Pernese Cooking

[emma]

Pernese cooking - I'm pretty sure it would be on a wood/coal burning stove rather than gas or electric *g*

but how would they set the temperature - would an oven/cooking thermometer exist, or would they judge by experience; i.e. 6 logs is enough to roast a joint from a herdbeast, 4 logs for a cake etc...

[PastMember]

Trial and error, would be my guess.  Something you learn as an apprentice baker, or at your momma's knees.

Even now-a-days on a gas stove, you are really guesstimating, as there is no thermosat control.

[PastMember]

I've always envisioned a system interconnected like this one:

http://www.mescolicaldaie.it/e_emiliana.html

http://www.freetechsupport.com/csr/woodcookstove.htm

And there's a good description of how to cook on a woodstove.

Air flow is the key to regulating wood-stoves (whether heating or cooking).  Too little air, fire dies, and you freeze your toes off come morning when you venture out of the quilts and/or the food's still quite raw.  Too much air, the fire burns too hot and dies out... again, freezing you or burnt, undercooked food.

Combining experience with regulating the airflow and types of wood used, they'd just *know* how long.

Also... not all areas would use wood.  Some would use coal, and variations of natural gas/steam.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/index.html

Good site for some in-depth daily info, more modern than a "medieval site".