Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-24
THE UNPOETIC KITCHEN,
TIE KITCHEN IL ALL AGEs-AsCIENT
COOKING UTENSILS.
The Importance of the Kitchen-compe-
tent Cooks-Modern Kitchens-Ad-
vantages and Disadvantages.

1
tent cooks-Modern Kitchens-Ad-
vantages and Disadvantages.
"The Kitchen" says an enthusiastic
might justly have added, "and of many
ills" What the main spring is to the
watch the kitchen is to a home. The Gre.
clans rated the services of cook SO highly
| that the head of the kitchen department
the archimagirus, as he was called-re-
ceived the appointment OF culinary artist,
and presided at all public ceremonies.
These officers received no salary as cooks !;
| their fame was sufficient reward. "We
alone" said they, are intrusted by the
gods with the secret of human happiness, :"
and SO they cheerfully resigned all emolu-
ment. A successful dish which tickled the
palate of Senator might 1T any moment
procure for the cook e gift of priceless
value. In any case applause and crown
of flowers awaited him, and If he invented
new dish he received sort of patent for
it !; no othel cook dars make il for at least
twelve month, and he alone drew from it
all profit and honor until some rival sue.
cessfully prepared another novelty.
THE BEST COOKS.
Sicilisns made the hest cooks in olden
times, and were caioled to remain in
Greece, while the Romans offered incredi-
BILE sums for their services, the chief cook
in Roman household often receiving a
salary equal to S4, 600 year. Every one
remembers the supper Mark Antony gave
to Cleopatra, and how, as she praised the
viands, her lover called for the cook and
gave him city as recompense. In Rome
vast apartment back from the house it.
self served as kitchen, and over it reigned
the archimagirus, or chief cook, with des-
potic rule. This, at least, was the case in
wealthy families in others very often
there was no kitchen at all the "caterer"
in the ncighborhood supplied the meals at
different rates in different localities, or
modest room, separated from the dining
room by the cool pantry, served the pur-
pose, the lady of the house herself max
ing the bread, and intrusting nothing
of the cooking to the menials. So, too,
we read that the Homeric heroes would
rather have renounced the siege of Troy
than relinquished the preparation of food
to the slaves. In those days royal Princes
squabbled as to who should turn the spit,
if chroniclers are to be believed, but later
on, when luxury had crept in and gastron-
omy had become an art, matters were vastly
changed. Then the kitchen was the heart
of the house, the nucleus, as it were, of all
its luxury, prodigality and pretension. An
immense retinue of slaves assisted the chief
cook, or rather worked under his direc-
tions. Early in the day they repaired to
the markets, and returned to lay their
caskets of provisions before the chief of the
department, who inspected them and placed
in the cool pantry all that needed no spe.
cial preparation. The remainder found
place in spacious apartment leading out
of the kitchen at the back of the house.
There were seated the pupils of the cook,
young men learning to carve game and
poultry, listening the while to music play.
ing for their entertainpent.
THE ARcHIMAGIRus
The archimagirus meantime, seated
on raised platform, glanced over the
stock pots and brick. stoves, very like those
in old.fashioned homes to day. At the op-
posite side OF the apartment was an immense
iron CRATE, filled with wood, which slave
incessantly blew into fame with his breath.
Near this incipient hearth ruds images
represented the lares. That the Greeks
and Romans had chimneys is certain, al
though many learned writers assert the
contrary. Aristophanes, in his comedy of
"The Wasps, makes one of his characters
hide in the chimney, and, upon slave ex-
claiming, "ENhat noise in the pipe of
this chimney" the man being discovered
avows, It is l, being the smoke, trying
to escape" Later on, when the triumvirs
were prescribed, we read that many of
them took refuge in the chimneys. Hot
water for the cooking was supplied in
vast cauldron of brass placed in tripod
above the fire, while frying pan beside it
served for cooking of delicate fish. Grid
irons, colaneers, dripping pans, all found
place, and were made of bronze plated with
silver. Shells made of bronze were used
as molds for pastry.
Every variety of kitchen utensil was
known to them-boilers, cauldrons, stew.
pans saucepans, colanders with small and
large holes, spoons, forks, and hooks to
raise the meat out of the pots, and dishes
of every shape and size Stock-pots had
ladies attached and colanders fitted inside
to drain meats, vegetables, ETC., and
wonderful saucepan with double bottom,
in which pastry and light articles for des.
sert were cooked by lighting fire below
the upper bottom upon which they rested.
A "diploma" or double vase played the
part of "Vain Marie" and in it the
Roman cook prepared the incest of his
dishes by the application OF gentle heat.
The brass boilers on three legs were exact.
ly like the three legged pot used by the
Irish and French to-day other pots had
covers in the shape of domes, while large
hollow cylinders fixed underneath kept up
the action of the heat.
TOOLS OF TRADE
The saucepans were often made of silver,
and a number of bronze chatting. dishes
were always in readiness to heat the plates.
These chafng-dishes were very elegant in
shape and appearance. Each was sup
ported by three geese, and was about seven
inches long aud one and a quarter inches
broad. The wings of the geese were out.
spread to support the dish, while the heads
formed handles. Large cupboards lined
the kitchen walls, their doors rolling on
pivots, and formed repository of the plate
of the family. Silver cups and saucers,
exquisitely wrought in relief, were used
for serving hot water to drink at meals
Silver spoons ended on one side in point
to pick fish from the shell, while the other
side was bowl to eat eggs with. Forks
were unknown to the Greeks, but some
Roman families possessed them.
,Grecian epicures enveloped their hands
in kind of glove 80 they could pick out
the food while burning hot. The Roman
forks were remarkable for their workman
ship, were often of gold, and had two
prongs. Wine was placed in earthenware
buckets to cool, and little vessels served as
cruets to contain oil, vinegar and pepper.
The knives were OF steel, carefully sharp.
ened, and often with rings in the handles
to hang them up. The bread was made of
sifted -four passed through Spanish
sieve of linen thread. We have not space
to consider the food prepared in this Ro.
man kitchen, but our memory calls up the
"graashopper fried golden brown" the
"sauce OF snails," and the large white
worms, Drowned in tho stew-pan, and a
few other delicacies little appreciated by US,
oPEN-AIR KITCHENS.
In later years the Bayeux tapestry gives
US an idea OF the open.air cooking of the
Normans, where the art of gaetronomy has
deprecated, although William the Con-
queror made successful cook present of
the manor OF Abingdon. still held by de-
scendants OF the family by the ceremony Of
| presenting each monarch upon accession
with dish of plum.water cruel, the re-
ceipt for which is yet to be found on the
| public records.
The Gauls and Germans built their
kitchen near the house, never within it,
| Just as in India to-day the kitchen is q
| separate building under charge Of the but