Home cooking
The term middle class kitchen was coined at the time of industrialization and describes the kitchen of middle class middle class . In this way it differs from the manorial dining culture on the one hand and from the rural kitchen, as well as the workers' kitchen, which is characterized by material restrictions, on the other. It is primarily a family kitchen in which gathering at mealtime, at least the main meal at noon, was valuable.
Historical development
In the middle-class families, there was not always a cook or a cook, the hostess often stood at the stove, if possible supported by a maid for the so-called lower household activities. The head of the house, who did his job, usually came home for lunch, as did the children. In Germany, until the introduction of the G8, school took place almost exclusively in the morning until lunch.
The everyday kitchen was distinguished from the Sunday kitchen , to which other family members who did not belong to the household were often invited. This Sunday dinner was then also characterized by greater financial and labor-intensive expenditure and thus also a status symbol .
Upscale middle-class cuisine means above all those dishes that are characterized by the use of high-quality products. In particular, these are larger meat dishes such as roasts or game dishes , but also asparagus as comparatively expensive seasonal vegetables, lavish desserts and cakes are part of it.
With the help of the lady of the house, who was supported by fewer and fewer staff, a number of customs arose in Germany, which gradually became widespread. On washing day , for example, dishes that require little attention, such as B. stew or thick soups.
Since the housewife was now a non-professional cook at the stove, who nonetheless made certain demands on the meals for the family, the need arose for in-depth knowledge that went beyond the general knowledge of the hostess. Until then, written recipe collections were primarily intended for full-time chefs and rarely went beyond general descriptions of ingredients and technology.
One of the first cookbooks for this purpose, or at least the best known, is the "Practical Cookbook for Ordinary and Finer Cooking" by Henriette Davidis , first published in 1844. It not only gathers recipes for all the dishes used in German and French cuisine at the time, it also provides detailed information on all matters relating to cooking, stockpiling, planning and etiquette for domestic parties.
Home cooking
The concept of home-style cooking is closely related to traditional cuisine, but to be understood more broadly . This also includes the rural and workers' kitchens. Today the term is often used derogatory, as it is generally understood to mean a simple and above all hearty cuisine that is suitable for the nutrition of physically hard-working people and at the same time is based on affordable products. Nevertheless, home cooking still has its place between the newer trends towards ready-made products , fast food and international cuisine.