[Sca-cooks] Pottery for Cooking/Eating

[Etain1263 at aol.com]

In a message dated 05/21/2001 12:16:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
stefan at texas.net writes:

<< whereas the pottery
 pots couldn't be. They had to be put on coals? or next tot he fire? >>

As clay (even fired clay) heats...the molecules expand (it's more complex
than that..but "expand" should suffice for here)...and if they expand at
different rates...i.e.: the bottom of the pot (on the heat) and the top (not
on the heat)..the vessel will explode!(or at the very least..crack)   So...no
intense direct heat to any one surface of a pottery vessel!  I would
say..."next to" a fire...not on coals.  (but you could probably bury it in
coals if it were covered!)

As for what would be desired?  This is not period..but I took a firepit bread
baking class at Pennsic last year..and the cook had a stoneware ..um..flat
bottomed bowl/plate that could be used to mix, knead and raise the dough!  I
NEED one of those!

Etain inghean Ruaidhri
(Etain1263 at aol.com)