The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-10-31

IN the facG that the neat slowly peDe-
trates every part of the bread and
thoroughly cooks it. The sweet favor
is impaired to the bread by the partial
chemical change by which the starchy
part is changed to dextrine-the inter-
mediate stage between starch and grade
sugar. There is an entire absence of the
hard, thick crust with which we are all
familiar with bread baked in an ordina.
~ oven. This crust forms a good nom
conductor, preventing the heat from cir
culating freely through the bread. Be-
cause of this the yeast plant is not al
ways killed, but fermentation goes on
while the gases cannot escape. The re-
suit is loaf Of bread, heavy and with
an acid taste, calculated to produce in
digestion, if nothing worse.
Again, low degree of heat applied to
meat and fish cooks them without caus
ing the distillation of their juices or
their havors. The fats do not crack"
that is no chemical change is produced
by which the fats are separated, the vol
atile parts passing off as vapor, while q
residuum IAN oily substance disagreea-
BILE to the taste) is left behind, 1t is evil
dent that fine htvors depend upon the
exact degree of heat applied to them. 1t
requires experience in the art of cooking
10 know the exact amount of heat that
will develop true fl .vors, or the temper
ature at which fats are dissOciated. Ger
tain articles If foodrequire much long
er time to cook than others. Corn beef
must cook all day in closed vessel con
tanning Ii tie water. Meats require to
be cook about as long again as in the
ordinary ov n, and vegetables proper
tionately longer than either bread or
meat. Meats may be cooked in their
own juices. The idea is prevalent, but
it is a mistaken one, hit finest
cuts or the highesl-prlced pieces of meat
are the very best; they are no more juicy
and nutriii ,us than the cheaper, coarser
pieces. When cooked in the Aladdin
Oven the toughest meat is rendered ten
der. Another advantage of moderate
heat is that the juices and fiavors are all
retained. TO, d warmed over is as palata-
BILE and enj 'yabie as on the day it was
first served.
In an address to be delivered at an
early day before the American Public
Health Association Mr.. Atkinson gives
much special information in regard to
the improved methods of cooking. He
decl res that more food material is pro-
duced in this country than in any other
civilized country on the globe, and more
than one-half of the average income Uf
80 per cent. of it's inhabitants is spent in
purchasing it. But from the lack of
knowing how 10 rightly prepare and
cook their food products great waste re-
sults, and consI qu mt poverty. There is
no subject of more vital Importance at
the present day than the one of the prop
er application of heat TO cooking pur-
pores, and the right degree and the prop
er time necessary to produce the chemi-
cal change needed TO render the food
nutricious.
The degree of heat Is determined by a
thermometer. An oven thermometer
obtained from England j. euaged from
200 to 900 Fahrenheit. On this ther-
memeter are marked the degrees to
which meats, pastry apd bread must be
subjected to be properly cooked. Mr..
Atkinson dees not think that the lowest
point at which heat will do its proper
proper work is 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
He has experimental with tough beef
placed in vessels air-tight or as nearly
air tight as possible, and found that by
subj'cting them to heat at lSO to 100 de-
grees Fahrenheit the meat was rendered
very nutritious, and none of the favor
was lost. The true science of cooking
consists of regulating. controlling and
applying heat so that the proper chemi-
cal change shall take place. When a
low degree is applied it Is accompanied
k,,, sal 81 m
high degree is applied the juices are dis
titled and the fats are dissocated.
The principles of the science of cook
ing are stated by Mr.. Atkinson in very
explicit terms !:
First. The heat should be derived
from fuel which can be wholly converted
into the product OF complete combus ion
without any chimney except that of the
lamp or burner. The fault with coal,
especially anthracite, IL that it is not
evenly consumed, but the chimney also
carries off the greater part of the heat.
II is very evident that the crude COM
bustion of coal and the direct applica-
ton of the heat generated, will ere long,
give way to more scientific methods OF
consuming the gaseous products and OF
deriving the heat from the final COM
bustion of the gaseous products in all
the arts. In the manner of cooking,
kerosene oil burned IN any one of the
types of lamp which have central duct
to convery oxygen from below to the in
side of circular wick, when properly
trimmed and served with well distilled
oil, gives substantially perfect combus-
tion. The same may be said Of illumi-
mating gas when used in one of the
burners of the Bunsen type, which sup
ply an excess of oxygen and yield the
blue flame. The combustion of oil and
gas can be brought under absolute con.
troll by gauging the size of the wick OI
burner to The work to be done.
Second. The oven in which the food
is to be subjected to this measurable and
comfortable source Of the heat must be
so constructed that the heat impaired to
it may be entrspped and accumulated
up to a certain measure or degree and
then maintained at that temperature
without substantial variation until the
work is done. This can be done by jack
etIng the oven in a suitable way with
material which is sincombustible and also
a non conductor OF heat.
Third. There should be no direct
communication between the oven or re-
oeptacle in which the food is placed and
the source of heat, lest the products ol
incomplete combustion should some
times taint The food, and lest the food
should be exposed to being in places
burned or scorched.
The conditions have been carried ouI
in the Aladdin Cooker and Aladdin
Oven, which seem to me to be rightly
named, for by their aid magic results are
certainly obtained.
Mr.. Atkinson's invaluable inventions
are not patented. They are free-wil
and good will offerings to the American
people.