Generally speaking, there are on the market two kinds of fireless
cookers — ^the cookers, so called, and the calorics. In the former
the food is always heated over a flame before placing it in the
receptacle; in the latter sometimes only the radiators upon which
the pans rest are heated. Baking is possible in the calorics but
not in the others.
The recipes given in this chapter are arranged for the cooker
with radiators; but all of them, with the exception of those for
roasting and baking, can be used for any cooker. Where there
are no radiators, and where you are cooking things which require
a great length of time, it is a good plan to remove the paU from the
cooker when the time is half gone and reheat it over the fire. In
doing so, as in preparing the dish for the cooker in the first place,
the pail must not be uncovered before putting it in the cooker, or
steam will escape and the food cool.
The fireless cookers with radiators are by all means the best,
and soon pay their own way by the saving of fuel; but where it is
not possible to have one of these it is well worth while to have one
of the simple cookers, which are less expensive and which can, with
a little ingenuity, even be made at home. Procure a strong wooden
box, well made, without cracks, and line it thoroughly with pads
61Ied with hay or excelsior and covered with denim or other thick
27 413 -
FIRELESS COOKERY Frmi?ro1 '/our
and closely woven material. Have a closely covered pail, prefer-
ably a double pail of aluminum, to fit into the center and several
pads of various sizes or a feather pillow to tuck over the top. The
lid of the box should fasten down securely with a hasp. If care is
taken to have the outside of the kettle clean and not to spill any
of the contents, the pads will last for some time without renewing.
With the cooker which has one paU within another, so that the
upper one can rest in water, the process of steaming is more per-
fect than where there is but one pail. It has also advantages
where a great deal of cooking is to be done; for soup, for instance,
may be cooking in the lower receptacle while vegetable, meat or
pudding is in the upper.
Certain precautions, it is true, must be observed by the cook
who uses the fireless cooker. In the first place it should not be
used for foods which require a rising temperature or those which
require evaporation or those which might be injured by condensed
steam. Then, too, it must be remembered that a dish left indefi-
nitely in the cooker will sour.
CEREALS
To cook cereals in the cooker to best advantage there should be
a double-boiler receptacle. Fill the large outer pail with water
and bring it to a boil. In the upper vessel put the required amount
of water; stir in the cereal; season to taste; heat and stir slowly
until it begins to thicken — about ten minutes. Place the smaller
kettle inside the larger and set away in the cooker.;, leave over-
night and in the morning beat up well and reheat. If the grains
are desired separate, cook a less time and do not beat.
ARROWROOT GRUEL
2 tablespoons arrowroot 1 teaspoon salt
1 quart boiling water 1 teaspoon sugar
Few drops vanilla✪ Arrowroot Gruel
Page 152 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1913. 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
Generally speaking, there are on the market two kinds of fireless cookers — ^the cookers, so called, and the calorics. In the former the food is always heated over a flame before placing it in the receptacle; in the latter sometimes only the radiators upon which the pans rest are heated. Baking is possible in the calorics but not in the others.
The recipes given in this chapter are arranged for the cooker with radiators; but all of them, with the exception of those for roasting and baking, can be used for any cooker. Where there are no radiators, and where you are cooking things which require a great length of time, it is a good plan to remove the paU from the cooker when the time is half gone and reheat it over the fire. In doing so, as in preparing the dish for the cooker in the first place, the pail must not be uncovered before putting it in the cooker, or steam will escape and the food cool.
The fireless cookers with radiators are by all means the best, and soon pay their own way by the saving of fuel; but where it is not possible to have one of these it is well worth while to have one of the simple cookers, which are less expensive and which can, with a little ingenuity, even be made at home. Procure a strong wooden box, well made, without cracks, and line it thoroughly with pads filled with hay or excelsior and covered with denim or other thick
FIRELESS COOKERY Frmi?ro1 '/our
and closely woven material. Have a closely covered pail, preferably a double pail of aluminum, to fit into the center and several pads of various sizes or a feather pillow to tuck over the top. The lid of the box should fasten down securely with a hasp. If care is taken to have the outside of the kettle clean and not to spill any of the contents, the pads will last for some time without renewing.
With the cooker which has one paU within another, so that the upper one can rest in water, the process of steaming is more perfect than where there is but one pail. It has also advantages where a great deal of cooking is to be done; for soup, for instance, may be cooking in the lower receptacle while vegetable, meat or pudding is in the upper.
Certain precautions, it is true, must be observed by the cook who uses the fireless cooker. In the first place it should not be used for foods which require a rising temperature or those which require evaporation or those which might be injured by condensed steam. Then, too, it must be remembered that a dish left indefinitely in the cooker will sour.
To cook cereals in the cooker to best advantage there should be a double-boiler receptacle. Fill the large outer pail with water and bring it to a boil. In the upper vessel put the required amount of water; stir in the cereal; season to taste; heat and stir slowly until it begins to thicken — about ten minutes. Place the smaller kettle inside the larger and set away in the cooker, leave overnight and in the morning beat up well and reheat. If the grains are desired separate, cook a less time and do not beat.
ARROWROOT GRUEL
2 tablespoons arrowroot 1 teaspoon salt
1 quart boiling water 1 teaspoon sugar
Few drops vanilla
Records on this page
Arrowroot Gruel