The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking: One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire
by William Rubel

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Book Reviews of The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking: One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire

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Summary of The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking: One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire

Cooking on the Open Hearth by William Rubel

The open hearth is where American colonials baked their beans, English families took their tea, French country families prepared their pot au feu, and Italian mothers stirred their polenta. THE MAGIC OF FIRE explores both the techniques of hearth cooking and the poetry of hearth and flame through the ages. The recipe collection offers a fascinating glimpse into the past with authentic renditions of Brisket Baked under Ashes, Pot Roast, String-Roasted Turkey, Stockfish Stew, Chocolat Ancienne, and Tarte Tatin. With its evocative and erudite narrative and extraordinary paintings by master realist Ian Everard, THE MAGIC OF FIRE is the definitive work on open-hearth cooking.

But the book's greatest--and most exciting--virtue lies in its presentation of fire cooking not merely as a "hobbyist" project but as a means for understanding cooking itself. It does this by revealing the relationship of fire to the things it cooks; in learning, for example, that a hearthside frittata requires "a moderately mature fire with gentle to moderate flames" to cook while simple toast needs "a new to moderately mature fire with moderate to high flames," we begin to see just how cooking works. For anyone interested in this everyday but still magical feat, this is thrilling stuff. With over 100 color illustrations of the required fires (whose preparation is thoroughly detailed); a discussion of alternative cooking "venues," including campsites; and a useful food glossary, this guide, both practical and illuminating, is an unexpected treasure. --Arthur Boehm

Culinary Arts & Techniques Books

• Subjects > Cooking, Food & Wine > Culinary Arts & Techniques
• Outdoor Cooking > Barbecuing & Grilling
• Camping & Hiking
• General