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--> --> Feb. 12: Around the kitchen By Jeff Cheek Take a look at the long familiar objects in your kitchen. Many have unique names and histories, like your china. For almost a thousand years, from the 9th to 18th centuries, porcelain was a Chinese monopoly, hence the name. The first European porcelain was made in Saxony, Germany in 1708. The list of interesting items goes on and on. KNIVES: This is the oldest eating utensil, going back to cavemen who used sharp rock blades to carve meat. These blades were later made of metal, but we can only trace the word back to the Old English "cnif." SPOONS: These are from the Anglo-Saxon word "spon" meaning "a chip, or thin piece of wood." Only the wealthy could afford metal. Commoners ate with crude wooden spoons. FORKS: Archaelogists have found forks in digs dated as far back as 796 but this utensil was not accepted everywhere. Italians were using forks in the 11th century; in fact the name comes from the Latin "furca," a tool Italian farmers used to pitch hay. Thomas Becket introduced forks to England during the reign of Henry II (1154-1189) but they never caught on. Elizabeth I (1558-1603) ate with knife, spoon and fingers, even though she owned three jewel studded forks. CUP: This word comes from the ancient Indian Sanskrit word "kupa" (little well). Chinese cups had no handles. There was a logical reason. Hot tea scalds the taste buds. You cannot savor the delicate flavor of the tea. Holding it in your hand, you know when it is cool enough to drink. SAUCER: These were introduced in 1340, but were not used to hold a cup. The saucer held salt or sauce and were placed at the head of the table. Important guests were seated near the salt, lesser ones placed "below the salt." TUREEN: This large, deep container for soup was invented in Medieval France. The word comes from the French "terra," (earth). These were rude clay pots, which cracked if heated, so the soup was made in a pot, then poured into the tureen. LADLE: The soup ladle was invented in 1695 by the Duc de Montausier. Before this invention, each guest dipped his spoon into a common tureen or drank from a two- handled porringer that was passed around the table. The duke also made history by hosting a banquet where each guest had a silver fork to dine with. We still call it silverware. DISH: Round dishes resemble the Roman discus that gave them their name. Throwing the discus started with the Greeks and is still part of our track and field competitions. PLATES: Plates and platter trace their names back to the Old French word "plat" meaning flat. TUMBLER: This is a round-bottomed drinking glass that fell over unless you held it. This quality led to its name, but it was cheap and easy to make. A glassblower named Gobel added a base and stem and created the GOBLET. BISCUIT: The word comes from the Latin "bis cotus" meaning twice-cooked. Regular biscuits carried by seamen quickly molded, but by baking them twice most of the water was removed, and these biscuits lasted for weeks. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups flour 3 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/3 cup shortening 3/4 cup buttermilk PREPARATION: Sift together first four ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add buttermilk, stir well. Turn onto floured board, knead 12 to 15 times. Roll out to half inch thick, cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in ungreased baking pan at 450 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot. Jeff Cheek lives in Medford Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing