It is peculiar, the bonds you form in the kitchen.
I've liked to invite friends over to cook something since I was little.
It started with chocolate cakes--easy, simple, always satisfying: "Yeah, it's not baked entirely through, but man, is it delicious!"
Then, a different culture: "A cake? OK. What kind of mix do you have?" A mix? I, madam, bake from scratch!
My repertory diversified: "I don't really like cream cheese. Can we make a cheesecake without it?"
My friends had varying levels of experience: "The recipe said a tablespoon of sugar. That is not exactly a tablespoon. Let me level it for you." ... "A leek? Never heard of it. How do you peel it?"
The results varied, too: "You are the goddess of lasagna!" ... "I think the smoke is clearing up..."
So did technology: "Just put it in the machine for ten minutes, it will stir it for you." ... "Looks like I'm going to have to beat those egg whites with a fork."
Girl From Nicaragua and I have started cooking together over the past few days.
First, a pie. She was having trouble with the crust, and I was hanging around the kitchen, talking to her. It seemed natural to show her how to crumble the dough.
Next, lunch. "I have some tilapia fillets, but I'm not going to eat them all. Want to help me?" "Sure! Let's stew them with tomatoes and onions!"
She points out the best place in town for fresh fruits and vegetables. I describe the taste of rabbit and how to cook a duck. She shows me a strange wooden utensil we found in a drawer and explains that it is used traditionally in Nicaragua to make a "super-drink" out of corn flour and spices. I list the ingredients of cheesecake.
Food is a very private business--after all, it is your palate doing the tasting, and a lifetime of memories are stored within your taste buds--just ask Proust. Consequently, sharing a kitchen produces a kind of intimacy that would be hard to find elsewhere. It's a tricky business to start with, but it gets easier as you go along.
I've liked to invite friends over to cook something since I was little.
It started with chocolate cakes--easy, simple, always satisfying: "Yeah, it's not baked entirely through, but man, is it delicious!"
Then, a different culture: "A cake? OK. What kind of mix do you have?" A mix? I, madam, bake from scratch!
My repertory diversified: "I don't really like cream cheese. Can we make a cheesecake without it?"
My friends had varying levels of experience: "The recipe said a tablespoon of sugar. That is not exactly a tablespoon. Let me level it for you." ... "A leek? Never heard of it. How do you peel it?"
The results varied, too: "You are the goddess of lasagna!" ... "I think the smoke is clearing up..."
So did technology: "Just put it in the machine for ten minutes, it will stir it for you." ... "Looks like I'm going to have to beat those egg whites with a fork."
Girl From Nicaragua and I have started cooking together over the past few days.
First, a pie. She was having trouble with the crust, and I was hanging around the kitchen, talking to her. It seemed natural to show her how to crumble the dough.
Next, lunch. "I have some tilapia fillets, but I'm not going to eat them all. Want to help me?" "Sure! Let's stew them with tomatoes and onions!"
She points out the best place in town for fresh fruits and vegetables. I describe the taste of rabbit and how to cook a duck. She shows me a strange wooden utensil we found in a drawer and explains that it is used traditionally in Nicaragua to make a "super-drink" out of corn flour and spices. I list the ingredients of cheesecake.
Food is a very private business--after all, it is your palate doing the tasting, and a lifetime of memories are stored within your taste buds--just ask Proust. Consequently, sharing a kitchen produces a kind of intimacy that would be hard to find elsewhere. It's a tricky business to start with, but it gets easier as you go along.
1 comment:
Yes. Cooking together does poduce a curious type of intimacy. I had never given it a thought before but now you mention it... I could go back through relationships and friendships and do some serious analysing. But perhaps I won't.
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