Food and freedom

and popular fuels, with the latter, particularly, promising still further economy, relief, and satis- faction for the future. The great needs of the present — conservation of our national resources and freedom for the housekeeper — are definitely recognized in the construction of all the newer stoves in which these fuels are burned. These stoves have all been so perfected, in- cluding automatic operation in clever combina- tion with fireless ovens, with all unnecessary heat radiation carefully controlled, that cooking may be facilitated to a remarkable degree, and fuel economy correspondingly increased. At the same time, all quick-cooking methods — broiling, boil- ing, frying — are perfectly provided for. These stoves are, in addition, so constructed and finished that care and cleaning amount to very little com- pared with the old ' ' stove-polishing ' ' days. Where fireless cooking is not otherwise provided for, a reliable one-, two-, or three-compartment cooker may stand, raised to a convenient height, near the range. Separate gas, oil, or coal water- heaters, operating at low cost, and in cases auto- matically, will supply the needed hot water. Since the use of more than one fuel is prac- ticable in almost all localities, and since each fuel may have certain advantages under certain condi- tions, an intelligent combination of fuels suggests the most satisfactory solution of the cooking I20 FOOD AND FREEDOM problem for man^^ homes. These fuel combina- tions may be : Wood, coal, and gas. • Coal and gas. Coal and oil. Coal and electricity. Oil and electricity. Gas and electricity. Local conditions and individual need or prefer- ence must determine the choice. With each one of these fuels or combinations some means of fireless cooking can be included, resulting in every possible cooking advantage: A warm kitchen in winter. A cool kitchen in summer. An attractive kitchen at all times. An abundant supply of hot water for the large family. Some special convenience for the small family. Some advantage for the housekeeper who is also a business woman outside the home. All degrees of heat for all methods of cooking. Always the maximum economy in fuel, time, and labor. Where the use of coal is desirable, the two- or three-fuel ranges are practical. Either coal or wood, in combination with either gas ox kerosene oil, may be burned in the one range, thus provid- ing the needed heat for a cold kitchen in winter COOKING THE MEALS 121 without a corresponding disadvantage during the summer months. In cases, both fuels may be burned in the one range at the same time, fur- nishing increased cooking capacity without re- quiring increased floor space. Again, under some conditions, instead of investing in one stove of generous capacity that fulfils every cooking need, it may be more convenient, satisfactory, and economical to have two small stoves of distinctly different types. A small electric range with a generous oven, for both baking and broiling, and a one- or two-burner oil-stove, supplemented with a device or two for table cooking — perhaps a chafing-dish and a coffee-pot — may give the acme of cooking comfort and pleasure. .A small gas hot-plate, with a first-class portable oven and an electric table stove or grill, suggests another com- bination possibility.