Continuing to talk about recipes for desserts it is clear that the desert has one element that makes it ideal for cooking food. Look up in the sky, it’s the sun. Temperatures in the desert can top 150°F, that’s good for cooking. If harnassed, it can mean cooking without modern appliances like microwaves, stoves or even gas or charcoal grills. 

There are expensive solar cookers as well as homemade ones.  Such cookers can reach up to 300°F, perfect for many desert recipes, yes there is a great deal to desserts ! Hotdogs, steaks, soups, even spaghetti can be cooked here.  But keep two things in mind.  The first is that this is a slow cooking method. It’s an all-day affair.  As the sun moves you’ll have to realign the cooker. Also don’t expect to cook this way on a cloudy day or at night.

There are positives to solar cooking as well.  Slow cooking keeps food moist.  And it really isn’t possible to burn anything because there are hours of leeway in cooking times rather than minutes or even seconds with other cooking methods.  Don’t believe it? Leave a steak on the grill for five minutes too long. Plus cooking over a longer period means more time to savor the aromas.  Cooking isn’t just cooking and eating, it’s presentation and experience too. And don’t worry about food not browning in a solar cooker. If there’s some fat, the meat will brown.

Do you want to hear some desert recipes? Try desert spaghetti squash with sausage, spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese.  Another possibility is a delicious Chile casserole. That’s not Chile with meat and beans, that’s hot Pablano Chiles, by the way  A quick search on Yahoo will find even more.