Fear and Loving in Our Soul Food Kitchen

The youngest grandson in our nuclear family does not care for the picture in our main dining area (pictured here). Nor is he particularly fond of another painting in the room adjacent. Or for that matter, a fairly sizable Zimbabwean sculpture in our outdoor seating area. He calls them all “donkeys.” They scare him. At one point, we had to cover the sculpture with a blanket. And yet every time we chat with him on Whatsapp, the first thing he wants to see is the “donkey.”

After he does his best to conquer these demons, the very next thing he wants to do, every time, is to tour the kitchen. When he’s over here, same thing. He is absolutely transfixed by, in no apparent order: our espresso machine, the high-speed blender, commercial food processor, and, lately, the juicer. It’s not just a casual thing. He had to “work” each one, asking routinely what does each apparatus do, how does it work, and can we operate it. I’ve never seen anything like it.

He’s not even 2 and a half.

I should add that a while back, he was into spatulas, sieves and collanders of all sizes, and yes, my knife set. At home, he has his own set of (play) kitchen equipment, although he much prefers the real deal. And it’s not like he flits from one thing to the next. HIs is an intense focus on each, individual component of a working kitchen.

I’m (obviously) no child psychologist. And even if I were, I’d probably be hesitant to try to make something of it. For me, the interest here is not his psyche, but what my own take-aways are.

Such as, is the decor in our soul food kitchen really a bit on the scary side? And if so, why? Is there something we are trying to say, albeit unconsciously? And what about this totemic-like fascination with well-crafted kitchen tools? Is it simply an example of that adage: The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys? Or does it go deeper, way back into the recesses of childhood somewhere? Is the practice of cooking all about the artistry of the food, or is it as much (or more) about the technical virtuosity surrounding the use of various implements?

From the mouths of babes: Lots to chew on.