Having gone through those “fabulous” years with a teenage daughter when you think to yourself “is this really worth it?”, I’m now blessed to see her mature, objective and thoroughly enjoying her law studies at university. When she told me she was moving to the Gold Coast to add a degree in Politics, Government and International Relations/Law to her degree, I thought it was an ideal time to quiz her on something that’s been playing on my mind for a while.
“Is the kitchen male or female?” I asked.
“What sort of a question is that?” she retorted, and added for good measure “Why would you even ask and where are you coming from?”
I shouldn’t expected anything different from a soon to be lawyer. In my defence I decided to turn from the kitchen to the bathroom, (in order to duck the ramifications of the aforementioned comment) but alas the topic of the bathroom just produced more trouble.
Ah yes, the bathroom, the place of serenity and solace for the women in our lives, the room where beauty is completed (not created) and of course the one place in the house where males can spend two minutes and turn it into unrecognisable. So that deflection didn’t work at all!
But seriously, our culinary world seems dominated by men. From media of all descriptions as well as restaurants, the kitchen always seems to share one seemingly crucial ingredient: a generous dollop of Y chromosome. Why? Why, when men have been historically the hunters (ie the providers) and women the gatherers, do men now dominate what should be, by all accounts, the female domain?
Let’s look at some figures first. A survey of 1200 people in America found:-
- 23 percent of men were involved in meal planning, compared with 93 percent of women;
- 36 percent of men took part in grocery shopping, while 88 percent of women did so and
- 27 percent of men participated in meal preparation, compared with 90 percent of women
And in 2010, the Michelin Guide gave its coveted stars to 140 restaurants in the UK. Only 11 have a female name above the door.
So which is it?
Well for me, females do make the best cooks. Females are far better, they have a feel, a touch, a natural love for food and they don’t show off. It’s not about technical ability, it’s not about ‘Look at me’, it’s about ‘here’s the food on the plate’. Women make the best cooks because they cook from the heart. They have better palates, a better sense of smell, a better understanding of food, and in my opinion a better sense of the “gift”.
I also think that women are better at passing down the skills to the next generation. They have a far better appreciation and understanding of the fact that good food has a magic appeal, not only with the recipes, but with what cooking means in a social sense.
James Beard wrote early in the 20th century that “you may grow old, even ugly, but if you cook, and cook well, people will always find the path to your door”. Women cook with their hearts and souls, providing healthy portions of practicality, realism and passion. When you realise that the average married woman cooks more than 1000 meals per years, it’s easy to understand why it’s not always a luxury pastime.
And how does this relate to the designing and selling of kitchens? Enormously!
There needs to be a much greater appreciation by many in our industry of the role of the cook – not just the roles of the owner. Consideration must always be given to what drives people in the kitchen, where their love lies, do they cook with creativity or out of necessity? Do they cook to live – or live to cook? Often these questions wont vary the design much, but they will produce empathy and understanding with your client, something that’s just as important, if not more so.
One of these days, an article like this is going to get me into trouble, serious trouble – hopefully it won’t happen before my daughter finishes her degree!
Anybody feel brave enough to comment – I think I’ve said enough??
