Engine Cooking

 

 

Today I'm going to discuss a little about cooking food on an automobile engine. This is something I've been practicing more recently as I found on my last road trip just how effective meals on wheels are. I was in a precarious situation where towns were few and far between while roaming through hills and over large open stretches of prairie. I had a schedule to keep covering hundreds of miles and still reaching my destination. I resorted to old fashioned methods employed by people eons ago who lived in a by gone era. Picture the old days, folks out slapping an omelet wrapped in foil on small dish on the engine block of a 1955 Chevrolet pickup. Then they drive for about half an hour and then pull over to check and see if the food is done. Seems perfect, why not? The engine produces plenty of heat to act like an oven. When you pack your vittles for the expedition you are not just limited to snack food but you can even choose cooked meals, brilliant! To me this is efficiency at it's finest, especially if your already getting great MPGs from your engine. Now I know this ancient culinary technique will not always work with modern automobiles. So many have engine covers, there's ways around that though I should probably not recommend. I used to work in an auto garage and depending on what model it is there are ways to remove the engine cover but instead of doing that; which might upset your dealer, I recommend alternative heating positions without prying the cover off. I've begun experimenting on newer vehicles. The other day I found myself attempting to wrestle a burrito into a suitable position atop the engine of a Chevy Blazer near the firewall while squeezing it past all the hardware on the engine. It fit snug and cooked nicely. Engine cooking is not terribly popular in the modern but it sure is fun and rewarding. Expect segments in this blog to cater to the the culinary ventures of adventurous gear heads.

 

Chimmichanga baking in foil on Nissan 2.8 liter engine. Lightly seasoned with Wyoming road dust makes a savory delicious dish when your really hungry and on the move. It gives a whole new meaning to "fast food".