I have worked in this kitchen for fifteen years, and have been trained how to cook, and many other important jobs.
Each day we prepare three meals for the master and his family. Breakfast and lunch are both small meals, but dinner (cena) is a different matter!

One of our jobs is to make bread. The farm manager (vilicus) brings wheat to the kitchen storeroom. A slave grinds it into flour, using two circular stones (quernstones).
One of my slaves looks after the herb garden where we grow parsley, lovage, mint, dill and coriander. She grinds the herbs in a strong shallow bowl with small sharp flints set into the base (mortarium). Then they are added to my recipes.

When we are cooking it gets very hot and smoky in the kitchen. There is no chimney, and only two small windows. We cook with charcoal, and when we roast animals and birds, a boy has to turn a spit over the fire.
Most pots and pans are made out of pottery, and break easily. We do have some metal ones, which are easier to clean. We use large and small strainers to drain vegetables or sauces and spiced wine.

Our food comes mainly from the farm, but I also buy food from the market, such as wine, olive oil and fish sauce. My master likes pepper, but it is very expensive so I buy it in small quantities, with ginger, cumin and aniseed.

Each year we preserve food for the winter months. We dry and salt meat and fish, and dry fruit, or preserve it in honey from our hives. We make hard cheeses, and store vegetables in salted water.
By winter the storeroom is full of preserved food as well as jars (amphorae) of wine, olive oil and fish sauce.

My slaves have many other jobs to do - fetching water from the well, gathering firewood, washing pots and preparing food. They have to work hard if they don't want a beating from me!