FIRELESS COOKING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18380, 21 April 1923, Page 4 (Supplement)

FIRELESS COOKING.

The fireless cooker, without which no 'American kitchen is complete, seems to be gaining in popularity in other countries. At ordinary times it is a saver of fuel, labour and time. When there is a fuel shortage it is invaluable. It also has the advantage of never scorching or burning food. There are various makes of fireless cookers, but a perfectly reliable one can, be made cheaply at home, says a cookery expert. You need |a - large wooden box with a" lid, or a large wooden butter tub with a cover; an aluminium vessel or earthenware casserole for cooking in, with straight sides and 1 closely-fitted cover; an older vessel or casserole of tho same type, a size larger than > the cooking vessel; a :. supply of newspapers cut into larger squares r and crumpled into hard balls for padding; and a flour sack or unbleached linen cloth for a pillow for the top. A largo enough box or tub ■■: should be chosen to allow 4 two or three inches of space for packing,, at the bottom, the top and round the sides of the vessel. '•< ,''"''

To prepare this cooker for use, pack the , bottom solidly with -paper balls to the |;. depth ;of about three ; inches, = place the V'older vessel exactly in ; the middle, slip ;in the cooking vessel, then pack the space ; round the older vessel solidly with paper ' ' ; balls, make a pillow-case to ' fit the top .f'ot the box or j tub, fill it with paper balls, sew it up. then place it on the top of '. the box and ; cover all .with the „ lid. : i .'ln preparing. dishes for i. the. fireless ;: cooker, the * first principle jis to i bring tho food to the boiling point on the stove '■• or the fire before putting it into the cooker., * Some f foods require ■no more preliminary /"cooking than that. The '• time • needed, however, depends entirely ;on the size of the article to be cooked. Only one rule must be. strictly observed, and that is not to open the vessel during the period of cooking. , . . ' « . r , - - . . .( The fireless cooker takes longer to cook .;.:• a meal ; than does j a stove. 4*. But that does not matter so long as ; the dishes ; are prepared . early enough, and are not consum:'.ing- fuel in the" process. The cooker is really invaluable ' when v the housewife wants to go out for the morning or after- :' noon without ' having .. to ,• hurry i back ; to cook a luncheon or .a dinner. 'With ■ a fireless;. cooker in the kitchen the dinner cooks itself. In experimenting,;;it. will .be; found ; that it is necessary >, to : allow about twice as long for cooking in a fire- '■'*' less cooker ! as for cooking on a fir© or : ; stove.-.■■'. " . --" ..-■ - ■:■■:'.. • l .