Domestic science (1914 text-book)

Instead of heating the foods to the active cooking point, our grandmothers heated the oven to the cooking point and placed the foods within it. In both cases the principle is the same — the retention of heat. Throughout old Mexico and among the Mexicans and Indians of the southwestern states, the fireless oven is still used extensively. Outside each adobe dwelling, is always an adobe struc- Digitized by Google ture about four feet high and shaped like an old-fashioned beehive. It has an opening at one side and a smaller one near the top. The first is for the building of the pre-baking fire, its removal and to receive the food. The upper opening, which is for the escape of the smoke, is plugged up after the fire is removed. The first step in the development of the fireless cooker was to give permanent form to the "box," and use other means than hay of retaining the heat. These first fireless cookers could neither bake nor roast, but were a great saver of time, energy, and fuel in boiling and stewing. The latest step in the direction of fireless cooking has given us the cooker in which any kind of food may be placed raw and come out cooked to Fig. 34.— Fireless Cooker perfection without having received any attention other than is required to prepare it in the raw state as for ordinary cooking, and heating the radiators, which are the source of heat in the cooker. These radiators are heated like ordinary flatirons in 15 or 20 minutes, are then put in place, the food placed in the accompanying utensils and covered, and the radiators do the rest. The roast is browned as when cooked in the ordinary oven. Meats, poultry, game, fish, bread, cake, pie, vegetables, soup, cereals, in fact, all foods can be cooked in about the same time as required ordinarily and without reheating the radiators. Food, when done, need not be removed from the cooker, but may be left until convenient, for it is claimed that overcooking and burning are impossible. The advantages claimed for the best fireless cookers are that they save at least 75 per cent in fuel alone and a wonderful amount of time, labor, and discomfort. All the nutriment and delicious flavors of foods are preserved and the toughest cuts of meat are made tender and palatable. Digitized by Google Lesson XIX Corn Meal Mush Materials used: I c milk 2 tb com meal i c boiling water | tp salt Utensils needed: Double boiler measuring cup wooden spoon teaspoon tablespoon Work to be done: 1. Fill lower part of double boiler two-thirds full of water and place on fire. 2. Pour milk and i c boiling water into the upper part of double boiler. Set into the lower part and add salt. 3. When hot, add the com meal slowly, stirring all the time, 4. Cook it three to six hours. Fried Corn Meal Mush with Caramel Sauce Materials used: 1 slice cold pressed com meal mush 2 tb sugar J tp cottolene ■ ■■■^^^^^^ ^ ^^ water 1 tp butter ( n!iF:.niil''^^^'^^:pi:Fli WBMMI Utensils needed: i- ok a ^ i Fig. 35.— Spatula , .^ 2 omelet pans case knife spatula teaspoon plate wooden spoon tablespoon bowl Work to be done: 1. Put the cottolene and butter into one of the omelet pans, place on fire, and heat. 2. When hot, add the slice of com meal mush. 3. Brown the mush on one side and then on the other. 4. Heat the bowl and plate by dipping into hot water. Wipe dry. Digitized by Google 5. Place the browned mush on the plate and cover with bowl so that it will keep hot. 6. Put the sugar into the second omelet pan and place on a gentle fire. 7. Stir it constantly to keep it from burning. 8. Keep it on the fire till the sugar is a delicate brown, then add the water and cook about two minutes. 9. Pour over the mush and serve. Principles: