The basic rules of the kitchen

Okay, before we really get into things I’m going to take a big step back. I’m presuming that you are either by yourself, or with roommates. If you are by yourself then you have no worries; you can set up your own rules. However, if you are with roommates then it may worth setting some ground rules. These should at the very least make for some interesting discussions

The cook rules the kitchen.

This may sound obvious, but there  are some issues that need to be considered here. The biggest is that the cook needs to know where everything is, and that daily concerns should take precedence over the occasional. Even if the cook is trading services for board, or simply isn’t the home owner, the cook’s way of organizing should take precedence. This is not to be taken as a jerk statement; rather, that the efficiency of the kitchen is based on knowing where things are, and if the cook doesn’t know then that limits the cook’s ability to ensure that meals will get done promptly. Thus, if the home owner wants to cook every so often, he needs to respect the cook at least in this aspect.

If you don’t say anything, you have no right to complain.

A good cook listens to feedback, and allows for different tastes and allergies. However, this relies on others giving that feedback. If they do not give that feedback, then you can’t make changes to your cooking to allow for that feedback. Also, you can only get better if you listen to and apply feedback. So, if they have problems with how you are cooking and they aren’t voicing complaints, then you can ignore them if they bring up complaints about your cooking too long after the fact, like two or three days, or even at monthly house meetings.

Everyone has their turnips.  Respect that you have turnips.

I’ll eat everything but boiled turnips; they’re just too bitter for me. However, the basic point  here is that there are things you just won’t eat. Respect that. By the same token, if someone says, “I’ll know if I like it when I see it”, just glare at them; if they don’t want to eat what you’ve cooked so be it, and don’t let it get to you. Finicky eaters are finicky eaters, and that’s fine.

No one fills the dishwasher the same.

Basically, remember that no one does the same thing the same way, and that’s not necessarily bad. This is just a reminder that just because you do something one way doesn’t mean that another approach won’t work or be as efficient. Basically, if you see someone doing something a different way than you do, have a little faith and relax until you see the result; you may actually learn something.

The kitchen is not merely territory.

Some people will go for the reins of power just for the power involved. Some people want to do the cooking not because it is an important task that someone has to do but because there is a sort of power involved in handling the kitchen; makes sense as we associate the kitchen with our mothers, and it’s easy to transfer that subconscious respect to the guy doing the kitchen. As such, some people that are more interested in the politics of the situation also take on the kitchen regardless of their ability to cook, and so define the kitchen as their territory, hoping to gain a little more power over the house by doing so. As such, it’s important for people to realize that the kitchen should not be given to someone that merely wants the political power, but someone who can actually cook and is willing to do it. As a side note, this is a very shortsighted approach; if you can’t cook and you take on the cooking you’ll lose a lot of respect, and if you take on the kitchen successfully your power will be limited to the kitchen.

There should be only one cook.

This is more for practicality than anything else. It means that the kitchen isn’t always in use, that the kitchen isn’t being re-organized every day, and that there are pots and pans available without having to wash. It also means that there is more room available for storing food, and it eliminates a lot of arguments. Find one person you like to cook and go with that person. Also, everyone else should contribute to cost of the food if possible, either as part of rent or some other means.

Always respect the marked bag.

By the same token, if someone buys food for themselves, respect it. Either make sure that everyone has their own areas, or simply make sure that there is some system that everyone can buy something for their own needs without having to worry about others getting into it. Just respect the marked bag, and everything should be fine.

That should do you for now.  I hope this cuts down on some stress.