So, Geek Meets Fireplace...

While I'm sad to be leaving the city for the suburbs, one of the reasons I decided to take this apartment is that it has a wood-burning fireplace. (It's gas-started, but all log after that.)

Can I cook using it? Not that I won't enjoy the fireplace itself (and for once I'm hoping it's a cold, wet, crappy winter so I enjoy it all the more), but fire... heat... what else is there to do but add food?

Is it safe? I assume I don't want anything fatty or greasy -- plus, it's too small for a goat anyway -- but perhaps stews or snacks are feasible. Unless someone talks me out of it...

You're burning real wood, it should be no less safe than running the fireplace without food in it. I'd be dubious about open-flame cooking of meats due to grease becoming part of your living room carpet, paint, etc., but dutch oven cooking, hearth bread baking, raclette, smores... the possibilities are endless.

Bob, Michael Chiarello did a recent episode on his Food Network Show where he cooked an entire meal for friends in his fireplace. It appeared that he had a specially made grill to cook steaks, potatoes, mushrooms ect. I found the grill for sale at his website :

http://www.napastyle.com/store/product.jsp?sku=1020


I think that Chiarello is one of the few great cooks left on Food TV. I've adopted several of his recipes recently.

You can get the recipes from the show at the link below.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_mo ... 46,00.html

Another great way to cook in your home fireplace is with a cast iron camp dutch oven. Basically they're the same as a dutch oven but with little legs for balance. There's ton's of dutch oven recipes that would work well.

Hi,

You could go low-tech, experiment with Swiss Raclette. Toast the bread in your fireplace, then spread fire-melted cheese on your toast.

I have made popcorn but scorched kernals are not my favorite.

You need to test if your fireplace is as sound as you safely need. You need to learn by opening the flue does the fumes of your fire go up the chimney or into the room. You will also need to review how to dispose of the ashes. Some fireplaces have a little door in the rear where the ashes can be disposed of and another trap in the basement to clean it out at season's end.

Don't use your wet-dry vacuum to clean up the ashes unless it has special filters. This is a hard learned lesson you don't need to experiment with to believe.

In our household, the fireplace rule is someone needs to linger while the fire is still alive, which means effectively dead. So I plan my fires for late afternoon on days when it is not too cold outside. I want to sleep in my own bed rather than on the sofa.

I personally don't make fires on the coldest days of the year. The flue open sucks not only the bad fumes up but it does a fine job of taking your furnace heated air up with it, also. Autumn, before the heavy heating season hits, always seemed a better time to light the fireplace.

Bob S. wrote:While I'm sad to be leaving the city for the suburbs, one of the reasons I decided to take this apartment is that it has a wood-burning fireplace. (It's gas-started, but all log after that.)

Can I cook using it? Not that I won't enjoy the fireplace itself (and for once I'm hoping it's a cold, wet, crappy winter so I enjoy it all the more), but fire... heat... what else is there to do but add food?

Is it safe? I assume I don't want anything fatty or greasy -- plus, it's too small for a goat anyway -- but perhaps stews or snacks are feasible. Unless someone talks me out of it...

You might consider a Tuscan Grill. I'm sure you could find another source than Sur La Table for them and probably cheaper. I know someone who really likes his.

Try a search for C W Butch Welch or for Cee Dub.He hosted a PBS show titled Dutch Oven and Camp Cookin'.I remember they sold videotapes.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I couldn't remember the name of a catalogue that features fireplace cooking equipment, but it came in the mail yesterday: Plow and Hearth (www.plowandhearth.com). They sell all sorts of intiguing cooking stuff for your fireplace: hot dog irons, pie irons, a panini press, long-handled forks, and various cast iron stew pots and dutch ovens and a swing-arm steel crane that you can attach to the fireplace to hand those stewpots on, so you can cook just like the pioneers. It's pretty reasonably priced stuff, and they sell lots of other fireplace equipment as well. Can't say that I've ever tried any of the cooking equipment, though it always seemed enticing, but fears that my kids would take their nicely-charred marshmallows and drop them on the rug kept me from buying. Let us know if you have success.

ToniG wrote:Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I couldn't remember the name of a catalogue that features fireplace cooking equipment, but it came in the mail yesterday: Plow and Hearth (www.plowandhearth.com). They sell all sorts of intiguing cooking stuff for your fireplace: hot dog irons, pie irons, a panini press, long-handled forks, and various cast iron stew pots and dutch ovens and a swing-arm steel crane that you can attach to the fireplace to hand those stewpots on, so you can cook just like the pioneers. It's pretty reasonably priced stuff, and they sell lots of other fireplace equipment as well. Can't say that I've ever tried any of the cooking equipment, though it always seemed enticing, but fears that my kids would take their nicely-charred marshmallows and drop them on the rug kept me from buying. Let us know if you have success.

