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Meals themselves were hearty and homemade—roasted meats, potatoes, vegetables, and simple desserts—reflecting the labor-intensive cooking process of the time. All dishes were prepared from scratch, requiring hours of manual labor and skill. With no electric appliances, everything from chopping to baking was done by hand, often by the mother or older children.
The Kitchen: The Engine of the Household
Behind the scenes lay the kitchen, a functional yet often hidden part of the home. Unlike today’s sleek, appliance-filled kitchens, Victorian kitchens were large rooms centered around a massive cast-iron stove or fireplace—either wood, coal, or later, gas-powered. Food preparation was a team effort, with multiple people working at a large central table to peel, chop, and cook.