Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/677

 Fitting in the can. The box must be packed with hay as closely as possible, since the hay is the non-conductive mediuin will answer the purpose very well. To fit inside this may be provided a covered china pot of a smaller size and not so high. This may be used for cooking smaller quantities of food than would fill the can, or to make a second compartment. A Avire rack, which will fit over the top of this inner pot and yet allow the lid of the can to close, is a useful addition for holding a pud- ding-basin or a number of small pudding cups. The Utensils to Use After a little while, probably, it will be found worth while to have special utensils made, and these may be of fireproof earthen- Dishing up a steaming hot dinner from the cooker. No attention need be given to the food from the moment it is placed in the cooker till it is taken out of it waie, aluminium, or any other material which may specially commend itself as suitable. However, the housewife will naturally prefer to try her first experiments with the cooking- box as cheaply as possible, and even with the simple articles mentioned here quite excellent results can be obtained. Any food which has a strong salt or acid flavour should by prefer- ence be cooked in the china pot, lest by long contact with the tin it might acquire an unpleasant taste. Of course, to cook food in the box requires much more time than would be necessary on the fire. This might be a disadvantage but for the fact that the cooking entirely looks after itself. Once the food is put away, it will need no further attention until the time comes for serving it, which is a special advantage of fireless cooking for busy people KITCHEN AND OOOKIRV who are occupied in other ways during the day-time. Experience is the bf st guide bv which to time the various articles of food, tvorything must be brought quite to the boil on the fire before putting into the cooking-box, and certain substances, .such as joints of meat, which are close and dense in texture, will require to boil for a little time in order that they may be really hot right through to the centre. Half an hour would not bt: too long for a large joint of meat, and then it may be set in the cooking-box for twelve hours or more. A smaller joint would, of course, not need cooking so long. After a great time in the cooking-box, it may be found necessary to re-heat the food, but it will keep very hot for several hours. Food in small pieces, or vegetables, need be boiled only for a minute or so before being placed in the box, and here they may remain from two to twelve hours, the length of process being regulated according to the quickness of cooking in the ordinary way. Potatoes would take about two hours. Fortunately, it is not easy to overdo things in the cooking-box, and it is better to err on the safe side. Puddings may also be cooked in the box, only, should they contain baking- powder or eggs, they must be allowed to boil on the fi.re a sufficient time to enable them to rise. Hints on Useing: tlie Box It is very important to make all speed in transferring the boiling can from the fire to the box. Hesitation at this critical time will mean certain failure. It is also neces- sary to fill all the utensils to the brim, so that there may not be a particle of unnecessary air space, and all the lids must fit closely. Any ordinary recipes may be used, and food cooked in this way will not suffer either in flavour or nourishment. On the contrary. after a long period in the cooking-box, tough meat will become tender and digestible, while vegetables thus prepared arc delicious. The cooking-box must on no account be opened while it is working, but must be left with the lid tightly closed until the con- tents are required for serving. Removins a joint of meat from the cooker. Meat cooked in c; way |o««s neither flavour nor nourishment