A History Lesson In The Kitchen

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

All the preparations are underway on the East Coast to get ready for Hurricane Irene, the biggest hurricane to hit the area in decades. Many people are worried they will lose power for days on end.

In this modern, computer driven era, it’s hard to believe that little over a hundred years ago, only the wealthiest folks had electricity and indoor plumbing. Most people these days have a freezer stocked full of frozen foods and meals. But back before we were reliant on electricity, the primary way in which people kept foods cool was in an ice house, or underground chamber filled with blocks of ice insulated with sawdust or hay. Our imminent loss of power has got me thinking about how people lived and cooked with kids in the days before electricity and gas power.

Now that we are in back to school mode for the fall, it’s a great time for kids to learn how people did it in the “olden” days. Back in simpler times, cooking was done over fire and light came from candle. Most kids think it’s really neat to go back to the basics. You and your children can participate in some of these activities in case you lose power during the aftermath of some of these late summer storms, or you can just do them for a fun history lesson or school project.

First off, have you ever thought of cooking in the fireplace? As the weather gets colder, it’s a great time to hunker down in front of a warm fire and get cooking. Of course I would not recommend this method if we experience the high temperatures of an Indian summer. But if the weather is cool enough, you can try cooking campfire treats like hot dogs or marshmallows on skewers, or foil wrapped baked potatoes, for starters. You can use a rotisserie cooker or cedar planks for cooking in the fireplace as well.

And if you’re really serious about fireplace cooking, you can find a piece of cooking equipment called the Tuscan grill that fits on the floor of a fireplace and can fit everything from cast iron pots to grilled meats.

The Tuscan Pollo Al Mattone, or Chicken under a Brick, is a classic recipe cooked in an open hearth. It is split whole chicken that has been seasoned with herbs, lemon, garlic, and salt and pepper. The butterflied chicken is weighted with a brick or other heavy object, such as a cast iron pan or press. Because it is flattened, the chicken cooks quickly and develops a nice crispy skin. You can also use a grill or grill pan like I did. I weighted my chicken with a smaller pan and a heavy box of kosher salt, and it turned out moist and delicious, with a crackly skin.

If you really want to go old school, you could also try your hand at homemade candle making. While you’re at it you can make some soaps too. This is a tradition that goes back to the United States' roots. In colonial times, one day of the week would be reserved just for those types of chores. Homemade candles and soaps are also great for gifting.

An easy way to make your own candles is to take some partially used candles (and if you have lost power, you may have lots of those lying around), melt them down in a double boiler or coffee can set in a pan of water over low heat, and pour into jelly jars or baby food jars greased with a little cooking oil. For the wick, tie a length of plain cotton string to a pencil or chopstick and balance it over each jar so that the string reaches the bottom of the candle. You can use broken, unwrapped crayons (another item parents of young kids probably have a ton of!) to swirl in a new color, and a few drops of essential oil, if desired, for fragrance. Once the wax has melted, pour it into jars over the wick. After 24 hours of cooling, trim the wick, run a knife around the edge of the jar and pop out your candle creations.

If your area has taken a beating due to the latest weather related crises, I hope you and your family stay safe. And if you’re still bailing out from the storm with no power, try to make the best of it and keep the kids busy with these good old fashioned ideas. Your kids will gain a new appreciation of our modern conveniences!

Serves/Makes: 4

• 3 1/2 pounds whole chicken, split and butterflied
• OR
• 2 split chicken breasts, with skin left on
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or rosemary, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste