As you can probably tell from the name Flipping Houses and Pancakes, my social media, including this blog, focus on both cooking and kitchen/house renovations. And the question that I get so often, and which surprises me every time, is this one: What do kitchens have to do with cooking?
First, those are two things I do, day in and day out. My husband and I are house flippers. We renovate homes, usually for resale, but also to keep for rental income. We are also lucky enough to have 5 children. And I can assure you that between the 5 kids and all of the extended family we have, I do a lot of cooking and recipe creation.
That explains why I love those two subjects, but not necessarily how they are connected otherwise. The most obvious answer is that cooking is done in a kitchen. While cooking can be done outside on a grill or with other techniques, the majority of all cooking takes place in a kitchen. Therefore, they are intrinsically connected. But beyond that, there is more to the relationship between the kitchen and cooking.
Now, let me be very clear. A person can be an amazing cook without an enormous, gorgeous kitchen. And a person who has an enormous, gorgeous kitchen may be a terrible cook. However, a well designed and well laid-out kitchen, no matter the size or how fancy, can definitely help make the cooking process smoother and more pleasant. When the cabinets and appliances are placed in the correct locations; when traffic flow is directed properly, or accommodated for, in main work spaces; when the kitchen is designed with the understanding of how it is utilized, a functional kitchen becomes a space that not only fosters creativity and efficiency, but also brings happiness to the one doing the cooking. Cooking in a poorly-designed kitchen is a frustrating and unpleasant experience.
And so my answer is that kitchens and cooking are completely connected. Not just because I love both subjects. Not just because cooking happens in the kitchen. But, also because the way a kitchen is designed and constructed directly impacts the experience of those who are cooking and eating in it.
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