Too cheap for a stove, microwave, or other heating object? Have a car and planning a road trip in the near future? Well we have an awesome method of cooking for you. The classic book “Manifold Destiny” outlines ways to cook pretty much anything under the hood of your car while driving. Even if you do have a stove, this activity is pretty amusing and you should try it out; even if only to horrify people by eating from your engine.

This technique is made possible by reusing excess heat from your engine bay. But first, you need some food to cook. Pretty much anything that you’d put in a stove or a microwave can be used, but for the sake of instuctional purposes, we’re going to use something specific. For a little protein, we’re trying chicken breast marinated in lemon juice and herbs, like basil or parsley. Noodles (ramen is our choice; first added extra virgin olive oil and cooked in car with chicken or vegetable stock) with red and green peppers make a nice side dish. For desert, why not baked apples, cut in half, smothered with butter and a brown sugar glaze?

First, prepare the food by laying it out on large pieces of foil. The chicken should be cooked in a rectangular shape to expose the most surface area, and the noodles with the liquid need to be cooked in a bowl shape. Wrap the food up in more than one piece of foil, to prevent the contents from spilling out. Twist the top of the noodle container after you make it into the bowl shape so the stock will stay with the noodles. ***DISCLAIMER we are not responsible for any damage done to a car as the result of not sealing foil packets tight enough and having liquids/food spill out. proceed at your own risk*** Also, toxic gases are of no concern because a maintained car should not be emitting any fumes from the hood. If your car does, please do not attempt this and have your car checked out by a mechanic.

Next, the all-important placement. Food that needs to be cooked the most, like the chicken, should be placed in an area that releases the most heat, i.e. the exhaust manifold. Every car is different, so look for the places with the most space to see if they get hot. If you’re not sure, drive your car around the block, park it, open the hood, and see which area is the hottest. We understand that this is pretty advanced stuff we’re dealing with right here, so if you need a moment to take it all in, (”I actually have to drive my car??!?”) we’ll wait…. Okay. Enough. So, the chicken and the apples need to be somewhere hot (a good place for the apples is on the top radiator hose) and the noodles can take lower heat for more time, so the valve cover seems like a good place for ‘em (if your car complies).

Alright, now the actual cooking. Car trips should be around 60 miles or so at 60 miles per hour. Or if you have to go longer than that, make a few rest stops to check on the food. 100 miles at 70-80 mph will probably overcook the chicken, so tone it down a notch; you’ll save gas and have better chicken. The noodles should be down at 80 miles, so you can eat them or move them to a cooler place.

Now, be warned, all of this isn’t foolproof. You need to mess around to get it right. Many different foods work well, like shrimp, which smells awesome and needs about 20-30 miles to cook completely. All in all, this is totally worth it and definitely a fun way to eat while on a car trip.

From instructables.com by trebuchet3 “Cooking… with your car” Aug 2 2007