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 COOKING.

671. THE ration allowed the soldier is large enough, and its component parts are sufficiently variable, to admit of a great variety of very palatable dishes: and it is only necessary to refer to some of the numerous cook-books to be had, to make them, where the situation of the troops is such that they can avail themselves of the requisite cooking-utensils.

675. Bread, such as is usually made by bakers, can be had only when the troops are stationary unless there is a baker in the command and the men have experience in making ovens. If kept more than two or three days, it becomes dry and unpalatable. It is too bulky for the march. 

676. Hard bread, although not so bulky as soft bread, is still inconvenient when required to be transported in quantity. Three days’ rations fill a soldier’s haversack. When old, it is unpalatable, and sometimes indigestible. It can be made more agreeable to the taste by toasting, either in a dry condition, or soaked in water for a few moments. Crumbs of hard bread may be made very palatable by soaking them in water, and then frying them in a pan with a little pork fat. Hard bread soon spoils when it gets wet, and must be used immediately, or it will be worthless. 

677. Flour is more portable than bread; but without experience in cooking, with the limited means at their disposal, soldiers are liable to make a very indigestible bread from it. Where troops halt for a few days, it is economical to build small ovens of clay, which may be made with great facility after a little experience. A ferment is always necessary to make light palatable bread of flour A stock of ferment may be kept constantly on hand by retaining a piece of dough from one baking to another; and it is best transported by packing it in the flour 

678. The simplest and best method is to make self-rising flour, by incorporating with the flour, in a dry state, bicarbonate of soda and acid phosphate of lime. These articles must be finely pulverized and minutely incorporated with the flour A comparatively small quantity is required. A dollar’s worth is sufficient for a barrel of flour. The self-rising flour, so well known and highly prized in the mining-districts of California, is made in this way It requires only the addition of salt and sufficient water to make a dough, and can be baked in the ashes between the halves of an old canteen, or even rolled up in wet paper or covered with leaves. It is equally good for pancakes or fritters. These last may be made much more digestible by the addition of boiled rice.

679. Corn meal is much more available for troops in the field where it can be obtained fresh, as it requires no ferment, and requires no cooking-utensils,—a plain board placed before a fire being all the oven absolutely necessary. With a frying-pan, thin cakes can be rapidly baked, and are an excellent diet. The meal can always be had fresh by transporting the small hand-mill in common use.

681. MEAT is issued to soldiers in the form of fresh beet salt beet salt pork, and bacon. Fresh beef is perishable, as well as bulky, and, where it accompanies troops on the hoot requires time.115 to slaughter and to cook. Salt beef is bulky, but less perishable than fresh. Salt pork and bacon are preferred by old troops on the march, as being the least bulky, easily cooked, and more readily kept than beef. It has, however, been found by experience best to alternate those different kinds according to means and opportunities. 

682. Fresh beef is most economically cooked by boiling in the camp-kettles usually furnished, particularly when the cooking is for the entire company, as the liquor in which the beef has been cooked is then used for soup. The value of soup is not fully appreciated by the American soldier. It is the most nourishing and healthy diet that can he prepared from his ration, and enables the mixed vegetables to be used in a palatable form.

686. Salt beef can be cooked in but one way to advantage; and that is, by boiling. It should be thoroughly soaked in cold water (cold water dissolves salt better than warm water), and frequently changed, for ten or twelve hours, or longer, and should then be cooked the same as fresh beef. It requires longer to cook than fresh beet and is not available for soup, on account of the salt it contains. When old, it must be cooked a long time to be rendered palatable. When very salt, it may be added to potatoes and onions, and a palatable hash made of it. 

687. Salt pork is usually boiled. As with salt beef it should be well soaked to extract the salt, and then boiled for three or four hours. The grease, which should be skimmed off and saved, may be used in various ways as a substitute for lard: in the field, however, this cannot well be done. In permanent camps and garrison it can he saved, and, if not used, can be sold to advantage and will serve to increase the company fund. When issued to small messes, salt pork, like fresh beet can be broiled on the coals; but this is a very wasteful method of preparing it.

688. Bacon is usually cooked in the same way as salt pork. It is, generally, not so salt, but requires to be well washed and scraped of the rust to make it palatable. Frying salt pork and bacon has the same objections as frying fresh beef. In an emergency, salt pork or bacon may be eaten without cooking, or it may be cooked and eaten cold,— which is preferable. Cutting it in thin slices and broiling it on the coals rapidly, varies the taste when the appetite grows tired of it boiled or raw.

689. Beans and peas form a very nutritious diet. They require considerable time to cook, and, therefore, are not available on the march. They should be soaked over-night, and boiled slowly for six or eight hours. Salt should not be added until the beans are nearly done. The water in which they are cooked should be soft. Soup is the only available dish in the field, except plain boiling. Baked pork and beans can only be had with the necessary conveniences. A piece of pork or bacon should be added to the pot when boiling bean soup. About two pounds to the gallon is a good proportion.

