FoodNetArchive

The national course in home economics

1917

Page 337

Presented as published in 1917. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
The use of the fireless cooker is spreading rapidly, on account of its obvious saving in fuel, time, work and worry. It consists of a box or chest packed with a good non-conductor of heat, into which a kettle containing the food heated to the boiling point is placed. The lid, consisting of the same non-conducting material, is closed, and the heat cannot escape, conse- quently the water in the kettle remains at the boiling point for several hours, and the food is bound to cook the same as if it were on the stove. These cookers are now being manufactured by many firms. Among the best are the Duplex Stove, manufactured by The Durham Manufacturing Co. of Muncie, Ind., and the Ideal Fireless Cook Stove, made by The Toledo Cooker Co. of Toledo, Ohio. In the fireless cooker, there is no evaporation. All the goodness and flavor of the food is retained by this slow and thorough mode of cooking. Onions and cabbage may be cooked without the odor permeating the house. While doing the morning dishes, you can cook what you want for the next meal, put the kettles in the fireless cooker, and attend to other things, or go out, without the slightest anxiety, and at meal time find it hot and deli'ciously cooked. You can cook the oatmeal, or any cereal for five minutes at night, put it in the fireless cooker, and find it thoroughly cooked and hot at any time in the morning when needed. You can cook a boiled dinner, on a hot summer day, without any odor or heat in your kitchen. All this can be done on a fireless cooker. 486a 486b FIRELESS COOKERY In the modern fireless cookstove food may be roasted, baked, steamed, stewed or boiled. In it can be cooked fish, oysters, clams and all sea-foods; baked beans; vegetable dinner; beef, pork, mutton, spare ribs, ham, chicken, duck, goose, turkey, squabs — meats, fowls and poultry of every description; corn, peas, beets, beans, squash, cabbage, turnips, onions, all vegetables and garden sauce; oatmeal, cracked wheat, barley, rice, hominy, every kind of breakfast food ; soup, broth, meat juices, etc. ; bread, cake, pies and puddings of every kind; custards, fruit sauces, etc. All foods are better when cooked in a fireless range. How to Prepare the Food. — Prepare the food for fireless cooking as you would for the old style stove, using your favorite recipe or the recipe of any standard cookbook. Fireless cooking does not demand any new knowl- edge about the preparation of the food. Utensils to Be Used. — A standard equipment of aluminum kettles is usually furnished with a good modern fireless stove, but any utensil that will fit in the cooking compartment may be used. Three Methods of Cooking. — In a typical modern fireless range, three methods are employed for cooking. One is with heated disks or radiators only, and the food is placed in the range cold and raw. The second method is to first heat the food, or bring it to the boiling point and place it in the fireless range without the heated radiators. The third method is a combination: The food is heated or brought to the boiling point, and placed in the fireless range with heated radiators. The first method is used for roasting and baking meats and fowls, bread, cake, pies, tomatoes, potatoes, macaroni, beans, etc. — for all foods that are roasted or baked. The second method is used for all foods that are boiled; meats, vege- tables, cereals, etc