe provinces would live upon what towns waste here. The very herbs
of the field in the hands of a skilful cook can be transformed into
palatable and nutritious viands. The plainest and cheapest materials can
be prepared for the table in an appetizing and satisfactory form. Let
our readers test this fact by cooking according to the receipt any dish
named in the chapter upon "CHEAP DISHES WITHOUT MEAT," and the author
will stake her culinary reputation that the food so prepared will be
both palatable and nourishing.

Many persons regard the practice of serving several dishes at a meal as
troublesome and expensive. The first objection may hold good; but the
best results in any direction are