Switchin' Kitchens

by Xani

So, as many of you already know, this week I am moving to a new house. I've mentioned the impending move once or twice on the blog, and if you know me in person, you've suffered months of my constant whining and bitching about house-hunting, financing, negotiating, packing, etc, etc, etc. (Sorry! It's almost over, I promise. I love you and I OWE YOU!)

I'm currently writing this post surrounded by half-packed boxes in tinyhouse, which my friend and I lovingly named my current house when I moved in just about two years ago. Two years might not seem like such a long time, but it didn't take me long to get attached to tinyhouse. It's the first place I've ever lived that was all mine-- no parents, no roommates. At first I wasn't sure I would like living alone, but I quickly realized I LOVE it. My own space, my own stuff, my own home. I guess that's what I'm getting at here: tinyhouse is my home, and leaving it is bittersweet.

EP cooking in tinykitchen

Me in my kitchen, Halloween 2006

This is a food blog, so let's bring it back to the food, or more exactly, the kitchen. One of the things that was most exciting about moving into my own place was the complete and total control over the kitchen. I was so stoked to finally have everything in its correct place, keep a stocked pantry without worrying about weird looks from roommates ("why do you have so many cans of anchovies??"), and break out my good knives and other kitchen equipment. Prior to living in tinyhouse, I kept my good pots, pans, and especially knives, tucked safely away in storage. Roommates, even close friends who I trust with my life, could not be trusted to properly care for my kitchen stuff. Especially the knives; BCD Dad taught EP and I from a very young age about proper care of cutlery. NEVER leave a dirty knife laying on the counter or, god forbid, in the sink. Knives should be rinsed, wiped dry and returned to the knife block (never a drawer) immediately after use. Sharpen regularly. And so on. So tinyhouse finally gave me the opportunity to have my kitchen, my way.

Not that tinyhouse kitchen hasn't provided its own set of challenges. Tinyhouse=tinykitchen. This was the kitchen where I learned to survive without a dishwasher! Or a garbage disposal. It has very limited counter and cabinet space, and no pantry (I realize this is what most city-dwellers deal with, but remember the only other kitchen I had ever really cooked in was BCD Headquarters, so it was quite an adjustment). But even with these limitations, I quickly settled in and over the past couple years, I've managed to cook up some pretty decent grub. And I've hand-washed a LOT of dishes. And drank a lot of beers with friends on the sunny patio. I'll miss living here, and cooking here. And this is true even though the new house (nickname pending) is really an AWESOME place, with a great kitchen (gas range! concrete countertops! A DISHWASHER!!).

New Kitchen!

Is that a dishwasher I see??

I'm sure in no time I'll be making great food and great memories at my new place. There's definitely a delicious house-warming party in the near future. And at this point, the tinyhouse kitchen is pretty much closed. I've been eating leftover Ledo's pizza over the sink all week. So, I'm ready to move on. But there will always be a special place in my heart for tinyhouse and the time I spent here. A toast to tinyhouse!

X