Gas ranges, cooking and heating stoves, have now
attained to such a high degree of perfection, and
them variety is so great, that to describe them all
w°uld be a thankless task; therefore the reader is
.strong^ recommended to pay a visit to the Showroom
ot the Gas Company, where he will assuredly find the
range or stove most suitable to his requirements
6
TIIE HOUSEHOLD
HOW TO USE A GAS COOKING
RANGE.
There are many who use gas cookers, and are still
not thoroughly acquainted with all the details con¬
cerning their use. P'or these, the following instruc¬
tions will not only be found useful, but the general
methods of dealing with the various branches of
cookery by gas should be carefully studied, as success
is largely dependent on the close attention to what
appears to be mere details, which are really matters
of vital importance : —
Cleaning. — The oven should be w^ell washed out
with some hot water and soda after roasting meats,
etc., so that all traces of grease be removed. If there
is not time to do this, rub the interior of the oven and
racks with a newspaper; this will absorb all grease,
etc., and the stove can be washed out later. The
exterior of the stove should also be kept scrupulously
clean, and the grids and gas rings be brushed occa¬
sionally.
Taps . — There is a special tap for the oven, and also
one for each boiling burner on the top, and for the
griller. Care should be taken to see that all the
taps are turned off when the stove is not in use.
To Heat the Oven. — Light a match or (preferably)
a wtix taper, open the oven door, turn on the oven
tap, and light all the jets that are inside (the flames
should be about one inch long). The oven will be
fully hot in fifteen minutes. Directly it is ready for
cooking, reduce the gas about one-half. The oven
contains one solid or browning shelf and two open or
grid shelves. Wherever the solid shelf is placed in
the oven, the heat of the oven is divided; so that the
GAS COOKERY BOOK.
7
greater proportion of the heat is kept below, and there
is considerably less heat above. A tin of water in the
oven when cooking is quite unnecessary. The
dripping-pan must always be in its place underneath
the stove.
ROASTING.— Light the gas and turn it full on in the
oven, then close the door for ten to fifteen minutes.
Put the joint in the oven, hanging it, on the hook pro¬
vided, to one of the shelves or to the top of the oven
according to the size of the joint. Meat roasted in a
gas oven requires only ten minutes to the pound, such
as shoulder or neck of mutton, etc., but thicker pieces,
viz., sirloin of beef or legs of mutton would require a
little longer. On putting a large joint in the
oven to roast, allow the gas to be full on for five
minutes, in order to thoroughly seal up the meat out¬
side and form a casing to keep in the red juices.
Then lower the gas one-half. Wring a cloth
out in hot water and wipe the meat over
thoroughly before cooking, in order to have it
perfectly clean. If roasting a leg of mutton, hang
the leg the thickest end upward so that the greatest
heat of the oven, which is at the top, shall be at the
thickest end of the meat ; the shank bone being down
by the gas burners, where the heat is less, every part
will be evenly cooked.
Page 2
Presented as published in 1900. 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
Gas ranges, cooking and heating stoves, have now attained to such a high degree of perfection, and the variety is so great, that to describe them all w°uld be a thankless task; therefore the reader is strongly recommended to pay a visit to the Showroom ot the Gas Company, where he will assuredly find the range or stove most suitable to his requirements
HOW TO USE A GAS COOKING
RANGE.
There are many who use gas cookers, and are still not thoroughly acquainted with all the details con¬ cerning their use. P'or these, the following instruc¬ tions will not only be found useful, but the general methods of dealing with the various branches of cookery by gas should be carefully studied, as success is largely dependent on the close attention to what appears to be mere details, which are really matters of vital importance : —
Cleaning. — The oven should be well washed out with some hot water and soda after roasting meats, etc., so that all traces of grease be removed. If there is not time to do this, rub the interior of the oven and racks with a newspaper; this will absorb all grease, etc., and the stove can be washed out later. The exterior of the stove should also be kept scrupulously clean, and the grids and gas rings be brushed occa¬ sionally.
Taps . — There is a special tap for the oven, and also one for each boiling burner on the top, and for the griller. Care should be taken to see that all the taps are turned off when the stove is not in use.
To Heat the Oven. — Light a match or (preferably) a wax taper, open the oven door, turn on the oven tap, and light all the jets that are inside (the flames should be about one inch long). The oven will be fully hot in fifteen minutes. Directly it is ready for cooking, reduce the gas about one-half. The oven contains one solid or browning shelf and two open or grid shelves. Wherever the solid shelf is placed in the oven, the heat of the oven is divided; so that the
greater proportion of the heat is kept below, and there is considerably less heat above. A tin of water in the oven when cooking is quite unnecessary. The dripping-pan must always be in its place underneath the stove.
ROASTING.— Light the gas and turn it full on in the oven, then close the door for ten to fifteen minutes. Put the joint in the oven, hanging it, on the hook pro¬ vided, to one of the shelves or to the top of the oven according to the size of the joint. Meat roasted in a gas oven requires only ten minutes to the pound, such as shoulder or neck of mutton, etc., but thicker pieces, viz., sirloin of beef or legs of mutton would require a little longer. On putting a large joint in the oven to roast, allow the gas to be full on for five minutes, in order to thoroughly seal up the meat out¬ side and form a casing to keep in the red juices. Then lower the gas one-half. Wring a cloth out in hot water and wipe the meat over thoroughly before cooking, in order to have it perfectly clean. If roasting a leg of mutton, hang the leg the thickest end upward so that the greatest heat of the oven, which is at the top, shall be at the thickest end of the meat ; the shank bone being down by the gas burners, where the heat is less, every part will be evenly cooked.