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1 had been for over two years trying to find the right person for this particular piece of
work as not only did it require someone whose knowledge of dietetics and cookery was adequate,
but who also had the personality to teach individuals in the homes and also to address audiences
of considerable size. i
Miss Hook, my chief research worker possessed all the attributes I required and the only
regret was that the Beard of Education saw her value and appointed her one of their Inspectors
before I had finished the year's work.
My No. 2 was Miss Bruce who had been trained at Mrs. Marshall's School of Cookery,
generally regarded as the highest class one in the country. After that she had experience in mass
cookery in St. Charles' Hospital kitchen, and later was one of two in dietetic ,charge of the
Women's Hostel in Malet Street, attached to the University of London. > ,
My No. 3 for part of the time was my own cook who had been absorbing nutritiopal knowledge
from Professor Mottram's writings. >
As I have pointed out, one had to bear in mind the fact that the ideas of the smaller wageearners
with regard to food flavourings are quite different to those whose means are more ample.
They are much more used to strong flavours. ,, \
It is only those who understand cooking who realise the art of bringing out flavours, oft^n
delicate but very appreciable, which can be easily accomplished and are inexpensive to attain.,
but which need small amounts of a number of different kinds during the actual .preparation.
By reason of having two unemployed samplers, one man, and the wife of another unemployed
man, one was able to get criticism of the way in which the flavours produced fell short
of what would be the custom amongst the smaller wage earner, but speaking generally; the number
of times on which criticism of an adverse character was made by those who were critically
sampling was very small. This was due to the fact that one started off with the definite idea of
catering for the ingrained habit of the utilisation of stronger flavours than are normal, to those
better situated financially.
The following letter from the unemployed man who criticised will show how far I
succeeded in what I had set out to do.
" With reference to the Cookery Research carried out by Dr. Elwin Hi T. Nash,
I take pleasure in giving testimony as to the results of this work, which I consider most
useful to the working-class people, especially those with large families.
; I
My wife, five children and myself sampled most, if not all of the various dishes
prepared in the Food Kitchen at the Hounslow Health Clinic, and we can honestly say
that such were very appetising, extremely palatable'and most economical in cost, every
scrap was eaten and enjoyed by all of us.
Having been handed recipes, my wife is only too glad to make use of them, as they
are certainly a great improvement on the usual working-class dishes.
We appreciate the care and trouble taken in the matter by our Medical Officer of
Health, and it is our hope that all will take advantage of it."
Except when I was away from the office in the middle of the day I personally sampled
every dish.
One of the criticisms I heard so often in discussing this research was that the apparatus
that would be required would be beyond the means of those I was trying to help. It was for
that reason I had set out to make quite sure that this was not the case and accordingly, with the
exception of two of the necessary things, no article cost more than sixpence.
Things are changing. Even since this work was commenced the changes have increased.
The multiplication of tinned foods, against which noi criticism can be levelled, is enormous and
has been brought about by the perfection to which the canning industry has brought the manufacture
of the cans and the elimination of the " hydrogen blow ". The number of foods which are
preserved in tins is going up by leaps and bounds.
Amongst the smaller wage earners one finds so often that the housewife's idea of a meal
is to wait until her husband comes in and then rush round to the corner shop and buy something
in a tin.
Habits are changing and the fact has to be faced, but I am sure that much more can be
done for nutrition in the families if they would learn the art of economical cookery.
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