After a woodcut in Kuchenmeisterei, Augsburg, 1507.
The King’s chef is tasting the stew in this “state of the art” medieval kitchen. The oven is constructed of bricks with a large metal plate covering the top. To brown the fowls on the spit, pieces of charcoal have been placed beneath them. Temperature control comes from dousing with a pitcher of water. The woman is forming dough into round loaves which are placed in the oven with paddles. Sausages are hung overhead to cure. The rotisserie is semi-automatic: rising heat turns metal plates which are geared to the spit. Chefs were able to produce remarkably fanciful constructions of pasteries and vegetables to complement the meats. Many of Europe’s master chefs trace their ancestry to royalty; the King’s health was assured by his relations tasting the food. The actual linoleum block (not a print) is illustrated

Limited edition (200) linoleum block print.