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Book Reviews These are some reviews from a recent issue of
The Civil War News:
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The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking—One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire
by William Rubel.
Illustrated, bibliography, index, 296 pp., 2002. Ten Speed Press, P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707, $40 plus shipping.
Wow! For cooks with some experience, this is a wonderful addition to their library of cookbooks. Rubel, an expert on cooking with fire, has assembled 100 recipes from the simple to the more complex, all of which can be cooked either indoors with a fireplace or outdoors with a campfire. I say “with” instead of “on” because Rubel illustrates how the fire can be used in a variety of ways — buried in ash, cooked next to the fire, hanging over the fire — among others. And the full-color photos of cookware — Dutch ovens, tongs, kettles, etc. — enhance the book, together with the full-color illustrations rendered by Ian Everard. The end result is a breathtaking array of illustrations and recipes sure to please a variety of palates. Now, how does this book pertain to the Civil War? A number of the simple recipes were certainly cooked by soldiers and civilians of the period. After all, many American homes, especially in the rural areas, still cooked over open fires. Rubel quotes Frederick Douglass on his hunger for ash cakes, then provides a period recipe for these tasty basic necessities — flour, salt, water are the basic ingredients, but Rubel also includes varieties using chestnut flour, cornmeal, masa harina, and seminola flour. Other recipes that pertain to the 1860s period include roasted onions or peppers, grilled fish, roasted chicken, porridge, pot roast, baked beans and bread pudding. For more experienced chefs, Rubel has a variety of items that will please a variety of tastes, such as steamed custard, Indian chai, mulled wine, baked garlic and rittata. Rubel also includes a valuable reference section that is a must read before attempting to work with fire. “All About the Fireplace” discusses safely measures, firewood, embers, ash and other associated information. He covers different methods of using the fireplace/campfire, special techniques needed for some foods, equipment, and includes a list of suppliers as well as a bibliography of works consulted. While beginning cooks might find the use of open flames a bit daunting, if they follow this thorough guide to the methodology and try some recipes, they will quickly learn to cook the way Americans did over a hundred years ago. More experienced cooks will find this volume a delightful addition to their libraries.
Richard A. Sauers
Richard A. Sauers is the author of numerous Civil War books, including Advance the Colors!
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