At the Nazareth monastery, the nuns do not eat a 'dish' but a portion regulated by custom. At the heart of the meal is the pitance: a cooked vegetable from the garden, accompanied by daily bread (often rye) and a little drink. On feast days, the abbess has a 'general' served—an extra portion—a fish dish, fruits with honey. Everything is taken in silence while a sister reads aloud from the pulpit. The infirmary has its own rules: the sick are allowed what the common table denies.

Beatrice's kitchen has neither costly spices nor meat: its treasure is the square of herbs in the cloister. Hyssop, sage, lovage, parsley, and yarrow grow between the walls. They perfume the pottages, bitter the ale, and heal in the infirmary. The same hand picks for the pot and for the remedy.