I maintain there are two types of people in this world: those who like to clean and those who like to cook. I fall in the latter camp. I am happy to spend the day in the kitchen. But, for some reason, I find cleaning to be sheer drudgery. Always have. I remember one time, when my aunt and uncle were coming in to visit, my mom gave me my marching orders: Clean the legs of the dining room table, dust the credenza and don’t forget about the Hummels. When I started dusting the hulking, dark wood credenza, I told her: “This isn’t even dusty.” Her reply: “Doesn’t matter, keep dusting.” I kept thinking: “Surely there must be something better to do than this.”
One reason I like cooking is it is creative. Play your cards right, and you might get something delicious and memorable. But, I have also been on the other side of the coin: Spend a lot of time and care on a dish, and it manages to turn out like shoe leather. When that happens, it is a long week.
Let’s face it. Celebrations revolve around food, food consoles, food feeds our eyes as much as our stomachs. It can be a wonderful experience to see how all the beautiful colors, textures, and smells combine to make a lovely meal.
I’m Rosie Klepper and that’s my perspective.
