The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-02-09
PAPER BAG
COOKING
Great System Perfected by M.
S0yer, Famous London Chef.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR PA.
PER BAG COOKING.
BY M. soyer, Chef of Brooks Club,
London.

p do not claim for the paper-ba,
system of cookery that it can cool
everything. 1t is evident that te,
must still be made in the teapot
Generally speaking, we may waiv,
our claim to having mastered tn,
difficulty with respect to soups, al
though l have. made beef tea will
excellent results. The following Is
list OF articles that may in the mean
time be avoided:
Soup Except beef teal, omelette
scrambled eggs, jam Except in small
Quantities), Scotch kale, beans, cab
bage. cauliSower, broccoli, artichokes
macaroni or kindred Italian pastes.
The success of the system depends
entirely upon how 1t is carried out
Good cooking requires time, care, at
tentfon to detail, taste and tempera
ture suited to the particular dish
being cooked. Wh2e the paper-bae
system is labor and time saving, as
well as affording more nutritive and
appetizing effects than the present
1t does not abrogate any of the rules
that apply to efficient work at the
kitchen-table.
j The Bag.
Specially prepared bags should be
used. Without them the method can
not be practiced with assurance of
success. The bag should be made OF
materials that guarantee it's purity.
1t should be odorless, and its purity
guarantee that nothing injurious
can possibly be impaired from it to
the food cooked in the bag.
Before using the bags
O Select one that "fits" the food
intended to be cooked:
(2) Grease slightly the inside of
the. bag, except in the case of vege-
tables or when water is added. For
beginners it is advisable. Butter,
lard or dripping may. be used.
(3) When the food has been pre-
pared for the bag, place the same on
the table and lift the uppermost edge
OF the bag while you insert the con-
tents.
(D Fold the mouth of the bag two
or three times and fasten with clip.
Strong wire paper-clips, obtainable of
any stationer, answer the purpose. It
Is desirable to fold the corners Of the
bag so as to secure as near as posi-
BILE hermetical closing.
The Oven.
Practically any oven will do. Paper.
bag cookery is as we'll suited to a gas
stove as 1t Is to a coal oven, an elec-
tric1ty cooker or oil stove, always
provided the necessary heat is Sc
cured. The size of the oven makes
no difference to the cooking, only to
the size Of the article.
Before placing the bag with its
contents into a gas oven, the gas
should be lighted at least eight min
utes beforehand. The average oven
heat should not be less than 200 de-
grees Fahrenheit, and when the bag
Is put into the oven this ought to be
reduced in eight minutes after to ITO
degrees. To find out the correct de.
gree a thermometer. of course, is the
most accurate method; but expert
ence will soon teach the cook what
Is required, and the color assumed by
a piece Of paper placed in the oven
will at once tell whether 1t is too hot
or too cold.
In the case of coal-heated stoves
with solid shelves a wire broiler |
should be used. This should be |
placed on the shelf with the bag con-
tanning the food. It is necessary to |
emphasize the fact that, except in |
the case Of pies, no dish should be |
used.
How to Know when the Food Is
Cooked.
If the timetable is adhered to, the |
bag may be taken out of the oven in |
that the food is we'll |
cooked. But IL from any cause the |
heat declines, 1t is very easy to find |
out whether the food is properly |
cooked. Except in the case of vege-
tables, a little hole can be made in
the bag by which the food can be |
seen and judged as to whether it is |
cooked or not. This will not initiate |
against the cooking of the food in the !
slightest. In many articles, however,
a slight touch Of the bag will indicate |
to an ordinary cook whether the bag |
Is ready to be served A prick with |
a needle is another method that may
be adopted. But peculiarly favor
able feature of paper-bag cookery is
that IL the food is left five or ten
minutes in the bag in the oven longer
than the specified time on my table,
the food will not be spoiled. There is
little chance of overlooking.
Dangers to Be Avoided.
Cooking generally has its dangers,
like other occupations. It is the
beauty Of this system that the dan
gers are reduced to a minimum. One
does not require every now and then
to open the oven door 'to see how
the roast is getting on" The oven
Is doing its>work, because tn whole
force Of the heat is playing upon the
bag and ensuring every part of the
food being properly penetrated.
care should be exer-
cised when opening the oven.
Care, again, should be exercised in
taking the bag out of the oven. A
plate should be placed gently. under
., 10 oI 20 L. /