SC - Cooking in a Period Environment

[Par Leijonhufvud]

On Mon, 30 Jun 1997, L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt wrote:

> How many of you have attempted to make your "camp cooking" period---not just
> the recipes and ingredients, but the fire irons, the pots and pans, the
> beehive ovens and the open spits. etc?

I've cooked for small groups of people (10-15) over campfire with only the
tools available: pots (one iron replica, one aluminium "billy can"  type
pots), wooden spoons and ladles, knives, cutting boards. With the
limitations that this implies it works fine, but you should expect that it
takes some skill to work with the fire, and keep a constant temperature on
pots. I've also used what comes fairly close to the viking age skillets, 
with good results when making bread.

Make sure you have plenty of firewood, and if you go for much larger
groups you probably should have someone detailed keeping the fire going at
a constant level. This person should have some knowledge of what it takes 
to keep a fire going at a constant level (small sticks and constant 
replenishment), but this should be ok for a teenager.

Have a convienient method of regulating your pots position relative to the
fire. My prefered setup is a trench type fireplace (say 1 1/2x4'), with a
bar at about 4-5' above. I then hang my pots from it using wooden "double
hooks"[1], but a viking style chain with hooks would work at least as
well. Remember that you can regulate by having the fire on one end, and
moving the pot sideways. For a larger setup this is another person; 
stirring the pots and keeping them positioned. 

Other usefull things: nick a pair of welders gloves from one of your 
neighbourhood stickjocks. Usefull for handeling hot and sooty pots. 

If you are going to do anything largish at all, I strongly recommend 
getting a table. It makes lots of things much easier.

/UlfR

[1] Join to wooden hooks until you have a "Z" shape (say 5-6" long). Your
pot hangs on one, and a sturdy string from the other. it is then easy to
roll up a turn of string on the upper hood when needed. The upper end of
the string is tied with a loop (large enough to slide easilly) to the bar.

- --
Par Leijonhufvud                  par.leijonhufvud at labtek.ki.se 
/earth is 98% full. Please remove any excess inhabitants.