CULINA
The culina was a small, dark, poorly ventilated room located off of the alae, that functioned as the kitchen. It contained an oven for baking, the top of which could be used for warming dishes much like our 'stove-top' cooking of today. Food storage would have also been located in this room.
An upper class matrona or married Roman woman would not have prepared the food herself, but would have delegated the task of cooking to slaves. Since she did not have to work in this room, the matrona would not have cared that it was poorly ventilated or dark.