Gilpin observer., 1907-10-17
CASSEROLE COOKING
A DELICIOUS FLAVOR IMPORTED
TO ALL KINDS OF FOOD.
The Idea Recently Imported to This
Country from France-Has Sue
ceeded the Chatting Dish.

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There is nothing that imparts to
food a more savory and delicious
flavor than to cook it en- casserole
Not that there Is any peculiar spiel
ness hidden in the rough sides Of this
foreign cooking utensil The casserole
possesses no magical powers, but 1t
has very delightful way all its own
Of retaining and blending the natural
1t brings out others that are entirely
lost In the ordinary method of pre-
pairing meats and vegetables. The
casserole marks a new era in the his
tory of cuisine. 1t has changed the
routine Of the family domestic and
1t has educated the taste of the men,
bers around the dinner tables, as well
as of the habitues Of good restaurants,
for the casserole is the favorite dish
Of the lovers of excellent food. 1t is
the pet dish of the gourmet En- cas-
serole is the way to prepare a bird, "a
specially fine bit of meat or vegetables
to tempt the most jaded appetite and
to p.ease the palate of the epicure.
With steaming and savory casserole
before one the worries of the moment
are forgotten. Ambrosia and nectar
even seem insipid when compared
with the relish held within the bulg-
ing sides of common clay casserole.
Cooking en- casserole is an idea
adopted from the worlds best chefs,
those of France. 1t is simple to do
and it is economical, while the dish
itself is so cheap that Americans hesi-
tate to have 1t served in it's natural
form at the dinner table and seek to
hide its roughness with costly orna-
mentation. The ideal French casserole
is shallow yellow earthenware dish
privided with stubby handle which
is part of the earthenware dish it
self. The outside of the common cas-
serole is quite rough, and it has a por-
GUS appearance which may have
something to do with the way the
casserole cooks whatever is put into
1t. The inside is glazed and usually
has reddish brown color. An ordi-
nary casserole costs about 40 cents
and larger ones come to a dollar or
more, and the ordinary kind is quite
the best to use for cooking
Until recently casseroles were rath-
er difficult to buy in this country. Few
of the department stores and shops
devoted to cooking paraphernalia car
ried them, and those who were we'd
ded to casserole cooking had to hunt
these earthenware dishes in little out
of-the-way places in the French quar-
ter of the city. There is a casserole
headquarters in quaint French shop
just south of Washington square navy
yard which has long been the Mecca
OF the casserole devotees. There you
cNl get casseroles in every size, rang
ing from the tiny individual one that
is scarcely three inches in diameter,
and yet is an exact copy of the larger
ones, even to the handle to casseroles
measuring about IS inches across and
with a capacity that would satisfy a
fair sized camping party. Some of
these casseroles are deeper than 9TH
ers. though all are comparatively shall
low and have sides that round up
slightly over the top. They come with
and without covers, but whether you
provide yourself with an esrthenware
cover to match before beginning your
apprenticeship to the casserole, it is
well to understand that part of the
secret of cooking en- casserole is in
having the dish covered while 1t is
in the oven.
The casserole has succeeded the
chatting dish to a great extent and
instead of the old time alcohol and
double pan nickel affairs, without
which no bachelor apartment or col
lege room was considered completely
equipped. casseroles mounted some
thing like chafing dishes are being
sold. The casserole part is the same
as those that are offered in the little
French shop, but it is set on hand
some copper. brass or nickel supports.
1t is provided with large alcohol
lamp. a spoon. fork and a metal or
earthenware cover. Anything that can
be cooked in a chatting dish can be
cooked as well, IL not better. in a cas-
serole. while there are many dishes
that lend themselves to the casserole
only.