The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-25

In the matter Of cooking, the world has
had the wood age, the coal age, the gas age,
and it Is entering the electric age, perhaps.
But in the near future there may come
the fireess age, for meals are now beng
prepared for American soldiers in which
fire plays very small part.
1t is fact that the hreless cook stove.
as it is called, has come into service In the
West, and that meat. vegetables and other
foods are actually cooked by it. and cooked
SO thoroughly and palatably that the SOL
ders enjoy meal so cooked better than one
prepared in the usual way.
Out West they call the fireless cook stove
the hay box. Here is the formula for max
ing one of these stoves:
You first get wooden box, the boards OF
which are tightly joined. Any old box
will do, provided it is tight enough and
large enough.
Next you line 1t with two or three thick
nesses Of felt. or, what is better, asbestos
paper. Tho lining ran hA fastened to the
wood with glue, 80 that it is not necessary
to make any holes with nails or tacks
Next you get few armfuls of thoroughly
dried hay stuff it into the box, then get
a piece of cotton batting Of the exact length
and width Of the inside, and your fire.
less cook stove is ready for business.
There are no matches, no gas jet, no
coal blaze, no flaming fagots. You could
set the stove in the middle Of a pile Of gun
powder and cook the meal without the
no warmer than the ordinary air. The
element that does the work is held prisoner
! within.
! Yes, the term fireless cook stove is appro-
pirate, but a little heat is required, just
, enoug h to get he thing started properly,
| Just as you use knitting to light the fire for
breakfast in the morning. This kindling
can be done over gas stove, an oil stove or
/, a bonfire If you wish
Suppose, for instan you want to make
an Irish stew. The potatoes. onions and
any other veget abes are chopped up wit h
the meat and put into the kettle, and enough
! water is added. The cook places the kettle
! over the fire just long enough for the wate r
to begin to bubble, showing that 1t has
reached the boiling point.
Taking the kettle of the fire, he slips II
into hole in the hay box, tucks the hay
snugly around the sines and top, puts the
cotton batting or ct Der cover over all, then
! claps down the covering and latches or locks
| it. That's all The box does the rest and
he can turn Oft the gas cock or dash a pail
of water over the embers. He has no
further Use fer Il G fire.
Suppose tie stew il being made for the
noon elmer. The cook puts it into the be <
anywhere bet ween Q and 10 O'Clock. Just
before he announces that elmer is served
he takes the kettle out Of the box, pours he
stew into the tureer, and when the head OF
the family ladies II out the oder which
arises from 1t ia as appel izing as that OF any
Irish stew ever mace on the most modern
hotel range The mt a and vegetables are
thoroughly done, steaming hot, and Of the
ger''ine flavor.
They are not only cooking Irish stews
and ham, roasting any kind OF meat pro-
vided by the commissary, turning out
Boston baked beans: in short, providing q
menu which is as varied as I he fare Furnished
from the post kitchens, yet it is all done
tho cooking that the War Department