Miss Parloa's School of Cookery--New York, NY

Having come off of some very successful lectures for the New York Cooking School, Parloa in the fall of 1882 decides to open up a cooking school of her own modeled after her Boston school of Cookery. Maria Parloa leased a lovely house at 222 East Seventeenth street, near Stuyvesant square. It had been renovated to fit her school and this became her headquarters for some time.

Like Boston, there is a cozy reception on the first floor, while the lecture and classrooms were up one flight. The rooms were large and airy and comfortable for all the students, even the particular ones. They were very tidy, filled with bright tiles, dainty china, crystal and fine glassware. She stored all of these items in closets, sideboards and an old-fashioned dresser. 'Instantly one wonders what so many little pitchers are necesary, for a good hundred are visible.' So it seems that Maria Parloa is self described, fascinated by the sizes, shapes and colors and is always on the hunt for new ones.'

On Monday, October 30, opening day nearly 20 women, both young and old came to Parloa's school to listen to her lecture on the art and science of good cooking. Miss Parloa wore a blue check dress with a neat white apron. The class began exactly at 2:30 p.m. Students copied recipes, instructions and hints.

According to Parloa

"The School of Cookery is designed to furnish ladies with all the knowledge of kitchen duties which is ordinarily desired, and it will always be conducted with the view of affording every patron a genuine benefit. It is not intented merely to provide and afternoon's diversion for occasional auditors at the public lectures, nor simply to furnish a round of merry times for pupils in practice classes: neither, on the other hand is it intended to permit the studies to become tedious in any degree."

The lesson plans were similar to Boston's. She provided demonstrations twice a week or more as needed. When she was not teaching in her school she was lecturing in other cities, working on her books, or donating her time to charities.