> for all but the poorest can be cooked and delivered by others on a fairly regular basis. kitchens are expensive. the historical urban poor often lived in a c

> for all but the poorest can be cooked and delivered by others on a fairly regular basis. kitchens are expensive. the historical urban poor often lived in a corner of a room and bought their food from someone who had a kitchen. it makes eating home cooked meals feel absolutely decadent! (one thing i haven't yet understood: food was cheaper than a penny, but there were no farthings or ha'pnies till much later. indeed, a penny bought about $20 worth. so did they buy meals a week at a time, and get a pastie a day or something?)