Thanks very much, Toni -- I've bookmarked that site and I'll check it out at lunchtime. I'm actually hoping to clear away all the boxes in front of the fireplace by the time it gets cold enough to use it. :)

Do you have a copy of Cooking with Master Chefs by Julia Child? This was a great series. Anyhow, Chef Jean-Louis Palladin does a fireplace roast duck breast all tied up and hanging - it looks spectacular. He also does a foi gras with apples that looks REALLY amazing.

They also suggest that converting your fireplace to cook these recipes will require a trip to the plumbing supply store. I can't think of anything more fun, well, not much anyway.

Good luck.

bryan wrote:Do you have a copy of Cooking with Master Chefs by Julia Child? This was a great series. Anyhow, Chef Jean-Louis Palladin does a fireplace roast duck breast all tied up and hanging - it looks spectacular. He also does a foi gras with apples that looks REALLY amazing.

They also suggest that converting your fireplace to cook these recipes will require a trip to the plumbing supply store. I can't think of anything more fun, well, not much anyway.

Good luck.

It sounds intriguing, but considering I'm a tenant rather than landed gentry, I think I'll save the major modifications for a day I can afford to lose the security deposit. :)

bryan wrote: Anyhow, Chef Jean-Louis Palladin does a fireplace roast duck breast all tied up and hanging - it looks spectacular. He also does a foi gras with apples that looks REALLY amazing.

Bryan,

Believe it or not this segment from Julia's Cooking with Master Chefs, and many others, as Dave 'The Hat' Hammond recently pointed out, are available on the PBS web site.

Click on Meet the Chefs -> Cooking with Master Chefs -> Jean-Louis Palladin -> Fireplace Roasted Duck with Sauteed Porcini Mushrooms.

Bob's yer Uncle, you're watching the segment.

Enjoy,
Gary

Is it safe to cook in your fireplace with the wood that is burning in it (not charcoal briquets)? I have read you can cook things in the fireplace, I'd like to try this but I don't want to buy a lot of fancy equipment. Also not talking about dutch oven cooking but grilling small steaks, fish, etc. in a grill basket with a handle.

The wood I have is ordinary split logs probably oak or apple wood.

toria wrote:Is it safe to cook in your fireplace with the wood that is burning in it

Safe mostly depends on you, but yes long as you exercise reasonable caution. The most popular, and expensive, fireplace grill seems to be the Tuscan Grill, I know three people who have, use and like these. A less expensive alternative is a single level Tuscan Grill or Texsport Camp Grill

My grilling is confined to outdoors as, ironically, we changed our fireplace from wood to gas a dozen years ago.

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks all. I like the Tuscan grill but I don't know if I would use it that much. Its pricey too. I'll probably try some low tech stuff first like a grill basket or long forks to roast sausage.

I am reviving this thread. Have not gotten around to fireplace cooking but still meaning to. I see there is a tuscan grill for about fifty bucks that is not adjustable and one that is about a hundred and is adjustable. I'm just wondering if the cheapest one would be the way to go. I'm sure I won't use it all that much but it would be fun to try it.

cheaper version http://www.grilling4all.com/sm8024.html

more expensive http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD/GR ... LESS-STEEL
I've seen these for sale for 99 dollars in a small size.

Also Spitjack has a long handled chestnut roaster. I'm wondering if you could make pizzas on this and grill near the fire or cook a steak or piece of fish or chicken on this in the fireplace. Pls advise especially if you have any experience in fireplace cooking.

http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD/CH ... ONG-HANDLE

My approach to fireplace cooking is limited to chestnuts. I wait for the flames to reduce to a strong glow, then I put a cast-iron pan about half full of nuts over the heat, shaking now and again until the nuts look done. The wood smoke does the nuts good.

Good idea David but can you also cook a small pizza in a long handled chestnut roasting pan? I may buy one and give it a try. I know a pizza stone is considered the way to go but it would seem as a pan with a little olive oil could be used too.

toria wrote:Good idea David but can you also cook a small pizza in a long handled chestnut roasting pan? I may buy one and give it a try. I know a pizza stone is considered the way to go but it would seem as a pan with a little olive oil could be used too.

I suppose you could cook a pizza. I try to keep it simple.