The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking: One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire

by William Rubel

The open hearth is where American colonials baked their beans, English families took their tea, French country families prepared their pot au feu, and Italian mothers stirred their polenta. The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking: One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire explores both the techniques of hearth cooking and the poetry of hearth and flame through the ages.

The recipe collection offers a fascinating glimpse into the past with authentic renditions of Brisket Baked under Ashes, Pot Roast, String-Roasted Turkey, Stockfish Stew, Chocolat Ancienne, and Tarte Tatin. With its evocative and erudite narrative and extraordinary paintings by master realist Ian Everard, The Magic of Fire is the definitive work on open-hearth cooking.

• The first book to cover the complete range of open-hearth cooking techniques, including ash baking, ember roasting, hearthside grilling, string- and spit-roasting, and hearthside Dutch oven baking.
• Features 100 extraordinary illustrations of food and fire by master realist Ian Everard.
• Many of the recipes require no special equipment. Simply open the book, light a fire, and cook.

REVIEWS

"THE MAGIC OF FIRE is the most thoughtful and thorough study of hearth cooking I know of. His book is full of practical information (the section All about the Fireplace is a masterpiece), unconventional recipes, and fascinating historical references that link his modern perspective to this primitive art. It will inspire professionals as well as serious home cooks to recover the taste that only hearth cooking can deliver."
— Paul Bertolli, chef & owner, Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant, author of Chez Panisse Cooking

"There is something fundamental about cooking over an open fire. I love the flames, I love the smells, and of course, I love the taste. THE MAGIC OF FIRE is an indispensable guide to this lost art."
— Alice Waters, chef & owner, Chez Panisse

"THE MAGIC OF FIRE is a fabulous book! It's about flames and ashes; tripods and spider pots; campfires, hearths, and fireplaces. It's about ember-roasted vegetables, flatbreads, stews, steamed puddings, salt cod — deeply fundamental foods that will make you see the possibilities of your fireplace in a new light. Passion, experience, and good writing have met in a book that's good reading, with instructions that are clear as a bell."
— Deborah Madison

"The bible of hearth cooking."
— House & Garden

"[An] enchanting, step-by-step, illustrated field guide."
The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A seemingly romantic concept that the author insists is quite practical."
— Sarasota Herald Tribune

"If you're looking for something totally different, I'd dare say you probably won't find another book like this one."
— National Barbecue News

"The best instruction of skillful cooking on the hearth now in print."
— The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kristopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A large beautifully illustrated history/cook book. With hearthside recipes from the near dark ages to the Victorian era, there are both traditional cooking methods and how to produce a similar result in the modern kitchen. A must have for any reenactor, camping enthusiast, or anyone who would like to have some fun around the camp fire or indoor fire place.
I find it to be a great warming read in the winter months, even if I don't have a crackling fire at hand.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a book about cooking over live fire that isn't written with the tailgater or back yard barbecuer in mind. I spent almost two years of my career cooking over live fire and there is NOTHING like it in the world. This is a really good book for learning all about the building and maintaining of a fire for cooking, as well as different cooking methods on your standard fireplace hearth.

[Redsteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

While camp cooking is discussed, the main focus of this book is fireplace cooking. The author does an excellent job of covering all aspects of fire-making, modifying heat, safety, and a wide range of cooking tools. Rather than arranging the book by historical period or culture, it is sorted by technique, with specific recipes under each method. Techniques range from the highly simple (ash baking, ember roasting - neither of which even need any tools beyond a shovel, grilling), to more complex (spit roasting, baking in clay or parchment, Dutch oven cooking, use of a crane, burying a pot in hot ash, string roasting, steaming, and tile baking). Recipes are often flexible when it comes to specific ingredients. Also, this book wins the award for worst recipe name: "Spider Corn Bread." 4 stars.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, nostalgic and creative. It is both practical and immerses the reader in a different world, and is a mesmerizing how-to guide for bringing back old traditions.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes for hearth and open-fire cooking. The recipe for the beans in a bottle is my favorite. Great tips for understanding when things are properly cooked over an open flame (or in the embers of a fire), which can be tricky to learn on one's own.

[John]

If you love to grill, like campfire cooking or just enjoy learning "the old ways" this is a great book. Part cookbook, part how-to and part philosophy it makes a fun, if different, read.