A text-book of cooking

1. Have the food heated thoroughly before placing in the fireless cooker. If the foods are small, as cereals, 5 minutes' boiling is usually sufficient cooking on the range ; if large in size, as a piece of beef, 30 minutes is required to heat it through. 2. After heating, place the covered kettle containing the food into the cooker immediately. It is well to have the cooker near the range so as to waste but little heat while getting the food into the cooker. 3. The kettle should be well filled. A small quantity of food should not be placed in a large kettle. It is possible, however, to fill the large kettle almost full of boiling water, CEREALS AND THE FIRELESS COOKER 49 then rest a wire rack on the rim of the kettle and place a small pan containing the food in the wire rack. (See Fig. 19.) Or place the food in a pan with sloping sides and broad rim, such as a " pudding pan," which may be set in the large kettle so as to rest on the rim. 4. Do not open the cooker to " see how the food is getting along." If the box is opened, the food must be removed at once. The food may, however, be reheated and returned to the cooker. It is sometimes necessary to follow this plan, where food requires very long cooking. 5. The length of time a food must be left in the fireless cooker varies with the kind of food and style of cooker. In many of the homemade boxes, the water does not remain hot enough for cooking after 12 hours; in some, for not more than 8 hours. If foods require longer cooking than this, they should be removed and reheated as mentioned above. Food should never be allowed to become cool in a fireless cooker. Every thrifty housekeeper should possess and use a fireless cooker. It saves fuel, prevents the strong odor of food penetrating all parts of the house, lessens work and care in cooking, prevents burning and scorching, and provides workers and picknickers with warm lunches. A fireless cooker can be made satisfactorily at home with little expenditure of effort and money. Detailed directions for making a fireless cooker are given in several popular books. It has been found that paper crumpled so as to afford considerable air space is a satisfactory non-conducting material for a tireless cooker. CORN MEAL MUSH 4 cupfuls boiling water 1 cupful corn meal 1 teaspoonful salt Mix the ingredients in the small pan of the fireless cooker and cook directly over the flame of a range, boiling for 5 minutes, and stirring occasionally. Cover and place in the large kettle of the fireless cooker which contains boiling water. Place in a fireless cooker for 5 to 10 hours. If corn meal mush is to be cooked in a double boiler, prepare according to the general rule for cereals and cook over boiling water for at least 3 hours. CEREALS AND THE FIRELESS COOKER 51 CORN MEAL MUSH FOR "FRYING »» 2 cupfuls corn meal 2 teaspoonfuls salt 2 tablespoonf uls flour 2 cupfuls cold water 1 quart boiling water Mix the dry ingredients, add the cold water, and mix thoroughly. Place the boiling water in the small pan of the fireless cooker. Stir the corn meal mixture into the boiling water and cook 10 minutes directly over the flame, stirring constantly. Cover and place in the large kettle of boiling water. Place in the fireless cooker 5 to 10 hours. Remove the pan of mush from the water and allow the mush to cool. Corn Meal Mush for frying may be prepared in a double boiler according to the recipe given above. Cook it for several hours over boiling water. RICE AND TOMATOES \1 cupful rice 1 cupful tomatoes 1 tablespoonful butter 1 teaspoonful salt 1 slice onion J teaspoonful celery salt 1 J cupfuls boiling water \ teaspoonful pepper