Behind every course of a grand dinner was a mini-army of minions with sore arms. Done by hand, grinding, pounding, beating, and sieving are among the most laborious of all kitchen tasks. The really striking thing, therefore, is how little impetus there was—until very recently—to develop labor-saving devices; and how little change there was in the basic equipment used. For thousands of years, servants and slaves—or in lesser households, wives and daughters—were stuck with the same pestles and sieves, with few innovations. This technological stagnation reflects a harsh truth. There was very
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