Baking Buttercakes with SIAPv9.2 and SIAPv9.4 80824

The whether was gloomy this morning with much cloud in the sky. There was even a light shower at around noon. It was therefore a bad weather for cooking using solar cookers.

The sky turned clear in the afternoon. I thus decided to give it a shot, ie to cook using the newly completed SIAPv9.4. I prepared the butter cake mixture, which consisted of 500gm of butter cake premix, a loaf of butter and 6 eggs. The mixture was divided into two equal portions, to be cooked using SIAPv9.2 and SIAPv9.4.

Starting at 1:45pm, SIAPv9.2 and SIAP9.4 were put in place and start to cook. Both SIAPv9.2 and SIAP9.4 were adjusted once to track the afternoon sun. The weather was less than perfect for solar cooking, as there were too much overcast.

By 4:30pm, both SIAPv9.2 and SIAPv9.4 were inspected to determine the states of the butter cake inside. It was to the great surprise of many that both cakes were cooked very well! Mr Kho, Teresa and Melissa were among the several who witnessed and sampled the cooking.

SIAPv1.0 070910

SIAPv4.0 71007

SIAPv9.3

SIAPv9.3 was a flop! The tinsmith who undertook to fabricate the metal sheets did not follow the measurements, which I have provided to him. Instead, he took short cuts and simplified the design. Thus, SAIPv9.3 was never completely built.

On Friday 22/8/08 evening, starting at 9:30pm, Solarist CM Tan and I spent more than 2 hours to assemble SIAPv9.3. By 11:30, when all the panels were put together, SIAPv9.3 did not resemble something familiar. We suspected that we have made mistakes in the building of SIAPv9.3. We have to call it a day when it got too late in the evening and decided to continue the next day.

On Saturday 23/8/08 afternoon, starting at 3:00pm, Solarist Tan and I dismantled SIAPv9.3 and try to re-build it. By 6:30pm, we still could not get it into the expected shape and we started to suspect the craftsman ship of the tinsmith. When we compared the individual metal panel with my sample, we confirmed that the metal panels were not produced in accordance to my sample! Nevertheless, much time was wasted with futile outcomes.

Solar Feast 80817

Today, I cooked beef and rice. About 600gm of beef that was marinated with spices, sauces, ginger, dried mushroom and garlic was put inside a cooking pot. The pot was kept inside a glass greenhouse enclosure and place into SIAPv9.2. Two cup of rice was cooked using SIAP v6.1, with the setup similar to that of setup yesterday.

Starting at 10:30am, both cookers were setup and put in place for cooking. The food was checked for readiness for consumption two hours later. During which time, SIAPv9.2 was adjusted twice to make sure it was pointed to the sun and optimum for the heat collection. SIAPv6.1 remained untouched, as it wasn't built for ease of adjustment.

At 12:00pm, both the beef and the rice were checked for readiness for consumption. It was found that the rice and the beef was cooked and tasted very great! The beef with spices and sauces was though cooked but was a bit tough to bite.

I invited solarist CM Tan to feast on the solar meal and of cause to witness and comment on the method and taste of the cooking. Solarist CM Tan was impressed with the capability of the new version of the solar cooker and said, “Now you are so confident of your solar cooker and you can cook any food with you eyes closed!” He remarked that the rice was well cooked and added that the dried mushroom and the spices had covered the smell of the beef. “Perhaps next time you put less spices so that the smell and taste of beef would stand out”, added CM Tan.

Today’s cooking with a large portion of beef was a drastic attempt to determine the true colours of the SIAPv9.2. I bought the beef last night and I marinated the whole lot in a cooking pot right away and kept it overnight. When I was about to cook it this morning, I realised that the portion was too much. Nevertheless, I have decided to proceed to cook the whole lot! The result was very inspiring and the beef was cooked in 2 hours. Though it was a bit tough, I could be easily remedied if either the portion was reduced or it was left to cook a further 30-60 min.

In the solar feast, I started to cooked green peas using SIAPv9.2 at around 2:00pm. The green peas was about 90% cooked when I harvested the cooking at around 3:30pm ie when the sky changed to become dark and started to rain shortly after which.

I am getting ready with an improve SAIPv9.2 this week, and it would be named SIAPv9.3. The construction of SIAPv9.3 would be the same as SIAPv.2, but instead of using paper box sheets, it would be made of zinc sheet. I am excited and look forward to testing SIAPv9.3 in the coming weekend.

Testing SIAPv9.2 80816-80817

Today, 16/8/08 I cooked ginger chicken using SIAPv9.2, and cooked rice using SIAPv6.1.

A whole piece of chicken thigh with the drumstick was mixed with ginger, little red onion, cooking wine and a pinch of salt. The whole mix was put inside the black solar-cooking pot and placed. The pot was covered with a glass greenhouse enclosure. Meanwhile, a 1.5 cup of rice was washed and put inside another blacken pot. This pot is also covered with a glass greenhouse enclosure.

Starting at 10:15am, the the solar cookers were setup and put in place for cooking. By 1:25, which was 3 hours later, the food inside the cookers were inspected. It was found that the chicken was over cooked! It was a bit too soft. Whereas the rice, it rice was rightly cooked.

I called up Solarist, Mr CM Tan. He comeby our place and we feasted
on a Solar-meal. After the solar feast, the sun was still bright. I therefore decided to cook something for the high tea this afternoon. I washed 1.5 cup of barley and put
it into SIAPv9.2 with submerged it in water. SIAPv9.2 was again put in place to cook at about 2:00pm. By then, the sun already swung through the top. SIAPv9.2 was repositioned to face the sun. It was somewhere in the region of 20-30deg towards the west. The barley was left to cook through 4:00pm. In between SIAPv9.2 was readjusted once to track the west bound sun. When the pot was finally opened at 4:00pm, the barley inside was well cooked. It was quite dry as there was little water to start with. Hot water and sugar was added to the barley and it was enough to served to 6 persons.

Solarist CM Tan was again invited to sample the barley. He commented that the barley tasted better than when it was cooked over a gas stove. The texture is different and it felt good to biting. It was tendon, yet chewy. If the weather permits, I shall try to try to cook something more challenging tomorrow. Perhaps I will cook lamb or mutton in spice.

SIAPv9.2 is tested today 80810

Today, the improved SIAPv9.2 is tested. It has a tiltable rack that allow the tilting of the solar cooker to track the sun, yet maintain a stable position for the cooking pot inside. SIAPv9.2 is used to bake hotdog. 4 pieces of hotdog was thoroughly baked in a hour under the hot sun today at around noon.

Testing SIAPV9.1 80803

Today, SIAPV9.1 was tested and it was used to cook rice. SIAPv9.1 is a Octagonal 3-angle solar-shuttle cooker made of paper box and lined with aluminum foil.



The experiment today was started at 10:30 and last till 12:00noon. Two cup of rice was cooked using this cooker within 1.5hours.