[Calvin Locke]

Both Gutenberg.org and Archive.org have a number of old cookbooks. At one historical period, "cookbooks" also included running households, managing domestics, etc.

I just love being reminded to go down to my local ironmonger for rods to make a rack for the oven, or heck, just dust off the thermospodium for the next dinner party.

[Jamestown1630]

LOL!

On your suggestion, I looked up ‘thermospodium’. In Google Images, I saw something that looked like a modern day prepper’s ‘rocket stove’.

And then I found this:

COOKERY AND DINING IN IMPERIAL ROME, by Apicius:

https://archive.org/stream/cookeryanddining29728gut/29728.txt

Anyone who has the time will find this a very witty read - though perhaps not very useful for modern cookery. And: The Romans seemed to be into ‘fast food’.

The Hildesheim Roman Treasure, referenced in the book about Apicius, is beautiful:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hildesheim+treasure&biw=1045&bih=444&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwixs62agpLMAhVGOj4KHTubA68QsAQIIg#imgrc=wd2aYJU53IsTDM%3A

-JT