690. Rice is not fully appreciated by the Northern soldier, and the cooking is rarely well done. Some experience is necessary to cook it well. When well cooked, each grain of rice will be separate and dry. When badly cooked, it forms an unpalatable paste. Two quarts of water to half a pound of rice, well washed. It should boil for about ten minutes, or until the grains of rice begin to swell and soften. The water should then be poured off, the pot closely covered and set near the fire,—but not too close, or it will scorch. In twenty minutes the grains will have swelled to their fullest extent and the rice be done. Each grain will be separate and dry; and the rice may be eaten with sugar, molasses, or beef-gravy. The Chinese live almost exclusively on rice, and perform arduous labors with no other diet.

691. Hominy may be issued in lieu of rice, and is cooked very much in the same way. It requires to be boiled about an hour; and great care must be taken to prevent it from scorching. In all cooking it should be remembered that water cannot be heated in an ordinary kettle beyond 212º. After it commences to boil, it cannot be made any hotter; any increase of fire is only calculated to burn the victuals, and does not hasten the cooking. The mechanical ebullition of water sometimes facilitates the cooking of some dishes, but not in consequence of any increase of heat to the water. Scorching of rice or hominy, or any other food, in the thin camp-kettles, is very liable to occur, and may easily be prevented by using a false bottom in the kettle, which may be made either of wood, or tin, or sheet iron. Salt and pepper are the best condiments for hominy. What is left over may be cut in slices, and fried in bacon or pork fat, and makes a good dish. Mush made of corn meal may be fried in the same way

692. Coffee is the soldier’s greatest sustainer; and he will miss it more than any other part of his ration. When issued in the grain, great care is necessary in roasting it. The pan in which it is roasted should be slightly greased, to prevent scorching. A steady fire should be maintained, and the coffee constantly stirred. Roasted coffee in the grain is not so good as green, as it deteriorates after roasting the longer it is kept, and still more so after being ground. Coffee should be boiled about twenty minutes, and is better when made in large quantity for the entire company. There is economy in adding the proper proportion of sugar for the whole amount of Coffee whilst cooking.

693. Tea may be issued in lieu of coffee, but is not so much preferred, although equally valuable to the soldier in its qualities. On a long and fatiguing march a canteen of cold tea is invaluable, greatly relieving exhaustion. The secret of making tea consists in using vessels that are entirely free from any thing that can affect the natural taste of the tea. The kettle, if not used exclusively for tea, should, therefore, be thoroughly scoured each time before using. The water should first be made to boil; the tea is then added, and allowed to boil for a few seconds, then removed from the fire, and the kettle is covered closely and allowed to stand for five minutes. It is then ready for use. The proportions in which coffee and tea are used are limited to the allowance: a ration is deemed sufficient to make coffee or tea for two meals daily. 

694. Desiccated vegetables are not appreciated, because the cooking is not understood. The practice of drying vegetables in the green state, for winter use, is well understood and practiced by the peasantry of Europe, although not equal to the practice of canning in this country.

695. Desiccated potatoes are best cooked by adding sufficient water to cover the potatoes, and then boiling slowly until all the water is evaporated, leaving a dry mush that is a very good substitute for fresh potatoes.

696. Potatoes are much injured by bad cooking. It should be remembered that potatoes, like any other food, are done at a certain time, and that any further cooking is not only unnecessary, but injurious. It requires about half an hour to cook them: the time varies a little with the size of the vegetables. After the potatoes have been placed in cold water and boiled about fifteen minutes, the kettle should be removed from the fire, and the boiling suddenly checked, for five minutes, by pouring in a cup of cold water. The kettle is placed on the fire again and the boiling continued for fifteen minutes longer; the water is then poured oft and the potatoes covered up until served.

697. Vinegar moderately used, is a great health-preserver in the army. With salt and pepper added to cold meat, and an onion finely cut up, it makes an excellent relish. Stale cold meat, soaked in vinegar, and then stewed with potatoes and onions, makes a kind of ragout hash, that is very palatable. Cabbage, finely cut, with pepper, salt, and vinegar, is more palatable and digestible than when cooked. An excellent warm dressing for cabbage, salad, or cold potatoes sliced, is made by cutting a piece of fat salt pork or bacon in small pieces like dice, and frying out the fat, then adding a good proportion of vinegar when well heated, and pouring it over the salad, previously seasoned with salt and pepper; a sliced onion is a good addition.

698. Soup, although not a favorite dish of the American soldier, cannot be too soon adopted, and the art of making the many varieties studied. It is most easily made in quantity, and is by far the healthiest food that can be prepared in the field. Beef-broth can be used as the basis for nearly all soups: mutton and other meats, and even pork, can be used. By changing the ingredients added to the broth, great variety can be obtained. Rice, mixed desiccated vegetables, pulverized hard bread, vegetables of all kinds, flour, butter, &c. can all be used in a variety of proportions and quantities. An agreeable taste can be given to any soup by adding to it a mixture of scorched flour and fried pork fat. A handful of dry flour should be scorched in one pan, taking care to stir it constantly that it may not burn; the pork fat, cut up into small pieces and fried brown, should be prepared in another pan, and incorporated with the flour whilst hot. 

699. The foregoing suggestions are offered, the result of many years’ experience, and, it is hoped, will give some idea of what may be done in campaign with the ration. The experience of each soldier will furnish additional aid in sustaining himself on the food furnished. All soldiers cannot avail themselves alike of the same suggestions; but it is hoped that each one will be assisted by what is here laid down.