Can you feel it? The cool evening and morning air gives us a little poke to remind us that autumn’s yearly ball is soon to follow with vibrant leaves swaying and twirling on their way to rest. The trees will be bare, and in my neighborhood, the ducklings will arrive in the cove (I look forward to their arrival every year). It also means that the seasons for gathering are upon us.
Passionate cooks can easily parallel themselves to a lead actor in a play. The audiences are the guests surrounding our kitchen island as we prepare, or those sitting around the table dishing up the acts (the courses) on their plate. From the opening act to the final curtain, there is nothing more satisfying to a passionate cook than to watch the faces of their guests as they finish one dish after another. I love to watch their expressions when something is exceptionally delicious. Maybe their eyes will close or they will let the fork linger a little longer than usual to hold the food in their mouths – validation for a job well done.
For a kitchen store this is really our favorite time of year because our store is bustling. Everyone else feels the change and they want something impressive and new to hang on their pot rack, or that gadget that peels a transparent layer from their potatoes. Every season creates a sense of beginning which is why people come in looking for new recipes, cooking advice or just to hang out and talk about food. People may be willing to invest in a copper sauté because their recipe specifically requires a pan that “stops cooking when removed from heat” and copper is absolutely the best! We love to get into that level of detail with people. I remember last year a woman was planning a dinner party (her first one) and was in a panic because she had no idea what to do. I had the time so we sat at the little green table in the cookbook section and perused entertainment and appetizer books. I helped her select items that were easy to make but made an impressive display. Our chef showed her how to make tomato roses to dress the plates and provided her with advice on ensuring that her game hens came out crisp and moist. She has been a devoted customer since.
This will be our second holiday season at Culina (God willing) and I for one am looking forward to it because it is this time when people hunker down and cook and we feel the most valuable. People look through our windows and believe we sell cookware but the value we really offer is in our collective culinary experience and knowledge. That my friends comes free of charge.
Passionate cooks can easily parallel themselves to a lead actor in a play. The audiences are the guests surrounding our kitchen island as we prepare, or those sitting around the table dishing up the acts (the courses) on their plate. From the opening act to the final curtain, there is nothing more satisfying to a passionate cook than to watch the faces of their guests as they finish one dish after another. I love to watch their expressions when something is exceptionally delicious. Maybe their eyes will close or they will let the fork linger a little longer than usual to hold the food in their mouths – validation for a job well done.
For a kitchen store this is really our favorite time of year because our store is bustling. Everyone else feels the change and they want something impressive and new to hang on their pot rack, or that gadget that peels a transparent layer from their potatoes. Every season creates a sense of beginning which is why people come in looking for new recipes, cooking advice or just to hang out and talk about food. People may be willing to invest in a copper sauté because their recipe specifically requires a pan that “stops cooking when removed from heat” and copper is absolutely the best! We love to get into that level of detail with people. I remember last year a woman was planning a dinner party (her first one) and was in a panic because she had no idea what to do. I had the time so we sat at the little green table in the cookbook section and perused entertainment and appetizer books. I helped her select items that were easy to make but made an impressive display. Our chef showed her how to make tomato roses to dress the plates and provided her with advice on ensuring that her game hens came out crisp and moist. She has been a devoted customer since.
This will be our second holiday season at Culina (God willing) and I for one am looking forward to it because it is this time when people hunker down and cook and we feel the most valuable. People look through our windows and believe we sell cookware but the value we really offer is in our collective culinary experience and knowledge. That my friends comes free of charge.
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