Reflection on a kitchen far, far away

The kitchen I refer to is my own.

It is not a dream kitchen but miles better than it used to be. The recent trip to my homeland provoked a mental list of all the things I am grateful for, in my not-perfect Melbourne kitchen.

In the few days I have been back I have felt oddly time shifted, not helped by looming deadlines (do I really want to write an unpaid article of 2,500-5,000 words for my professional journal following on from a recent talk I gave?), GST to be calculated and work, of course. Eating has been simple. Another round of my current obsession harisa with vegetables and fish, morphed to a second meal when the leftovers were augmented with some canned beans and a tub of roasted, pureed tomatoes from the freezer. Round two, as a thick soup with a little less bite from the increasingly fiery chillies we are growing, was a perfect Friday night dinner with slabs of Noisette’s wonderful shallot bread. A post-Easter gift of Adora chocolates (atheist can eat chocolate any day of the year), a hot bath and a sneaky viewing of the latest Dr Who sealed the deal to make it the perfect night in, to end the week I have had.

What has this got to do with my dream kitchen? A well stocked freezer and pantry, fresh spices, a good knife and my favourite pot!

Here’s my wish list of simple kitchen pleasures, what’s yours?

A decent sharp knife: It’s so easy to sharpen your own. A block or steel, the right angle, a little perseverance. A knife of the right heft and size for the job with a honed blade transforms a chore into a joy.

A little elbowroom: My space is tiny but there is room either side of the stove so pots can be stirred without banging your elbow on abutting walls. Worst design feature ever in my parents 80’s kitchen makeover - building in a wall oven a few centimetres away from the stovetop.

A good pot: Did I mention there is Alzheimer’s in my family? My parents still have a big aluminium pot that they cook with on a weekly basis that they refuse to replace. I love my cast iron wonder pot, it cooks slowly and evenly and is easy to clean without soap.

Gas cook top: A responsive element that quickly heats and cools. I’ve lost the knack of cooking with electricity, it takes forever to heat and then when the pot finally comes to the boil it bubbles its head off for ages before dropping to a simmer. A gas wok burner and a quieter one, to place a heat diffuser mat atop to cook porridge or a pilaf. Perfect.

A well stocked pantry, fridge, freezer and spice drawer: Since my father took over the reigns in the kitchen the supplies have become minimalist. I acutely missed fresh stock in the freezer and my lovely Marigold bouillon powder as a chemical-free flavour booster, a vibrant array of herbs and spices (on hand was a generic curry powder, very old cinnamon and some fresh curly parsley) and the wonderful organic fruit ‘n veg I love so much. Plus the little gems in the freezer from this year’s harvest.

What I had no need for was gadgets and appliances (though the Teflon toasted sandwich maker provided quick lunches for my cheese loving parents and the previously mentioned egg experiment). You don’t need a microwave. I reheated left over kedgeree simply by placing the dish in the top of a steamer and stirred the contents once or twice. Ten minutes is all it takes.

Unlike The Oz today in their food and wine glossy supplement, I don’t consider an avocado slicer or a $100 kettle a “Kitchen Fundamental”. Just give me a good pot, a wooden spoon, a sharp knife and fresh, simple produce, throw in a responsive stove and I am a happy cook.