Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq. wrote:
>
>
>>When the present Queen of England came to the throne in 1952 one of
>>the first things Prince Philip (her husband) did was to have
>>"kitchenettes" installed in the private quarters of both Buckingham
>>palace and Windsor castle. The Queen don't cook but Philip does and
>>according to gossip has a fascination with kitchen 'gadgets'. But
>>supposedly it irked him to have to call a footman, order a sandwich
>>and coffee and have to waite an hour or more for it, but then he also
>>likes to cook family breakfasts and is an avid BBQ'er.
>
>
> Good for him. Seems it was quite common a hundred and more years ago to
> have the kitchen set apart from the rest of the house. It was often done
> because of the need for chimneys, firewood, water from the well. Even a
> mansion would only be 50 feet or so, between eating and coking not the
> distance of the castles mentioned.
>
>

Yep, even Gen. George Washington's home, Mount Vernon has its cooking
facilities, still room & etc. in separate "out" buildings. And that ws
as much for safety reasons as anything else, like the smells of the
kitchen penetrating the rest of the house.

I read a bit of gossip once that Prince philip got hold of an American
"electric skillet" and proceeded to cook sausages in the private
quarters for the family breakfast at Buckingham palace.

Later that evening there was a full blown white tie and tails formal
diplomatic "State" function at Buckingham palace and the smell of
sausages still lingering in the air elicited a rather sharp comment from
the Queen to her husband on the subject of his indulging his hobby in
the palace.

Breakfast meats are now cooked in the kitchen basement in the south wing
of the palace. About as far away as one can get from the state rooms of
the palace, and that, with industrial grade ventilation to keep cooking
aromas from penetrating the rest of the palace.

--

Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.
Let the games begin!
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