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Virtual Tour - Kitchen
 

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most of the food in the fort was prepared. The room's hearth is original, and made from uncut pieces of limestone. Scattered on the floor are dutch ovens, an iron ladle, a tin reflector oven, crockery, and more.

Imagine the smells that visitors to the old fort would have noticed; cottonwood smoke, spices, grease drippings, cooking meat and bread, or perhaps the rank odor of spoiled meat or rotting foodstuffs. One can only guess at the rush required to feed several dozen hungry men. Amidst flying towels, steam, and clanging pots, one could find the cooks, hurried in their preparations, but not wanting to disappoint the fort's gentlemen with a poorly prepared meal.

The most famous cook at the fort was Charlotte Green, whose cooking, it had been said, "was celebrated from Long's Peak to the Cumbres Espanoles".

Duck, wild turkey, pronghorn, deer, elk, and buffalo were served, along with cattle, sheep, and chicken. Other foods that were there include flour, dried fruit, cheese, rice, beans, almonds, raisins, bacon, pork, as well as coffee, tea, sugar, salt, molasses, and alcoholic drinks. Local efforts at irrigation crops were supplemented by agricultural produce from New Mexico such as chilies, pumpkin, beans, onions, and corn.

Continue the tour or go back to first floor map.

Author: Matt Masten beol_interpretation@nps.gov
Last updated: 12-22-99
http://www.nps.gov/beol/kitchen.htm