Author & Chef Mark Bittman’s Tiny Kitchen
A couple of months ago, my newest cookbook given to me at Christmas, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, really struck me. Let me just show you why. After a little google action, I found this:
It’s Mark Bittman in his kitchen… his 42 square foot kitchen!
This amazing cook and New York Times columnist creates and tests most of his recipes right there in that little space, and he believes that a true cook can work in any kitchen. Sure he admits that sometimes he has to remove pots and pans from storage so he can cook. Suddenly my love for small kitchens is boiling over.
So for all of you out there with tiny kitchens, I love this paragraph he wrote on December 13, 2008:
When it comes to kitchens, size and equipment don’t count nearly as much as devotion, passion, common sense and, of course, experience. To pretend otherwise — to spend tens of thousands of dollars or more on a kitchen before learning how to cook, as is sadly common — is to fall into the same kind of silly consumerism that leads people to believe that an expensive gym membership will get them into shape or the right bed will improve their sex life. As runners run and writers write, cooks cook, under pretty much any circumstance.
I feel like cooking something fabulous. Maybe we’ll try Mark’s minty tahini sauce tonight (as long as I don’t burn it).
If you wanna grab any of his cookbooks like How to Cook Everything or How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, they’re over at Amazon. I think mine is fast becoming my favorite cookbook, and it isn’t just because of his fabulously small kitchen.
(Image and data from NYTimes)
March 4th, 2009 at 5:02 am
I personally feel that a small kitchen is the most convenient way to cook! The smaller the kitchen, the more efficient it makes it for the chef. In my little bitty Dutch kitchen I cooked a 7 course meal for 18 guests sans problem… but find that my bigger eat-in German kitchen may have more storage but I find myself running to and fro making cooking for 2 more complicated than it’s ever been before!!
March 4th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I love Mark Bittman and have both of those cookbooks and cook from them all the time! This was nice to see him working away in his tiny kitchen. And I love what he had to say too. Thanks for sharing this with us!
March 4th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Oh what a great post Katie. I love that paragraph he wrote too. And he’s so right — I can’t tell you how many failed gym memberships we’ve had in our house. Ugh. No more – now I have exercise tapes and I’ve just joined a MOMS group and we walk together (actually, truth be told, today is my first day walking with them!)…but not sure how I turned this comment into ‘all about me’…I am now in the mood to cook up something fabulous too. You’ll have to let us know what you make!
March 4th, 2009 at 7:57 am
He is totally right. A bigger kitchen could not make me a better cook ;o)
March 4th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Not only is his small kitchen working great for him. Look at the view he has!! That has got to make being in this kitchen enjoyable.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Thanks for that! I’m happy with my little kitchen but a lot of my friends are always trying to convince us to add on or knock down walls.
March 4th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I’ve fallen in LOVE with Mark Bittman mainly because of his 100 Quick Meals post: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html
But I’m also learning to love his blog:
http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com
I haven’t taken a look at his recipe books yet, but I may be interested in the Vegetarian one. I’ll see if my local bookstore has it. I want to flip through it first because I find that the recipes he posts on his blog are a little shishy for my cooking style at times.
March 5th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Great post – and so true. I have a friend who caters, and does a ‘take out Thursday’ where she emails out her meal of the week on Mondays, and you can order and pick up on Thursday. She makes the most delicious food for dozens and dozens of people, and yet her kitchen is so tiny. I am always amazed.
There is an interesting article in the Washington Post home section today (you can see it online – it stays up all week) – an interview with Christopher Peacock (of the famous kitchens). On the one hand, he says that people do not spend enough on the design of their kitchen, yet on the other hand he acknowledges that a well design galley kitchen is wonderful, and many of his clients with enormous kitchens only use 4 square feet of it!
March 5th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
his kitchen is cute – but i’ve had enough small kitchens!
that’s kind of funny for me to say because the kitchen of the house we’re buying really isn’t big at all – but it’s a lot bigger than anything we’ve had before and i’m totally psyched! :)
March 5th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Thank you for the wonderfully inspiring info Jessica and Things that Inspire. I’m glad so many of you feel the way I do. It always helps to see a professional go against what we view as the norm.
Katie
March 6th, 2009 at 6:43 am
Thanks for posting this! I have a horribly small kitchen, but what he says is very true! I needed to hear this so I can stop complaining.
March 6th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Thanks for sharing! I can’t imagine such a space – I call them “one butt kitchens” LOL – but I will definitely remember this when I’m frustrated with my lack of space!!
~angela @ peonypatch
March 6th, 2009 at 9:59 am
One of my favorite food writers – I made his famous ‘Devilled Chicken’ just last night! I am wowed that all that creativity comes out of that tiny space. I’ve got a small cottage, too. I love how folks who just ‘make it work’ with ‘what they’ve got.’
March 6th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Thanks for sharing! I have a small kitchen, too!! It is amazing what can come out of small kitchens — even when doing a dinner party for a crowd!!
Loved your post!
Debbykay
Rose Cottage Gardens and Farm
March 6th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Having had miniscule kitchens in NYC apartments, and even in houses, I do know that cooking can be a dream in a tiny kitchen — or it can be a nightmare depending on how it’s laid out and set up. Mr Bittman’s seems workmanlike and logical — I like it.
Plus … guests don’t pester you in a tiny kitchen; you can growl and say “go AWAY” and people will obey.
:-)
Cass
March 6th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Hello Katie! Isn’t that something? We totally agree with that statement of his about the people that make these HUGE kitchens, then learn how to cook! Have a good weekend!
March 6th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Love that quote of his, and it’s so true! I’m really fascinated by the fact that a cookbook author manages in such a small space.
Cass’s comment about guests not pestering you in a tiny kitchen cracked me up. Bet that’s true! :-)
March 7th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Would you recommend that book for someone that doesn’t have a large food repertoire? I am working on becoming vegetarian but the biggest problem is that I need to stretch my tastes and learn new foods, but I still want to find some good cookbooks that can take me there slowly. ;)
March 7th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Wow! How cool is that?! Okay, I’ll try to stop complaining about my small kitchen!
March 8th, 2009 at 9:45 am
haha! I love Cass’s advice. I never though of that benefit of a small kitchen.
And yes, Kelli, I think that this vegetarian cookbook is a wonderful book to start exploring vegetarian food. I really like it and “Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone” because they don’t just take pretty pictures of food. They really get in there and cover everything from muffins and pancakes to meatless dinners. I turn to them for everything. The vegetable sections are amazing. Martin loves the pizza ideas.
Katie