On the lighter side, Odd ways to Cook Food

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

As a child, I cooked protein in a burning, cardboard milk carton. I've also wrapped biscuit dough around a stick and baked it over a fire. The oddest gadget I've seen to cook food was probably this thing called a Hot Dogger. It had five or so sets of steel prongs on either side of a plastic case. Hot dogs were pressed onto the prongs on either end, and the lid closed. This would enable a switch that sent electrical current directly through the hot dog. The hot dogs heated rapidly in this device. It didn't last too long on the market though. I would think that it could be a safety hazard to produce enough current to cook a wiener between two, exposed electrical contacts.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CraigC]

As a child, I cooked protein in a burning, cardboard milk carton. I've also wrapped biscuit dough around a stick and baked it over a fire. The oddest gadget I've seen to cook food was probably this thing called a Hot Dogger. It had five or so sets of steel prongs on either side of a plastic case. Hot dogs were pressed onto the prongs on either end, and the lid closed. This would enable a switch that sent electrical current directly through the hot dog. The hot dogs heated rapidly in this device. It didn't last too long on the market though. I would think that it could be a safety hazard to produce enough current to cook a wiener between two, exposed electrical contacts.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Nothing like "electrocuting" your hotdogs! I built one of those in 7th grade. Boy Scouts, eggs in an orange cup or styrofoam cup.

 

[roadfix]

Sounds like a fun little gadget! Instead of blowing a fuse it probably blew too many wieners...

 

[Addie]

Frying bacon in a paper bag over a campfire. Paper bags a lighter to carry than a CI pan.

 

[GotGarlic]

Frying bacon in a paper bag over a campfire. Paper bags a lighter to carry than a CI pan.

How did you keep the bag from catching on fire?

 

[roadfix]

It's like boiling water in a paper cup.....can be done.

 

[RPCookin]

It's like boiling water in a paper cup.....can be done.

Except that the boiling water doesn't allow the part of the paper cup that's in contact with water to exceed 212°. If the flames reach higher than the the level of the water, then the cup will burn down to the water line.

With bacon, the grease itself is flammable, so I think that would be a much less advisable way of cooking. If any part of it starts to burn, the whole thing goes up in smoke - bye-bye bacon.

 

[Cheryl J]

Frying bacon in a paper bag over a campfire. Paper bags a lighter to carry than a CI pan.

I can't even imagine this.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I finally got tired of trying to coordinate the cooking times for hot dogs and French fries separately, so now I just toss the hot dogs into the deep fryer with the potatoes.

 

[Aunt Bea]

How did you keep the bag from catching on fire?

I can't even imagine this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUhmhVanP_o

 

[GotGarlic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUhmhVanP_o

Well, that's pretty cool ? My career in Girl Scouts was severely lacking Thanks, Aunt Bea!

 

[Aunt Bea]

I look for the odd little tips in old cookbooks and give them a try.

This tip to save fuel in the depression is to cook macaroni. Bring salted water to a boil, add macaroni, return to a boil for one or two minutes, cover and remove from heat, allow to sit covered for the remainder of the required cooking time, drain and serve. It works fine, just don't let it sit too long or it will get mushy.

Another recipe that I have been too timid to try is making caramel sauce by simmering a can of condensed milk in a pan of water for 2-3 hours. I have visions of the can exploding and being covered with scalding hot caramel.

 

[roadfix]

That bag trick is nice but I think I'd rather lug a 100 gram pan off my backpack...

 

[Cheryl J]

I wish she would have shown how the bacon turned out...

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Another recipe that I have been too timid to try is making caramel sauce by simmering a can of condensed milk in a pan of water for 2-3 hours. I have visions of the can exploding and being covered with scalding hot caramel.

You can buy it already caramelized. It's called Nestle Lechera, and you can usually find it on the Latin or Hispanic food aisle.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I wish she would have shown how the bacon turned out...

From what I have seen on other videos it comes out pretty flabby and unappetizing.

I think this would be an interesting experiment for a group of cub scouts, I would have a box of cereal and a jug of milk on standby!

 

[taxlady]

I wish she would have shown how the bacon turned out...

From what I have seen on other videos it comes out pretty flabby and unappetizing.

I think this would be an interesting experiment for a group of cub scouts, I would have a box of cereal and a jug of milk on standby!

That's what I would expect. I really, really want my bacon crispy. I never intentionally buy thick cut bacon.

 

[taxlady]

My MIL told about the time my FIL cooked eggs in the toaster.

Turns out it was one of those old fashioned toasters with the sides that flap down. Apparently, it still made a hideous mess.

 

[Cheryl J]

From what I have seen on other videos it comes out pretty flabby and unappetizing.

I think this would be an interesting experiment for a group of cub scouts, I would have a box of cereal and a jug of milk on standby!

That's what I would imagine, especially with the eggs poured on top. There are lots of lightweight camp cookery kits out there. And if all I had was a paper bag, I probably wouldn't have bacon, either.

 

[Addie]

How did you keep the bag from catching on fire?

Place the bag up high enough from the flame, and the melting fat from the bacon coasts the paper bottom. Believe me it works.

I had the Girls Scouts build a campfire. But first they had to find large stones to place around the area of the fire. They built a ring of stones about 1.5 feet high. They then had to find somewhat heavy branches that would span across the rocks. They placed them close together. They were given a large brown grocery bag that was for two of them. Find your buddy! Fold down the top so they could reach the bottom easily to turn the bacon. Place the bacon in the bottom of the bag, keep an eye on it. The bacon melted enough to grease the bottom of the bag and the bacon continued to fry until cooked.

About March, in preparation for their summer camping trip, I had the girls each bring in an empty tuna can so they could make sterno burners with paraffin wax. I also had them haunt the food stores for their empty #10 cans. With an old fashion church key I had them punch four holes around the turned over bottom on the can.

Now it is July. Camp time. They had been helping to cook their meals in the bunkhouse kitchen. Cooking badge. Time to learn some survivor skills. Breakfast outside girls! The night before I put a large pot of potatoes on to boil. The girls used the grease from the bacon to fry the potatoes and their eggs on the turned over bottom of the #10 cans. The sterno burners had been filled with paraffin wax and the strips of cardboard they had cut out protruded just above the edge of the tuna can. Cardboard was the wick, the paraffin wax the fuel. They also had the option of making their toast on their camp side stoves. The holes that they had punched in at the regular meeting was to let the smoke out. The chimney.

They just thought we were the greatest leaders they ever heard of. They had a blast and talked about that all the way home. Back in March, they just couldn't figure out what we were talking about. But when it all came together it was an experience they will never forget.