Well, I haven't made much progress with the KonMari method and my books, so I decided to give it a shot in the kitchen. Although I live in a small space, my kitchen is, or rather was, bursting at the seams.
I assume that most people in this condo cook only occasionally. The stereotype of the downtown girl who keeps shoes in the oven and only eats salads and take-out is probably alive and well around here. I, on the other hand, have the kitchen of a country grandma/Parisienne boulanger. I'm overflowing with both food and appliances. The fact that I worked for years at Williams-Sonoma surely hasn't helped. That's why I have French brioche tins, madeleine pans, and cake tins of every conceivable shape and size, including Giant Cupcake. I have more pots and pans than burners on my stove, in cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless steel, and non-stick. Muffin tins, loaf pans, roasters, casseroles... you get the idea.
Ironically, this glut of utensils and ingredients has caused me to cook less. Finding something I need in this mess became so frustrating that I'd just as soon order Chinese. That had to change, so last weekend, I got out some garbage bags, some cleaning products, and a stool, and I went through every last thing.
I couldn't really use the "does it spark joy?" principle in the kitchen, or I'd be left with just the cake-making ingredients. Then I'll end up on a Rascal, with a different set of problems. My standard became what sparks use, and will contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Oh, and what didn't expire in the past decade.
I found some dried mushrooms that I remember buying at the Brick Works market like 5 years ago. They were a fortune, as far as mushrooms go. They ended up in the garbage. The most mysterious discovery was a container with some light brown powder in it. When you can't tell if something is protein powder, cocoa, or gravy mix, you should probably toss it, so I did.
I got rid of a bunch of mismatched juice glasses, and replaced them with a set of French Picardie ones, which work for everything. I had a blender, and a margarita blender. I'm pretty sure I can make all drinks in the same one, so adios to the green one with the sombrero shaped lid.
I am hoping this new functionality will compel me to cook more. You really only need a few pots, a few pans, and some fresh ingredients to feed yourself well. The rest is, well, gravy.
I assume that most people in this condo cook only occasionally. The stereotype of the downtown girl who keeps shoes in the oven and only eats salads and take-out is probably alive and well around here. I, on the other hand, have the kitchen of a country grandma/Parisienne boulanger. I'm overflowing with both food and appliances. The fact that I worked for years at Williams-Sonoma surely hasn't helped. That's why I have French brioche tins, madeleine pans, and cake tins of every conceivable shape and size, including Giant Cupcake. I have more pots and pans than burners on my stove, in cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless steel, and non-stick. Muffin tins, loaf pans, roasters, casseroles... you get the idea.
And then there's the pantry. At one point, I had 9 kinds of sugar (not including honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, treacle, and corn syrup. Apologies to any diabetics out there!), 6 kinds of flour, and a seemingly endless selection of vinegars, spices, rices, pastas. I could open a restaurant with a vast and multicultural menu, except for how I can only seat six at my dining room table.
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| Yes, this is the after shot. Imagine the before!! |
I couldn't really use the "does it spark joy?" principle in the kitchen, or I'd be left with just the cake-making ingredients. Then I'll end up on a Rascal, with a different set of problems. My standard became what sparks use, and will contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Oh, and what didn't expire in the past decade.
I found some dried mushrooms that I remember buying at the Brick Works market like 5 years ago. They were a fortune, as far as mushrooms go. They ended up in the garbage. The most mysterious discovery was a container with some light brown powder in it. When you can't tell if something is protein powder, cocoa, or gravy mix, you should probably toss it, so I did.
I got rid of a bunch of mismatched juice glasses, and replaced them with a set of French Picardie ones, which work for everything. I had a blender, and a margarita blender. I'm pretty sure I can make all drinks in the same one, so adios to the green one with the sombrero shaped lid.
The cupboards were all cleaned, everything old was tossed, and foods were put in proper categories. I used to have my baking essentials the most easily accessible. This is a definite mistake for me, so now all that stuff is on a high shelf. Let's see if this cuts back on arbitrary cake production.
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| That's better! |
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