Comments on: Lest We Forget. Servants in the Kitchen http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/06/lest-we-forget-servants-in-the-kitchen.html A Historian's Take on Food and Food Politics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:28:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rachel Laudan http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/06/lest-we-forget-servants-in-the-kitchen.html/comment-page-1#comment-25787 Rachel Laudan Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:19:45 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1590#comment-25787 Well, yes, like Karen I think this is an excellent question. Of course servants have not gone away, in a certain sense, but been outsourced--the girls at the dry cleaners, the cleaning team who comes in, the women bending over sewing machines in different parts of the world, and the chef or more to the point the kitchen minions he or she has working, the youth working at the fast food chains. I do think there is a difference though. The problem for the servant was and still is where you are or where I am that they are totally beholden to the mistress. This works well when the relationship is a benign one. It isn't always though. One girl who worked for me told me that she was locked in all day until the employers returned from work and then they inspected the house before they let her go. Of course sweatshop conditions can be bad too. It's a vexed question. Well, yes, like Karen I think this is an excellent question. Of course servants have not gone away, in a certain sense, but been outsourced–the girls at the dry cleaners, the cleaning team who comes in, the women bending over sewing machines in different parts of the world, and the chef or more to the point the kitchen minions he or she has working, the youth working at the fast food chains.

I do think there is a difference though. The problem for the servant was and still is where you are or where I am that they are totally beholden to the mistress. This works well when the relationship is a benign one. It isn’t always though. One girl who worked for me told me that she was locked in all day until the employers returned from work and then they inspected the house before they let her go.

Of course sweatshop conditions can be bad too. It’s a vexed question.

]]> By: Karen http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/06/lest-we-forget-servants-in-the-kitchen.html/comment-page-1#comment-25767 Karen Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:55:48 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1590#comment-25767 Ah! I love this question! :) Ah! I love this question! :)

]]> By: dianabuja http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/06/lest-we-forget-servants-in-the-kitchen.html/comment-page-1#comment-25765 dianabuja Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:52:29 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1590#comment-25765 Thanks for this Rachel; it's great to have them all pulled together. It got me to wondering: where is the 'cross over' between being a servant in the kitchen and being a chef? diana. Thanks for this Rachel; it’s great to have them all pulled together.

It got me to wondering: where is the ‘cross over’ between being a servant in the kitchen and being a chef?

diana.

]]> By: Luca Simonetti http://www.rachellaudan.com/2009/06/lest-we-forget-servants-in-the-kitchen.html/comment-page-1#comment-25749 Luca Simonetti Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:10:57 +0000 http://www.rachellaudan.com/?p=1590#comment-25749 Many thanks, Rachel! Many thanks, Rachel!

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