A cook is a household staff member responsible for food preparation. The term can refer to the head of kitchen staff in a great house or to the cook-housekeeper, a far less prestigious position involving more physical labour.
The cook in a great house was traditionally a female; today's residences may employ a head cook or chef who is of either gender.
The cook is responsible for the preparation of daily meals and menus, as well as menus for parties and other special occasions. The cook is also responsible for the ordering of food, the maintenance of the kitchen and for keeping accounts with local merchants. The position reports directly to the lady of the house or sometimes to the housekeeper.
The cook ensures supervises all kitchen staff. There can be occasional staff conflicts over who supervises between staff, who may have duties that bring them into the realms of the cook, the housekeeper and the butler.
In the hierarchy of domestic service, a cook usually earned her position through apprenticeship, perhaps beginning in service as a kitchen maid.
Today's cooks are likely to have spent years in domestic service in different households, or to have gone to cooking school. Few modern families can afford retinues of servants, so the cook is often expected to be a cook-housekeeper, responsible for cleaning as well.
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