The question as to whether open stoves or shiit stoves are the best is of course a
most important one. Economy of fuel, now that the price of coals has reached
what it has, is quite as important as economy of food. There cannot be any doubt
that to English minds the open fire-places in sitting-rooms and bed-rooms convey an
idea of real comfort that the close stoves met with abroad utterly fail to give ; and it
vnll probably be many years before these stoves ai-e introduced in English households.
Not so, however, kitchen ranges. The advantages of a close range over an open one
lii cassell's dictionary of cookery.
are so enormous, that there can be but little doubt that before long they will
universally be used throughout the kingdom. One very obvious advantage they
possess is that of cleanliness. The outsides of saucepans used with close stoves do not
get encrusted with soot like those that are placed over open fires. Again, in using
shut-up ranges all fear of any dishes being sent up smoky is done away with. But
of course the chief point in their favour is economy of fuel ; and it should be
remembered that economy in the necessaries of life is a duty. Just as that man
who could cause two grains of corn to grow where only one grew before is a real
benefactor to the human race, so is he equally a benefactor who can so economise
either food or fuel that half the quantity will do the work of the whole ; but we will
refer to the subject of close stoves more fully when speaking of kitchen utensils in
There is one method of cookirg to which we must refer before passing on to the
general principles to be observed in cooking vegetables, and that is exposing meat to
the heat of an oven which is heated on the outside by steam instead of fire.
This is, in fact, the principle of Captain Warren's cooking pot. The joint is placed
in an inner chamber, the outside of which is surrounded with steam. Consequently
the joint is cooked in its own juice and vapours. The invention is valuable, owing
to the very important fact that it is the most economical way of cooking possible. At
the same time it gives, comparatively speaking, but little trouble to the cook.
Should it be wished that the joint should be a roast one, it has to be taken out
of the cooking pot and browned. However, when this is done the joint cannot com-
pare to one roasted before an open fij-e, or baked in one of the new ovens. I would
therefore recommend, when Captain "Warren's cooking pot is used, to keep as much
as possible to the plan of eating the joint simply as it is, as browning the outside
merely makes it a sort of compromise between a roast leg of mutton and a boiled
one. One other advantage possessed by Captain Warren's cooking pot is that the
lid is so constructed that while the meat is cooking in the inner chamber vegetables
can be cooked by steam in a chamber above.
VEGETABLES.
These may roughly be divided for cookmg purposes into two classes, viz., roots and
greens ; the chief point of distinction between the two being that in cooking the
latter class due attention must be given to the fact, that a good colour is an
important point for consideration.
Page 63
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The question as to whether open stoves or shut stoves are the best is of course a most important one. Economy of fuel, now that the price of coals has reached what it has, is quite as important as economy of food. There cannot be any doubt that to English minds the open fire-places in sitting-rooms and bed-rooms convey an idea of real comfort that the close stoves met with abroad utterly fail to give ; and it will probably be many years before these stoves are introduced in English households. Not so, however, kitchen ranges. The advantages of a close range over an open one
lii cassell's dictionary of cookery.
are so enormous, that there can be but little doubt that before long they will universally be used throughout the kingdom. One very obvious advantage they possess is that of cleanliness. The outsides of saucepans used with close stoves do not get encrusted with soot like those that are placed over open fires. Again, in using shut-up ranges all fear of any dishes being sent up smoky is done away with. But of course the chief point in their favour is economy of fuel ; and it should be remembered that economy in the necessaries of life is a duty. Just as that man who could cause two grains of corn to grow where only one grew before is a real benefactor to the human race, so is he equally a benefactor who can so economise either food or fuel that half the quantity will do the work of the whole ; but we will refer to the subject of close stoves more fully when speaking of kitchen utensils in
There is one method of cooking to which we must refer before passing on to the general principles to be observed in cooking vegetables, and that is exposing meat to the heat of an oven which is heated on the outside by steam instead of fire. This is, in fact, the principle of Captain Warren's cooking pot. The joint is placed in an inner chamber, the outside of which is surrounded with steam. Consequently the joint is cooked in its own juice and vapours. The invention is valuable, owing to the very important fact that it is the most economical way of cooking possible. At the same time it gives, comparatively speaking, but little trouble to the cook.
Should it be wished that the joint should be a roast one, it has to be taken out of the cooking pot and browned. However, when this is done the joint cannot compare to one roasted before an open fire, or baked in one of the new ovens. I would therefore recommend, when Captain "Warren's cooking pot is used, to keep as much as possible to the plan of eating the joint simply as it is, as browning the outside merely makes it a sort of compromise between a roast leg of mutton and a boiled one. One other advantage possessed by Captain Warren's cooking pot is that the lid is so constructed that while the meat is cooking in the inner chamber vegetables can be cooked by steam in a chamber above.
VEGETABLES.
These may roughly be divided for cooking purposes into two classes, viz., roots and greens ; the chief point of distinction between the two being that in cooking the latter class due attention must be given to the fact, that a good colour is an important point for consideration.