[Sca-cooks] "All the King's Cooks"

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> I remember seeing one of the boiling kettles--perfectly enormous thing,
> which fit into this alcove.  To stir the contents (or to fish something
> out, no doubt), one had to actually climb stairs next to the alcove.  My
> memory is insisting that the kettle was copper, but I could easily be
> wrong--or the kettle could be a later one of some kind.

Nope, it was copper, according to the book.

> There was also this interesting area like a modern built-in counter,
> except it was a series of mini-stoves, for want of a better phrase.

Charcoal heated chafing dishes.

> There were places on top for smaller cooking vessels (like our
> saucepans), and underneath, room for charcoal or wood fires.  I think,
> though, that that part of the kitchen was 17th c., but I could be wrong.

I believe that Brears says that that part of the Hampton Court kitchen was
built in the 17th c. but that there were similar fittings in earlier
kitchens.

-- Pani Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
"I'm sorry, the antichrist you have dialed is no longer in service.
Please check your list of enemies and dial again."