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To Toast by Gas

To Toast by Gas image

Toasting by gas is done quickly and easily. Light the oven burners, have the bread cut about 1/2 inch thick. Place it on the broiling rack and run into the broiling oven, about 2 inches from the flame. Leave the door open and do not leave the toast an instant until every piece is out. Watch carefully and when one piece is a nice brown turn and brown the other side. Butter and serve at once. There is a gauze wire toaster made which enables one to toast over the gas flame and which does beautiful work, the gauze wire preventing the flame from reaching the toast.

Boiling Vegetables over Gas

Boiling Vegetables over Gas image

As all vegetables are improved by gentle cooking, care should be taken that the gas flame is turned down as soon as the water surrounding the vegetables is actually boiling, and a moderate heat be employed throughout the process of cooking. This not only insures good results, but also a small gas bill. Three things should always be remembered in cooking by gas. 1st. Do not light the top burners until ready to use them. 2d. When the kettle boils turn the flame down, allowing just enough heat to keep it at boiling point. 3rd. The instant you are through with it turn the gas out. If needed again in a few minutes it is better to relight than to leave it burning.

Baking Pastry by Gas

Baking Pastry by Gas image

Few things require more care in baking than pastry. Before baking it should be thoroughly chilled. Light the oven burners 10 minutes before putting in the pastry, and in five minutes regulate the oven to the proper temperature for baking biscuits, made with baking powder, about 500°. Place the pastry on the middle slide of the oven and when it is well puffed up (in about twelve minutes) turn off some of the gas and finish baking at a lower temperature, about 420°. In baking patty shells, at the end of 12 or 15 minutes they should be well puffed up. At that time reduce the heat and slip a thin sheet of asbestos under the pan, or place it on shelf below the patties, to prevent the bottom from scorching. Bake about 25 minutes.

Baking Cake by Gas

Baking Cake by Gas image

Fully ten minutes before the cake is ready for the oven, light both burners and in five minutes regulate the flame to furnish the desired amount of heat. Better results may usually be obtained by turning off the back burner entirely. A loaf cake containing butter requires the same temperature as for bread, 400°. A layer cake and patty cakes 420°, cookies about 425°. Angel food and sunshine cake, 380°. Cookies should be baked upon the upper slide and other cakes may be baked upon either the middle or upper slide. The heat being more uniform in the upper part of a gas oven. When layer cakes are placed on both slides, better results are obtained, if one tin is not placed immediately over another.

Baking Bread and Rolls in a Gas Range

Baking Bread and Rolls in a Gas Range image

Five or ten minutes before the oven will be needed for baking, light both burners and before placing the article to be baked in the oven, regulate the flame, so as to obtain the desired amount of heat. It is sometimes advisable to turn out the back burner. A two pound box loaf of bread, should bake one hour in a temperature of 400°. Smaller loaves may be baked in a slightly hotter oven and removed when a rich, dark brown. Ten minutes before taking the bread from the oven, turn out the gas, in order to utilize the heat remaining in the oven. Rolls require a temperature of about 430°. Baking powder biscuits, quick muffins and gems, require about 500°. In baking all these articles, place them on the middle, or upper rack, as the heat is most uniform in the upper part of the oven of a gas range. If the gas is properly adjusted, everything baked in it, should be a uniform and beautiful brown. If the bottom scorches before the top is brown, it is usually an indication that too much gas was used. If one has not an oven thermometer, the desired results may be obtained by carefully observing the amount of gas turned on each time, if not just right the first time, more or less may be turned on as required, the next and all succeeding times.

Broiling Fish by Gas

Broiling Fish by Gas image

Light the oven burners 5 minutes before putting the fish in. Grease the broiler and place the fish upon it skin side up. When the broiling oven is hot run the fish in on a slide, which will bring it very close to the flame. Broil the skin side about five minutes, remove the tray containing the rack from the oven, turn the fish very carefully, sprinkle with salt and pepper, return to the oven and finish broiling, which will require from 5 to 10 minutes longer. When done run a spatula or limber knife between the fish and bars to separate them. Remove the fish to a hot platter, spread with butter and garnish with parsley and slices of lemon.

