[Sca-cooks] Hello, Intorducing myself

[Saint Phlip]

On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 1:48 PM, David Herzog
<norcaldutchovendave at yahoo.com> wrote:


> Again, Thank you for letting me join the group and I hope to learn alot here and even contribute also. BTW I have been told "Dutch ovens are not period" I can tell those that do not know that cast Dutch ovens with legs have been used since 5000 BC by the Chinese and are called "Ding" The Spanish also have used them since "the dawn of time" and called them  "marmetta" roughtly translated "tripod pot" meaning they had 3 legs forming the tripod in which to put the fire under the pot.
> Bakus the Crockist of the house Klemend Holdt in the Kingdom of Antir


Are you saying cast _IRON_ Dutch style ovens, or are you saying cast
_pottery_ Dutch ovens? If you're saying cast iron, in ANY culture, I'd
love to see your documentation. Cast iron is a very odd material- in
Europe, until fairly recently, it was considered a by-product of the
iron smelting process, and simply wasn't used because its high O2
content made it very brittle, and thus, not forgeable, or useful for
much of anything.

As far as Chinese processes with iron, we're still learning what they
did, and what they could do, but I would have to actually see, or at
least see the documentation for, an artifact such as you describe.
Iron is an interesting metal, and there are rather complex processes
involved in its usage, compared to softer metals such as tin, lead,
silver, gold, and copper, not least involving its interactions with
oxygen..

Metal is a bit of an interest of mine, particularly iron, so I'd be
very interested in any information which might widen my understanding
of its history and usage.


-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

.I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary
notices I have read with pleasure. -Clarence Darrow