A lot happens in the kitchen. In many homes, the kitchen is a focal point. In many cultures, a lot centers around food, the preparation of food, and the eating of food. There is a power to food, and a power in the kitchen. If you think about it, a lot happens at breakfast meetings, business lunches, dinner dates, and snack time. There are a lot of stories around food, the making of a meal, and the eating of a meal. This page is where I share some of my stories, and ask you to share some of yours.
The stories are funny, sad, heartwarming, and tell of triumphs and disasters. I’ll get things started.
A Story About a Triumph out of Disaster
Many years ago on a weekend I set out to make a simple pot roast. Back then I didn’t do anything fancy. I simply opened up a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup and tossed the pot roast into the Corningware. I put it in the oven and went about my weekend duties. I forget what temperature I set it on.
One would think I would have been reminded by the pleasant aroma of a slowly cooking pot roast. Some time had already passed. My mind must have been elsewhere because I put a jacket on and left the house to drive an hour away to see a movie at the theaters!
I was gone for over 4 additional hours. As soon as I opened the door to the house I smelled the pot roast. My heart sank because I realized what I had done and expected to see a crispy chunk in the oven. To my surprise, the cream of mushroom soup was bubbling away and the pot roast was falling apart like it was intended. The pot roast was one of the best I ever made up to that time!
What should have been a serious disaster turned into a triumph. The lesson I learned was that a pot roast does indeed need a lot of cooking time. And I should not forget about what I am cooking!
A Disaster From a Lesson Not Well Learned
I don’t want to make it sound like a recurring theme, but there is one. Some years back I was boiling some water for tea. It was winter time and I wanted to generate some humidity, so I didn’t mind boiling the water instead of nuking it. The cookware was a 1qt Farberware Classic stainless steel pot with an aluminum base. It was in the family for many years and survived 3 growing boys in a very busy kitchen. Its luck was about to expire.
My stove at the time was a very old Amana flat top. It was probably one of the originals. The flat top was ceramic and had years of wear and tear on it. Each of the burner areas showed signs of the years scratching and heating.
I had the water boiling. I was about ready to get my tea. But just about then I got the idea to watch a movie in my downstairs home theater area. I went downstairs, without my tea, cranked up the volume and watched a movie.
When it was done, I went upstairs and immediately smelled an odd odor. I knew what I had done. As I approached the stove, the first thing I noticed was the Farberware pot at an angle, no longer sitting flat on the stove. There was a huge red glow from the burner element. And there was a pool of liquid aluminum of what once was the base of the Farberware Classic cookware.
I turned the burner off. I wasn’t but a couple minutes and I started to hear cracks forming in the ceramic top. Off to one side it shot. Then another. And another. Within a few short minutes the ceramic top had cracks in all but one of the burners, a small one. Over one of the large burners, the cracks formed a circle and sank the top into the element below. It was a sight most people never get to see. And one I don’t want to see again!
I lived with that mess for a little while as I researched new stoves. Once again I left something on the burner and will forever teach me the lesson of not leaving the stove turned on. To date, that lesson has well been learned!
Fond Memories From the Childhood
I think most people have some fond memories sitting by a kitchen table and watching their Mom cook. For me, it was the late 1960′s to early 1970′s. I remember watching her roll dough for the pierogies. I remember how she would tend to the many pots of food. Growing up with 2 older brothers really tested the door hinges of the refrigerator.
When i think back to those days, it’s funny. I always see them as sunny days. I smell lemon in the air from the cleaning liquid. My Mom was a smoker, and did me a big favor back then. Wondering what they tasted like, I asked her about her cigarettes. She allowed me to take a puff, and there I learned a valuable lesson. Without asking how to smoke it, I took a big puff on that thing and nearly choked my lungs out. To this day I have never smoked. Thank-you Mom!
And Now for Your Turn…
I’d like to hear your stories. What do you have to share? The good. The bad. The happy or sad. What memories come out that you experienced from the kitchen. I ask that you please share them. I’m sure you will touch and bring back memories for others. I thank-you in advance for your stories and I look forward to reading them. Please use our Contact Form.
