Open Hearth Cooking

[zsenya]

It's been a while but I haven't had a whole lot to say as of late. I'm feeling chatty right now, however, so I thought I'd share news of my excursion yesterday. A historic house near me has a kitchen guild, and a few times a year they offer a four-hour open hearth cooking class. I signed up, along with my best friend, and we headed down there

Comments

[carleton97]

a) as the loving owner of two drop spindles and a spinning wheel, I'd have to give a hearty 'yes' to this. I find the whole process involved in spinning to be pretty meditative. And you get a lovely end product when you're done. My newest thing is natural dyeing. I figure if I'm going to bitch and complain about oil companies I shouldn't be dependent on synthetic dyes derived from petroleum, so I'm going to try some dyeing with bark and leaves and roots.

b) Hmmm... visit as in live in, or just take a walking tour?

[zsenya]

Yes! That's what I wanted to say, too. At first, even though I enjoy cooking, I voiced to everyone "If it's this much work, why did they bother cooking?" But it *was* meditative. And the teachers explained that cooking was a good way to disguise not-so-fresh food, etc., or to preserve food, etc. Of course. And if my whole job was cooking on the hearth all day, I'm not sure I'd mind.

That's cool about the dyeing. I just feel like it's useful for some reason to know how to do this stuff. I think that as a society now a lot of people feel really out of touch with all the goods around them. I want to know how to make soap, and clothes, and colors. It's weird to me that I am unfamiliar with the origin of so much around me.

And... I guess I mean visit as in live in. Well... either one. I'd like to take a walking tour of about twenty different times and places. I can't say that I'd want to live in any of them, just because I have no idea what to expect, you know?

[carleton97]

I think... I think there's definitely something to be said about doing things in an olde tyme-y way. I know Ruth and I both really enjoy canning and for something that I didn't even know was still being done six months ago, spinning has sort of taken over my consciousness. I don't know if it's some weird modern-day yearning for "simpler" times or what, but ... yeah.

[zsenya]

I have always wanted to learn how to can things. I had a student once who grew up on a farm (in Minnesota, actually) and her parents canned everything and she had this huge aversion to canning, because she'd had to do it growing up all the time. I know that it drives my mother crazy when I say things like "I don't really like air conditioning" because she grew up without it in the south and it was miserable. I think it's a combination of the "simpler" times and also just yearning for something different. I think most people are curious and are fascinated by things that are different from what they know.

[ravensnape]

No hesitation, I've always been fascinated with Revolutionary America. The birth of a nation. The founding fathers and mothers. Men and woman from different areas of budding country coming together, sometimes taking months to get there, and risking all to call themselves their own people.

[zsenya]

You're right - that does sound fascinating. I guess I would add Russian Revolution to my list also... mainly because I'd like to see how it really was. We had an interesting assignment in a history class in college. We had to pick an event in history and write it up, based on primary accounts. I chose the Russian Revolution and looked at accounts in the New York Times, Washington Post, etc. It's fascinating to do that kind of thing.

I recently saw an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art's west wing on DADA. One thing I kept wondering was... "Was anyone paying attention to these people when they were alive?" Like, a lot of art seems cliqueish to me. Well, a lot of life is that way. And as I was going through the exhibit, I was wondering, these people were trying to say something with their art, but was anyone noticing at the time?

[ravensnape]

Oh, and ask wahlee_98 about the period dress. She's a web link to dress patterns and is very much into the Austen look of things.

[lilac_bearry]

That is fascinating. It does give an appreciation for how they lived then, and for all the modern conveniences now. I loved reading the Little House books and learning about how they did all that stuff and asking myself if I could do it. Many people around these parts go on Pioneer re-enactment treks, and they go all out. They follow the trail, walk with a handcart, etc. I wonder about the underwear too (mostly the feminine supplies and diapers). I guess you just did what you did because that's what you knew.

[aeljn]

I enjoyed that about the Little House books, too! I think they used rags that they rinses or washed out in the old days.

I think it was in my mother's copy of BARBARA CARTLAND'S BOOK OF USELESS INFORMATION that I read that --centuries ago --the clergy were very upset when some royal or aristocratic lady started wearing underpants so the men of the court wouldn't be "treated to unlawful sights", as I believe it was put, when her skirt went up while she was riding. The clergy complained that she should let her buttocks go bare as God intended. (No, I didn't manage to type that without snickering.)

[laurel_potter]

I'm an extrodiary lazy person and am not into any of this at all, but I understand your interest.

Have you checked with your local SCA group? They do lots of outdoor cooking, in caldrons, no less. They also do period clothing, and spinning and tatting and stuff like that. They also have some great musicians, and people who brew their own beer and wine.

Let me know if you need more info, I might be able to find you a website.

That's my grandson in my icon!!