I remember the old cooking range.

I am not a cook but do remember well those cold mornings at 4:00 A.M. when the fires had gone out and the house was cold. One of my chores was to build the fires in the stoves and prepare it for cooking the meals for the eleven people that lived in the farmhouse.

It always helped to have dry kindling and some wood shavings, once the fire was going and the house begin to get worm, the lady of the house (Aunt Bee) would begin breakfast. Those home made biscuits, pork chops with gravy some fried potatoes, home made jams, syrup or molasses with farm fresh butter was a delight.

The art of cooking on a wood stove!

The bread: biscuits, cornbread, pies and cakes  were cooked each day; the stove had a firebox, which heated the stove. There were shelves  (wire grates). Which to control the tempter when cooking. The art was to know about how hot the stove was and how long to let the bread cook until it was ready to turn or lower to another shelf to keep the bread from cooking to fast or burning on one side and uncooked on the other or in the middle.

Cooking on the top of the stove was also some what of a feat, one would need to move the skillet or cooking pots to the hot or colder portion of the stove or slide it off to the warmer, for a cool down as not to burn the food.

Remember, nothing automatic just experience, like the receipts of that day, a pinch of this and a dash of that.
That was good food and a delight to see the whole family enjoying it when they all gathered around the big long table.

Meal times was a highlights of the day, each one has their own place at the big table. The father at the head and the mother at the end and five children on one side and four on the other. everything was passed in one direction and each one was courteous to pass the food to the others that desired what was nearby.

The table and dishes were not fancy just outstanding food was served to those who enjoyed eating it.
 

_ Carlis B. Wilson