Comments for The Magic of Fire, Traditional Foodways with William Rubel

Comment on Amanita Muscaria by Mary Jo Heinen

Mary Jo Heinen — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:43:19 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed this article on Aminita muscaria. I read the lengthy extended part too. Proper words escape me at the moment to adequately describe my appreciation for all the research done on this beautiful mushroom. When I was a little girl in the early fifties, my dad used to take me with him for walks in the woods in the rural areas of my neighborhood in southwestern Pennsylvania. He taught me how to find wild plant foods like walnut trees, blackberries, crab apples, peaches and mushrooms. At the time I hadn’t developed a taste for mushrooms, but I was always impressed with his simple knowledge of how he “knew” what was okay. I trusted that. He used to also take me fishing with him in nearby reservoirs and streams. My, my, I am reminiscing as I write this. Anyway, I do enjoy mushrooms as an adult and am very curious now about these wild varieties. I also feel that too many of us in our untrusting and faithless fearful society have replaced gut wisdom and common sense with believing in much of what we’re told by the so-called experts in the field who really are not such experts. This is sad.
Thank you again for this well written article.

Comment on All About Wood Fired Bread Ovens by William Rubel

William Rubel — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:48:21 +0000

This is true. In practice, though, running a virtually smokeless bread oven firing takes a little skill. When one is firing in an urban environment smoking tends to make the baker nervous — it does me.

Comment on All About Wood Fired Bread Ovens by Don Elwell

Don Elwell — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:20:07 +0000

Properly managed, there should be no more smoke from a traditional bread oven than from your average BBQ grill, and assuming you’re not using kerosene to get it going (which would be a disaster btw) it will smell a good deal better.

Comment on Contact by William Rubel

William Rubel — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:16:57 +0000

Wood fired cooking is long for this world. I once had a neighbor call the fire department because of the smoke from my oven — the fire department arrived in full regalia — and laughed. This said, I have improved my firing method to reduce or eliminate smoke entirely.

Be sure you are using super dry wood — preferably super small diameter wood. Wood is the last thing to “bake” in the oven. After you have done all your cooking, fill the oven with wood and close the door. This assumes the oven is swept clean of embers. Close the oven door. The next time you fire your wood will be tinder dry and less prone to smoking.

Also, start the fire near the mouth of the oven. Smoking comes from having too much fuel, and not enough oxygen, for the heat of the fire. There is lots of oxygen at the oven door. Add wood in proportion to the heat — and don’t push the fire back into the oven until it is a well established thriving fire.

Smoking can also be caused by a poorly proportioned door opening. The door height must be 60% to 63% the height of the oven ceiling.

I have recently purchased a propane tank with one of those week burning attachments. Don’t think of it as cheating. Using a propane torch to quickly increase the oven heat when it is smoking will eliminate the smoking.

Regarding The Magic of Fire. I believe there are a few for sale in the $70 range — and I have a box of returns from bookstores I can sell you — but they don’t have covers. Write to me directly –william@williamrubel.com. I am trying to get it back in print.

All my best,

William

Comment on Baking in a Tandoor Oven by William Rubel

William Rubel — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:09:43 +0000

I am not an expert in Tandoor ovens. I have seen ovens in which the walls are painted with whitewash — slaked lime. I have never heard of using spinach paste. In what country and/or region have you seen or heard of a spinach paste preparation?

Comment on Heirloom Vegetable Seeds for the Kitchen Garden by warbaby

warbaby — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:59:30 +0000

What a beautiful website. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas

Comment on Baking in a Tandoor Oven by Govind

Govind — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:09:15 +0000

Hi Sir…….i have a new tandor nd dont know how to get its wall perfect before bring it to use means wht shud i apply on wal first i know that spinach paste is aaplied rest i dont it wil b a pleasure if u plz guide me ON dis thanking u..
Govind

Comment on Contact by Joel Shinder

Joel Shinder — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:42:53 +0000

I began cooking on my fireplace after visiting a friend in Normandy. Years later I went to La Tupina in Bordeaux and had a great Xiridakis meal, envying his apparatus for hearth cooking. After that I visited Williamsburg and envy the clockwork-driven spit system there. Do you know where these non-electric systems are made and sold?

Meanwhile I have a wood-fired pizza oven outside our CA home and love baking, grilling and roasting in it. However, neighbors sometimes complain about the smoke. Is wood-fired cooking long for this world?

I had intended to purchase your Magic when it was $22 at Amazon. Please do reprint the book. It’s up to $225 now!?

Comment on Heirloom Vegetable Seeds for the Kitchen Garden by Bob Knack

Bob Knack — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:40:41 +0000

Clear Creek Seeds is new but they have great service and prices. They keep growing their selection also. I had great success with the seeds I purchased last year and will be ordering more this year.

Comment on Welcome! by Marcus

Marcus — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:13:01 +0000

William,
A really enjoyable blog you have here, we have a number of things in common, I will enjoy reading your blog further.
Cheers
Marcus