by the heated bricks. The later brick ovens, still used
in some old houses, often had space underneath for
a separate fire.
An Oven. Showing Direction of the Hot Gases.
For the open fire, wood is the most satisfactory fuel
but it is not desirable for continuous use in cooking or
heating'. Wood is sold by measure, which is an in-
accurate method at best. The drier the wood the better
it burns, and a hard wood which produces coals is
most useful.
When wood is heated and the volatile portions ex-
pelled, charcoal is produced. This is usually sold by
measure. Its weight is about one-fifth that of the wood
from which it is made. It is a primitive form of fuel
and generally used in warm countries. A succession
of small fires which can be quickly lighted and as
Wood
as Fuel
PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY.
quickly extinguished are more suitable to such condi-
tions than the one large stove or range.
The small stoves used today by the Latin races and
their colonies do not differ materially from those of
the early Romans,
charcoal The charcoal broiler is used by many hotels because
of the flavor it appears to develop in meats.
Peat is an important fuel in some sections of the
world. It must be thoroughly drained or dried, and
at best contains a large percentage of ash.
Both anthracite and bituminous coal have been in
common use for less than a hundred years.
Hard coal A dense solid, like hard coal, kindles slowly but
requires far less care to maintain a fire than wood.
Coal is a better fuel for winter than summer. If the
lumps of coal are too large they will not kindle readily ;
if too small, they choke the flame. The large nut and
egg grades are best suited to cooking purposes. The
draft and size of the fire box determine the size- and
grade to be used for good results. The free burning
"Franklin" coal should be used with poor draft, while
with a good draft and large fire box all grades and the
larger sizes may be used. A dark brilliant coal will
have fewest clinkers. The intense heat resulting from
open drafts fuses in large masses the foreign matter
which is mixed with the carbon. By burning oyster
shells in such cases, new compounds are formed which
prevent the clinkers, but the clinkers seldom form with
a moderate supply of air.
Soft Coal
and
Ranges
FIRE. 5
.Soft coal needs very different treatment from hard.
Little draft underneath is required, but some draft is
necessary over the top to burn the gases given off, and
the funnel draft must be open to allow the smoke to
escape. If the coal has "coked" over on top it must
be broken up when good fire is required. If the fire
is to be kept, it is allowed to coke over.
Briquettes are made from coal dust and other sub-
stances and are used extensively in places where coal
is high priced.
The wood and coal stoves and ranges are today the stoves
most common means of cooking foods. Housekeepers
often become familiar with one stove and one kind of
fuel and are unsuccessful with another because they
are unwilling to study the laws of nature, or lack the
patience to experiment with a new adaptation of them.
Page 2
Presented as published in 1910. 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
by the heated bricks. The later brick ovens, still used in some old houses, often had space underneath for a separate fire.
[illustration: An Oven. Showing Direction of the Hot Gases.]
For the open fire, wood is the most satisfactory fuel but it is not desirable for continuous use in cooking or heating'. Wood is sold by measure, which is an inaccurate method at best. The drier the wood the better it burns, and a hard wood which produces coals is most useful.
When wood is heated and the volatile portions expelled, charcoal is produced. This is usually sold by measure. Its weight is about one-fifth that of the wood from which it is made. It is a primitive form of fuel and generally used in warm countries. A succession of small fires which can be quickly lighted and as
Wood as Fuel
quickly extinguished are more suitable to such conditions than the one large stove or range.
The small stoves used today by the Latin races and their colonies do not differ materially from those of the early Romans, charcoal The charcoal broiler is used by many hotels because
of the flavor it appears to develop in meats.
Peat is an important fuel in some sections of the world. It must be thoroughly drained or dried, and at best contains a large percentage of ash.
Both anthracite and bituminous coal have been in common use for less than a hundred years. Hard coal. A dense solid, like hard coal, kindles slowly but
requires far less care to maintain a fire than wood. Coal is a better fuel for winter than summer. If the lumps of coal are too large they will not kindle readily ; if too small, they choke the flame. The large nut and egg grades are best suited to cooking purposes. The draft and size of the fire box determine the size- and grade to be used for good results. The free burning "Franklin" coal should be used with poor draft, while with a good draft and large fire box all grades and the larger sizes may be used. A dark brilliant coal will have fewest clinkers. The intense heat resulting from open drafts fuses in large masses the foreign matter which is mixed with the carbon. By burning oyster shells in such cases, new compounds are formed which prevent the clinkers, but the clinkers seldom form with a moderate supply of air.
Soft Coal
and Ranges
.Soft coal needs very different treatment from hard. Little draft underneath is required, but some draft is necessary over the top to burn the gases given off, and the funnel draft must be open to allow the smoke to escape. If the coal has "coked" over on top it must be broken up when good fire is required. If the fire is to be kept, it is allowed to coke over.
Briquettes are made from coal dust and other substances and are used extensively in places where coal is high priced.
The wood and coal stoves and ranges are today the stoves most common means of cooking foods. Housekeepers often become familiar with one stove and one kind of fuel and are unsuccessful with another because they are unwilling to study the laws of nature, or lack the patience to experiment with a new adaptation of them.