Frying on a Gas Range

Frying on a Gas Range image

For frying croquettes, oysters, etc., one should have a deep kettle, a wire frying basket and a plate to rest it on, and a flat pan lined with soft paper to absorb the fat. Have sufficient fat in the kettle to completely cover the article to be fried. Place over the gas flame and allow it to heat until a bluish smoke rises from it, or until a small piece of bread dropped into it will brown quickly. When frying oysters and croquettes put only two or three at a time into the frying basket; more than this will lower the temperature so that the fat would soak into the article and ruin it. Immerse the basket in the hot fat, and when the article is a nice brown lift the basket from the fat on to the plate. Lift the articles one at a time and place on the soft paper to drain. Frying may be done more perfectly and with more comfort and ease over a gas flame than by any other fuel, as one has such perfect control over it, and can raise or lower the temperature of the fat so quickly by a slight turn of the valve.

Broiling by Gas

Broiling by Gas image

Gas is the ideal fuel for broiling. When properly done the meat is juicy, tender and delicious. To secure the best results the following directions should be carefully carried out. Buy a steak at least one inch thick (it is a great mistake to buy a thin steak). Trim off the surplus fat and place on the broiling rack. Light the oven burners about five minutes before putting in the steak, in order that the broiling oven may be thoroughly heated. When it is hot run the drip pan containing broiling rack into broiling oven, very close to the flame. Leave the door open throughout the broiling, and when one side of the steak is seared turn it over and sear the other side. When the second side is a nice brown turn it over, sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to the oven. When a nice brown remove to a hot platter, sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and either pour over it the contents of the drip pan or spread with butter. Garnish with parsley, slices of lemon and tomato and serve at once. Three things must be observed to secure best results: First, be sure the broiling oven is hot when the steak is put in; second, sear first one side, then the other, to seal in the juices; third, never pierce the meat with the fork while cooking, or after it is cooked, as this allows the escape of the juices, making the steak dry and tasteless. To broil chops, follow the above directions.

Baking Meat in a Gas Oven

Baking Meat in a Gas Oven image

Where the old method of baking meat in the oven is preferred to roasting as above described, light both burners about 10 minutes before putting the meat in. Place the meat in the oven, which should be very hot (about 500°). At the end of thirty minutes, reduce the heat to about 420° by turning off some of the gas and finish baking at the reduced temperature, basting every fifteen minutes. Allow from fifteen to twenty minutes for each pound of meat from the time the heat is reduced. When done finish the same as roasted meat.

Roasting by Gas

Roasting by Gas image

With a gas range one may have meat roasted, which is not possible in an ordinary range where it is necessary to exclude all fresh air.

For roasting the broiling oven must be used and the door left open all during the roasting, unless the door contains large perforations for the admission of fresh air, in which case it may be closed.

Light the oven burners fully five minutes before needed, as it is very important that the broiling oven should be well heated. Put the meat on the broiling rack, sprinkle with pepper and place in the broiling oven, so that the meat will be one or two inches from the flame. When one side is seared expose another side to the heat, and so continue until all sides are seared and the juices sealed in, then place it on a lower slide to finish. Baste every ten or fifteen minutes with the fat in the drip pan, turn frequently, being very careful not to pierce it with the fork. Allow about eighteen minutes to each pound of meat, and one hour before it is done sprinkle with salt.

At serving time remove the meat to a hot platter, drain off all but two or four tablespoonfuls of fat (according to size of family). To each two tablespoonfuls of fat add two level tablespoonfuls of flour, rub to a paste, then add 1/2 pt. of boiling water or stock. Place over the fire and stir until it bubbles, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.