Fifteen minutes of thoughts on the theme “In the Kitchen:”
The kitchen, the food that is created there, is a powerful part of my family culture and my identity. I think this may be true for a lot of us. I think of the kitchen as a place where care is given for our families and for our selves, the food that we need to continue our existence. More than that, the food that we can create to nurture. I’m thinking of the idea of making chicken soup to make someone sick feel better. Comfort food. I’m thinking of Like Water for Chocolate (one of my favorite movies/books). It’s a place to express our love and respect for others.
The kitchen is a place that ties me to my extended family. I’m thinking of the traditional meals of our family: polenta, gnocci, cheesecake for special occasions, and fish. Oh, and waffles on Sunday morning. When I cook these foods I’m tied to the history of my family.
I think it’s also a place to be creative. My favorite way to cook is to think of a food item that I want to eat and then think, “What do I have that will go well with this?” “How do I want to cook this?” And then I start dumping things together and see what I get. I read a lot of cookbooks, but rarely follow the directions completely. I have a lot of fun.
One last thought, I have a lot of special kitchens in my life. Some of my best memories are of my mom and one of my grandmothers making jam on a cook stove on the back of a boat. Of fish that my mother cooked on the boat at 11 PM that had been caught that day. Of cooking with my other grandmother in her home. Of meals prepared in my dorm room during college.
And now I think I’ll go make waffles.