[f. prec. sb.]
1. † a. trans. To entertain in the kitchen, to furnish with kitchen-fare. Obs. rare–1.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 415. There is a fat friend at your masters house, That kitchin’d me for you to day at dinner.
b. intr. To do the work of the kitchen, to cook.
1893. Month, April, 522. The indefatigable Brother Biermann was kitchening under difficulties.
2. Sc. trans. To serve as ‘kitchen’ or relish for (see prec. 3); to give a relish to, to render palatable, to season.
1721. Ramsay, Poet’s Wish, iii. I can be well content To eat my bannock on the bent, And kitchen ’t wi’ fresh air.
1786. Burns, Scotch Drink, vii. His wee drap parritch or his bread, Thou kitchens fine.
1835–40. J. M. Wilson, Tales Borders (1851), XX. 205. I kitchened my loaf … with a pennyworth of butter.
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, 271. There is an unpleasant sensation of wanting what the Scotch know by the word kitchen, ὄψον. We made the fat kitchen the lean.
b. Sc. To use sparingly as ‘kitchen’ with food; to make (a thing) go far; to husband carefully.
1787. in Grose, Prov. Gloss.
1825–80. in Jamieson.
Hence Kitchening vbl. sb., cooking, cookery.
1836. Times, 26 Jan., 4/3. The potato and water is generally varied only by ‘kitchening,’ or ‘making-up,’ or ‘eking out’ with ‘weeds (!) and cabbage.’
1883. Athenæum, 11 Aug., 172/1. Crying out for old books, and good kitchening, and good manners.
