Surviving a Kitchen Renovation Part III: I Think I Can

33 days. That’s how long I’ve been without a kitchen, and, more importantly, without a stove. Luckily, our new appliances arrived yesterday, and believe it or not, we are ready to start install. Though it will be another week or two until everything is complete (we’re still waiting for our travertine and butcher block to arrive) I should be able to cook a proper meal Friday night. Man. It feels like I survived, if not a war, then at least a battle.

I approached my first kitchenless week as a fun challenge. What could I make with the small appliances I still had at my disposal? I made lists, I planned, and in the end, I was proud of myself (and a bit amazed) that I’d organized a workspace—complete with utensils, mixing bowls, plates, food goods, etc.—well enough that I was able to get anything done. I marveled at the ability to make French toast on the flip side of a waffle iron.

The second week, I was pragmatic. I cooked because we were hungry. I cooked because I didn’t want to feel interrupted. I cooked to maintain my sanity. I made chicken cacciatore in the crock pot. It looked and smelled delectable. It tasted like nothing.

By the third week, I was annoyed. I had a mad craving for tacos, which sounded ridiculously complicated, if not impossible, to prepare with my limited set-up. In the end, I roasted a pork shoulder, shredded it, and marinated the meat in an adobo sauce. A bowl of salsa fresco and corn tortilla shells and wallah! We had tacos. It took me four days of scrubbing to get the crock pot clean, however.

The fourth week rolled around and brought with it stubborn refusal. Sunday night, I pulled out the waffle iron again and flipped the grids to the flat side. I sautéed green peppers and mushrooms for Turkey Philly sandwiches. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked fine, but again, the food seemed to lack flavor. What it truly lacked was the pleasure of cooking it. I’d had it. The rest of the week we ate out.

So here we are, at week five. Spurred by the excitement of reaching the install phase, I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to cook as soon as I get my kitchen back:

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Pork Chop Chile
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Key Lime Pie
Cherry Crisp
Eggplant Parmesan
Fajitas
Calzones
Carrot Cake
Chile Rellenos
Deep Dish Pizza
scrambled eggs!
Posole
egg rolls
Tortilla Soup
Sweet Sausage and Broccoli Pizza
Mole
sweet potatoes
Penne Norma with Sweet Sausage and Roasted Garlic
Mango Cheesecake
Wild Asian Salad
Chile Verde

Oh, sweet heaven. Where do I start?

I think I will begin by boiling water. A large pot. Salted. I will do nothing with this pot of water except marvel at my reclaimed ability. Alone. With a glass of wine. With my head lingering inches above the steamy surface, I’ll watch bubbles rise. Larger and larger, straining to reach the top and spill over the edge.

Maybe I will even let them.