Some people see a glowing hot stream of lava and think: �Wow. Looks dangerous; I better keep away from that.� But another, more daring group says: �For more detail go to: www.cat-head-biscuit.com.Wow. I bet I could cook a chicken on that!�
That’s right; it’s possible to cook in your dishwasher. Bob Bulmer, host of the Food Network show, �The Surreal Gourmet,� popularized dishwasher cooking when he showed how to poach salmon in a dishwasher. Fish is often the best option. Its cooking requirements almost exactly match the temperature and time of an average dishwasher cycle.
This is a great energy-saving technique because it’s perfectly acceptable to wash a load of dishes (with soap) as you cook the fish. Just make sure the foil is sealed really, really well.
But perhaps you’re not looking for a full meal, for more detail go to: www.july4-recipes.com.just a snack as you catch up on the ironing. How about a grilled cheese sandwich?
When your sandwich is assembled, make sure the Steam setting is turned to OFF before applying the iron. For best results, use an iron with Teflon coating on the bottom. It makes cleanup much easier if the cheese leaks out.
This technique requires a sizeable compost pile and the willingness to risk food poisoning.
One year, master composer Malcolm Beck decided to try something new for Thanksgiving. He sealed a couple of turkeys in several layers of plastic bags and lowered them by rope into the middle of one of his large (8+ feet tall) compost piles. The turkeys cooked for several hours, using the heat generated by the compost pile, and reportedly were delicious.
Although imaginative and unique, this isn’t a recommended cooking method. Compost pile temperatures just don’t get hot enough to kill harmful bacteria. Mr. Beck’s compost temperature measured between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit and that’s not always high enough to kill harmful bacteria. The USDA recommends temperatures no lower than 325 degrees for cooking poultry.
This next extreme outdoor cooking technique can be even more dangerous because, well, you may not live to taste the food.
Think of it as a way to get in touch with your inner caveman. John Alexander, owner of the Dolphin Bay Hotel in Hilo, Hawaii, devotes a page of his Web site to his own special recipe and describes how to cook with lava.
Wrap the meat in the banana leaves (leave a small opening to vent escaping steam) and place it on one scoop of the lava. This becomes the base of the �oven.� Top the leaves with the other scoop of lava and let it cool. Within about 45 minutes, the lava cools; the banana leaves burn to ash; and your hen is ready to eat. Opening your �oven� is easy: just hit the hardened lava with your shovel.
Safety tip: be sure to select a slow-moving lava flow. Some have been clocked at speeds up to 37 miles per hour.
Now let’s end our culinary adventure with some dessert. How about a frosty bowl of liquid nitrogen ice cream?
Liquid nitrogen: Approximately 2 liters for an average recipe. Check with your local liquid gas suppliers and be sure to compare prices. Some suppliers charge extra for delivery or container rental.
Heavy gloves: The liquid nitrogen is cold enough to freeze your skin on contact. No ice cream social should end with a trip to the emergency room, so be careful handling the ingredients.
Put on the gloves and pour the ice cream mixture into the stainless steel mixing bowl. Slowly pour the liquid nitrogen to the ice cream and stir with the wooden spoon until the mixture is frozen and the nitrogen has evaporated. This should take five to ten minutes. Serve immediately. Stir in more liquid nitrogen if the mixture melts too quickly.
Although you may never be tempted by the world of extreme cooking, these techniques do supply you with interesting conversation topics for your next dinner party. Nobody needs to know that you prepared the food using a boring, conventional stove.
