Total Culinary Success

I once read an interview with J. G. Ballard where he said a reviewer of his work thought Ballard needed psychological help -- the reviewed work was that disturbing to the reviewer.  Ballard said that, to him, that meant total artistic success. 

I've recently received a couple of compliments that I feel similarly about.  Unlike Ballard's situation, my compliments were not at all backhanded: I have a couple of good friends, both of whom cook more than I do, and both of whom are very good home cooks with very good palates.  They both have other people to cook for, and both keep very clean kitchens.  I hate cooking in strange kitchens, because it's tough to find stuff, tough to get used to the stove, tough to know whether a certain foodstuff or implement even exists in that house... you know what I mean.  But I'm getting better at it, and less self-conscious about it.  Anyway, I have in fact cooked with both of these women in their houses.  And both of them have recently told me that I'm one of the few people they'll let cook in their kitchens. 

That makes me feel really good.  :-) 

Do you cook in other folks' kitchens?  Who do you let cook in your kitchen? 

Comments

[Maura]

You know who I let cook in my kitchen.
I don't really like cooking on other people's kitchens, for the reasons you stated. But I have a tendency to take over other people's kitchens; or rather, I've been asked to take over. I'm glad to do it.
In my sister's kitchen, though, I am mostly an assistant. She tells me what to do and I do it. It works well for everyone involved. She's way bossier than I am.

[Kira]

Well, you know that you're the only person I let in my kitchen, Joe ;) As far as other kitchens go, it depends on whose kitchen and under what circumstance. For instance, my friend Shelly does NOT cook, ever, so when I visit her she loves for me to bring up a box of the things I need to use in her kitchen that she doesn't have, and then I fix all the meals. For big holiday family meals that are at my brother's, I mostly just help out in the kitchen. I'll cook in my mom's kitchen all by myself sometimes when I visit to give her a break (she's a fantastic cook, but she does like to let other people cook for her now and then). Anyway, that's a long winded way of saying "depends!"

[Joe]

I <3 U grrls. ;)