No, I’m not talking about one of those ridiculous competitive cooking shows. (I am not a fan) Those shows to me are exactly the opposite of what cooking truly is. Cooking for me is a couple of things. First, it is an expression of love when you put a plate of food in front of someone. Secondly, it is relaxing and very therapeutic. That’s not to say that we’ve never felt stressed when preparing a dinner for 20 people or the boss and his wife. Preparing anything more challenging than Ramen noodles or blue box mac & cheese is in effect an art form. You are the maestro and in complete command of the symphony. A little of this….and a little of that….voila! The challenge I’m talking about is my kitchen.
The truth is, I’m spoiled. For the past 18 years, I’ve been in a comfort zone called my kitchen. I had all of my appliances, my pots and pans, my gadgets and my serving platters at my beck and call. I also had a big island for food prep where everyone always gathered. Granted, it was tight at times, but nothing like it is today. Jeanie and I decided to downsize and build a cottage. We sold the house very quickly and had to scramble to find an apartment because our place won’t be ready for a couple of months. Don’t get me wrong; this is a nice place. We simply don’t have much room; it’s temporary. I had to put all my kitchen stuff in storage, and we don’t have space for company. That’s a big change from constant entertaining. Jeanie and I are always in each other’s way, and our menu isn’t as “Interesting” as it once was due to the limitations of our space. I was complaining about all of this when I had a sudden wake-up call.
I was talking to “All In One Chef” Mark Kingshott about our circumstances and I said, with some embarrassment “I even have an electric stove!” He paused, looked at me and said: “It still gets hot doesn’t it?” Like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, I flashed back to the purchase of my first home. It was a used trailer with a tiny pink stove and at the time, I was grateful to have it.
Yep, spoiled. I’m through complaining. You can make anything you want no matter your surroundings. If it still gets hot, you can feed the people you love. Thanks, Mark.