This is the story of what happens in a Renaissance kitchen, how the kitchen functions and what equipment is commonly used; what foods are available and how they are prepared. We start our exploration with the period around 1450, with brief comments about the late Medieval period, and end in the 1650s, noting changes in technology, food production, preparation, preservation, and advances. The essay is broken into two main parts: The first, The Kitchen: from Fireplace to Stove, focuses on the technical aspects or mechanics of cooking. It is broken into three sections: The Kitchen Layout, The Well–equipped Kitchen and Cooking Methods and Techniques. The second part, The Food: From Ingredients to Preparation, puts those tools to use in processing food with three sections: The Well–Stocked Pantry and What People Ate, Food Preservation and Production, Food Preparation Techniques and the Making of a Meal.