"The
quiet
of the
keeping
room
gave
way to
rat-a-tat
chopping...and
the occasional
'Which
pot should
I use?
Is the
fire
hot enough?
Does
the cornbread
look
done?'
As
we
went
along,
Ellen
described
the
characteristics
of
each
type
of
cooking
vessel
(spider,
gypsy
kettle,
hanging
griddle,
Dutch
oven). She
reminded
us
to
feed
the
fires
and
preheat
our
pans
slowly....
Some
dishes
dangled
from
a long
iron
rod
over
the
flames,
others
nestled
in
the
base
of
the
coals. At
one
point,
I counted
six
different
pots
and
pans
in
the
fire,
each
the
responsibility
of
a different
cook
jockeying
his
or
her
pot
into
position
at
the
hearth. |
