South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-20
Cooking On Bosom
OfOld Mother Earth
One of Chief Delights of
Camping is Meal Prepared
Before Open Fire.

Cooking in the open air is a de-
lightful side of outdoor life in the
summer and those who love the real
gypsy thing scOrn the oil stove used
by amateur campers. a fire is made |
on the bosom Of good old Mother |
Earth and the campers or picnickers
who can arrange il so that the smoke |
will be carried away in some simple |
and sensible manner Is the one who
after the cook is the most necessary
10 the party. A fireplace with q CHM
ney behind can be made of stones and
mud in a few minutes by several pairs
Of hands but il must be placed so that
the wind will be behind the cook At
ter the wood has burned down 10 Goals
the ordinary camp fire put over stones
or between them is useful and an iron
griddle, a frying pan and a coffee or
tea pot are the chief tools needed for
quite a good meal. But before you
make the fire find out if a permit is
required as il would be in the Adiron-
dacks and other densely crowded dis
tricts. A forest fire may be a great
tragedy and when il is caused by a
wilful carelessness it becomes a crime
punishable by a considerable fine.
Here are some recipes for the vaca-
ton cooking spree done under lawful
conditions.
HOECAKE-Take two cups of corn
meal and pour over it enough boiling
water TO wet it and swell the grain.
Then mix to the consistency Of a thin
batter with more hot water adding
salt TO taste. Heat the griddle quite
not over the gypsy camp fire, grease
It with a bit of salt pork and then
pour on the corn batter in a thin sake.
When the cake Is parched on one
side turn on the other and serve hot
with butter. 1t takes about five min
utes to cook each cake but if it is
made the size of a large griddle it will
do for three persons.
FRIED FISH-If a supply Of fresh
finny creatures is handy whether
these are caught by the party or not,
a dish of hot fried fish will prove a
delicious event at an open air meal.
After the fish have been scaled and
cleaned wash them in several cold
waters and then dry thoroughly on a
clean cloth. Use the small ones en-
tire. leaving on the heads and cut the
others in fair sized pieces. Salt and
pepper, and dip lightly in cOrnmeal.
Then try out little salt pork on the
frying pan and when there is enough
fat fry the fish a nice brown on both
sides. Serve them on little wooden
plates, covering each with a big clean
oak leaf.
STEAMED MUSSELS-Visitor to
the seashOre are we'll acquainted with
some belief in their being unfit for the
human stomach make the most delici-
Gus eating. The safest supply is
gathered by the big rocks submerged
by the tides with the gathering OF
course done at low tide. Take
the mussels with shells fast Cl,
for when the shell is open and cor
apart easily this denotes that the aau
has died natural death. Wash the
muSsels off first in sea water freeing
them from weeds and mud with an
old kitchen knife. Then give them
several baths in fresh water. Put half
a cup of water. cover the vessel and
set it over the fire for steaming. In
10 or Is minutes every mussel shell
Will be open and there Will be de-
| lectable supply of Juice in the pot
Have some drawn butter ready and
eat the mUssels hot and directly from
the pot from the shell. digging them
out with toothpicks or oyster forks
and dipping each in butter. They can
be served in bowls. just as they are
| in the shells with a liberal supply of
| the hot liquor over them. Delicious
/ flavOrings for musselS cooked in this
manner are a glass of white wine and
| a squeeze of lemon juice both of
which are dumped into the bowl Of
each person. As soon as the mussels
get cold they lose much Of their deli
cacy but fine fritters can always be
made of the ones left over.
! CHOPS OR STEAK-Either Of
these meats can be admirably cooked
on a griddle without the use of any
! grease, thus initiating broil very
! successfully Get the briddle quite
! hot before the meat is put on It. then
as soon as one side is scared turn it
! and scar the other. Pepper and salt
and butter after the cooking and let
| the meat draw Juices for a moment in
a tin plate put near the fire.