Today the Wall Street Journal offers us a tasty little morsel of Nigella Lawson's kitchen. In the essay, Nigella takes the reader through the attributes of her intimate kitchen.
With her gift for writing, Nigella begins the article, "kitchen is probably one of the most evocative words in the English language....it conjures up warmth and welcome, safety and security, in short, the very notion of home." Nigella and I are in complete agreement here. The kitchen most be cozy.
While Nigella takes us through a list of her own kitchen peculiarities (mugs in a drawer, keepsakes from the kids, fresh produce as art), ultimately she offers us the best design advice for any room: make it comfortable and allow it to reflect your personality.
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| My own cozy kitchen |
In my own kitchen, I struggle with the fine line between clutter and display. I adore keeping containers of spatulas and wooden spoons on the counter. I relish my collection of cookbooks (many of which have been spattered with buerre blanc or chocolate cake batter). I proudly present a clear jar of coffee beans as a still life.
So, today, I thank Nigella for reminding me to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of my own cooking space. The kitchen really is the heart of the home. So, while some of you may want a pristine heart of stainless steel and granite, I prefer my heart to be filled with warm memories, collected and gifted culinary treasures, and always baked goods.
The scent of lemon cake baking in the oven
ReplyDeleteis a scent I cherish. Also the yeasty scent of my Christmas Danish. Happy memories are concocted in our kitchen. Scents of favorite meals connect us to our childhood. The kitchen is a happy place.