[Sca-cooks] Period Portable Lunch Foods Cocido

Kingstaste kingstaste at comcast.net
Sun Feb 8 14:21:47 PST 2009


I think you are talking about a bed warmer like the ones pictured here: 
http://www.roberthouse.com/images/antiques/bed_warmer.jpg
and here: 
http://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=189

There are crockery versions of this: 
http://www.oldbits.net/Crock%20Bed%20Warmer.jpg

And a Chinese version:
http://bedzine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/bedwarmer.jpg

So all of these are made to utilize the heat from coals, although not to
keep them going for a long time.  It almost sounds from your description
that the spot for coals on the bottom is for heating, and you would put
fresh coals in there when you wanted to heat your food, not necessarily
travel with the coals inside?

Oh, wait, could this be it?
http://www.pradaatope-santander.com/images/olla.png


Christianna


No, cocido was cooked to last a week in the home and kept over slow 
coals during the entire week. Cocido, like broad beans, is a winter dish 
and perfect for Leon as it is cold, snowy and icy. The lunch box had a 
shelf below for coals so if the muleteer wanted his warm he could put 
the coals in there. The broth in the home actually is made when we boil 
the meats, chicken and pork in my house. In the Middle Ages you had the 
whole variety of game. Now the muleteer traditionally did not seem to 
have a thermos so he stopped at an Inn after his lunch and brought some 
broth.
As for the photo you want of the lunchbox I cannot find it on google.  I 
am 90% sure the name of the lunch box is zagon. I cannot find it except 
for being a slipper made of lamb's wool used by shepards in Leon. My 
info was that this is a two layer wooden box. Downstairs you have a few 
coals and upstairs you have Grandma's winter delight kept warm until 
wonder boy wants to eat it, i.e. it is separated by a wooden sheet. Last 
seen it looked like a chicken coop at the two sides and was wood along 
the length. It is rather like Grandma's box she had for warming her bed 
at the beginning of the 20th C and before except the maragatos had two 
stories. You have a special name for that in English, something warmer, no?
I am very sorry I cannot find it. If anyone has any ideas please tell me 
so I can look some more.
Suey
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