The casserole may be regarded as a labor-saving device, taking the place of a half-dozen pots and pans in the kitchen.
SOME COMMENDABLE FEATURES OF CASSEROLE DISHES
(1) The initial cost of the utensils is very low, and if proper care is bestowed on them they may last as long as metal pans.
(2) All risk of metallic contamination is avoided. The ingredients may be put together in a casserole and allowed to stand for hours in it before cooking without spoiling in the very least degree. Its lining cannot scale, and in cooking the contents cannot become tainted or discolored.
(3) The ornamental appearance of casserole dishes simplifies the practice of serving the viands at table in the vessels in which they were cooked, so great a desideratum in cases where the prosperity of a dish depends upon its hot service. The troublesome process of re-dishing can in most cases be dispensed with. This is convenient as well as economical.
(4) Casseroles are readily cleaned on account of their perfectly hard and unbroken surfaces. It can easily be seen when casseroles are clean. They are sanitary, and food prepared in them is pure and sweet. They do not retain any taste whatever from previous cooking. Therefore the same utensils can be used for the most varying preparations.
(5) The cooking in casserole dishes is slow but thorough, and all the nutritious elements in the viands are preserved in their integrity. The cover must fit snugly to each utensil, to prevent too rapid escaping of the aromas and flavors. Sometimes a strip of cloth, spread with a soft paste of flour and water or mashed potatoes, is pressed over the joining of the casserole and the cover, and the heat of the oven finishes the sealing of the dish. When the dish is ready to serve, the strip of cloth and paste is removed.
(6) The use of a casserole is economical. The actual cooking is effected slowly and evenly, consequently less fuel is used in cooking. Once the materials have been started on their culinary way they require little attention. A casserole dish may be placed in the oven or on the stove; it may be used for steamed food or as a chafing dish.
(7) The cleanliness and wholesomeness of a casserole make it especially valuable in preparing food for the invalid and the convalescent.
(8) In the cooking of fruits and vegetables, especially for canning, the casserole is invaluable. The earthenware is not attacked by fruit acids, therefore cannot give rise to any noxious product.