I used to enjoy cooking and baking. My co-workers at one former employ were often the recipients of my frequent baking, and I took pleasure in the fact that people enjoyed my cookies, cupcakes, breads, you name it. A dinner invitation was always well-met, especially if I was cooking my famous stromboli.
Every since I got married, however, I haven't been much of a cook. I wondered why, for awhile, because despite the fact that we had an oven so small it could barely hold a fly with it's wings cut off, you could still cook with it. Today I cooked my famous stromboli for dinner, and I came to a realization: my desire to cook is directly proportional with the size of my kitchen and the amount of counter space my kitchen has. Our current kitchen has the counter space equivalent to a large cookie sheet, which really isn't enough for hog butchering, entrail twisting or any type of alchemistic torture. We did buy a nice piece of furniture to expand the amount of counter space, but the damn thing is on wheels and if you try to do any vigorous stirring or even breathe near it, it sends the whole kit and caboodle barrelling down the apartment hallway at a speed consistent with major league pitchers. It sure makes a fine place to store stuff, though.
This will be a temporary relapse. Our house, which is finished being built, painted, tiled, and all that jazz, is a blank slate as far as the kitchen cabinetry is concerned. I don't ask my husband for much, I don't fancy jewelry, I don't go clothes or makeup shopping very often, and honestly, flowers are pretty but they immediately die in my care, as if my breath is the kiss of death. But my husband is going to sell a few organs and walk the streets in red lipstick and high heels for the kind of cabinetry and counter space I have in mind for our kitchen. He'll reap the benefits, though, as long as he has enough organs left to survive.
For now, he'll have to survive on sloppy joes, chili, and an occasional stromboli dinner. Someday I might make a pie or some cookies, but such projects are particularly tenuous without counter space. It is always good for a challenge, though.
6 comments:
I know what you mean. I hate small, cramped spaces and that's without having to actually DO anything in them. I have a theory about the size of kitchens.
It came to me on the island of Naxos. I went to visit a 500 year old house that was for sale and noticed that the kitchen was like modern day kitchens...no counter space and just enough room for one person to turn around in while the living room and foyer were huge. Many new homes are built the same way. So I figure this is because men design them. They're never in the kitchen so they don't give it much thought while the rest of the house they envision lots of people coming to visit them for parties and extravagant dinners. My mother in law has a huge foyer in her house and a huge dining room but miniscule kitchen. She uses the dining room at most...twice a year and the foyer, never. I think if there were more female architects, you'd pretty soon see the size of kitchens increase and decrease the size of unnecessary foyers.
I have a theory that kitchen counter space is inversely related to the amount of cooking that goes on in them. The larger the kitchen the less it gets used. The rich order in, the poor actually cook stuff.
I know how Mel feels since I do all my cooking myself (in a kitchen the size of a phone booth) but limited space does teach you a kind of discipline in terms of how to prepare food. Small consolation, but what the hell!
what name have you given yur walle*?LOL My kitchen is fit for seven year olds playing house. I hate it. I get wet when I wash up! But with an enormous imagination I am head chef at a five star somewhere delivering the goods to my super rich (huge tipping) clients. Oh no. Right. I just like cooking for friends! I really do, but a big fully fitted kitchen would help.
We don't have that problem, my folks got to design our kitchen (as well as the rest of the house) from scratch so the kitchen is a really good size with lots of counter space. My dad's actually the cook in our household and he needs a lot of room to be creative with food. I wish I were more like him, me I don't really do the cooking thing. I'm sure I'd live on microwave food if I could but as we don't have a microwave as my mom thinks it'll cause death by radiation. I have to rely on the kindness of others. You know... always make sure you happen to drop by at mealtime!
zardoz says:
that was a terrible comment
that men dont spend time in the kitchen thus they build small
kitchens,..i disagree
i cook and all the houses
i have ever had or rented
always had large kitchens:
..ROOMY and spacy for friends
and family to eat , make merry ,
it was abasic critiria
money for remodeling wasnt always
enough ,,, but i never
never crossed my mind to wear high heels to solve the problem..
JUST MOVED TO A NEW PLACE
HOPE YOU CAN REMODEL SSOOOONNNN.
-------------ZARDOZ
LOL Zardoz...what I wouldn't pay to see a pic of you in stilettos making moussaka.
Anyway, all 3 places I've lived in here have had large kitches but I think that's mainly because they are large apts. My friends who live in smaller apts. have kitchens the size of matchboxes and huge foyers.
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