[Sca-cooks] Kitchen wear, was Very carefully not panicking...

[Gretchen R Beck]

I've had very good luck with Japanese bath-house slippers.  I also know
people who swear by those rubber mats that you can get for about $10 at the
Bed, Bath, and Beyond type stores.

Definately all cotton clothing, sleeves that you can roll up and have stay
up.  I recommend a bodice, as this helps restrain your clothing, and gives
you something to tuck the sleeves into. A bandana or other kind of head
wrap is good too, since that completely eliminates the need to mess with
your hair.  I tend to tuck a dishtowel into my belt, instead of using an
apron -- it's easier to change, and I get messy cooking no mattter what I
do.

toodles, margaret

--On Friday, September 20, 2002 2:06 PM -0700 lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:

> Gorgeous Muiredach wrote:
>>  > comfy shoes
>>
>> I'd define comfy shoes as shoes that are hard soled and will hold one's
>> ankle safely.  I have found that as comfortable as they are, running
>> shoes of all ilks are probably the worst thing.  At the end of a 14, 15
>> hour day, your ankle are swollen, your feet are sore, and your lower
>> back is likely to kill you.
>>
>> There's a reason so many chefs and surgeon vote for (closed heel) clogs
>>  :-)  Make sure they have a non-skid sole if you go that way.
>
> So, what kind of shoes? I'm not visualizing them clearly. I have bone
> spurs in both heels, so my feet get real sore (ok, so they feel as if
> they are being fileted by flaming knives). I need good soft
> cushioning inside and a somewhat resilient, but cushiony sole, but i
> like snugly fitting shoes (loose shoes lead to twisted ankles and
> sore metatarsal arches).
>
> I limped for 3 days after Boar Hunt 2001. And although while i was
> limping by the afternoon of the Bardic, i was fine the next day. I've
> been wearing Eccos, which are better than any of the other shoes i've
> had recently. But i haven't found the right shoes yet. Of course, i
> wear women's size 5 narrows (big enough to leave room for extra pads)
> which are not easy to find in any style. Shoes that are too wide are
> very uncomfortable to me.
>
>>  > comfy clothes
>>
>> Comfy, yet not baggy.  Dangerous to have baggy clothes in the
>> kitchen.
>
> Yeah, i second that. Watch out for:
> -- Sleeves with wide cuffs - they can catch on hot pot handles and
> pull them over, maybe on you; drag in the food, and, uh, catch fire...
>
> -- Low necklines - hot or sticky stuff can splash on your delicate
> skin (or if you're a guy, ee-yew, chest hair in the food...)
>
> -- Long hems - you'll be bending and moving a lot, and you really
> don't want to step on your hem and make yourself fall down.
>
> -- Long swirly skirts - that someone else can step on making you or
> them fall, or that can knock stuff over...
>
> -- Trains *really* don't belong on the kitchen crew - although we had
> someone with one at the Mists Bardic feast, but, then, there were
> only four cooks, so we were generally well out of each other's way -
> and she had lots of experience with trains (Duchess Mistress
> Mistress, and more than 20 years in the SCA).
>
> If you look at Medieval pictures of kitchen help, the men are usually
> in short tunics and the women's aren't real long, and often hiked up.
>
>>   Also, avoid like the plague any synthetics.
>
> Help me, i'm melting... that's how you'll feel in synthetics.
>
> Another thing i'll mention:
> -- Hair covering: I put my hair up and usually have a head wrap on,
> and i generally request this of my crew.
>
> I really have to make myself some aprons (this time i stained my nice
> grey linen tunic on the stove). I say this to myself after every
> feast, and then i forget...
>
> Anahita
> _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing list
> Sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> http://www.ansteorra.org/mailman/listinfo/sca-cooks
>