D - Dishes, a confessional

D was a much harder letter than I had expected. For the life of me, I couldn't think of a style of cooking that began with D. "Broiling, grilling, braising, d, d, darn it I can't think of anything." D was becoming an elusive letter.

Write what you know, that's what I've always heard. There it was, in bright spinning neon letters twirling in my head. Dishes.

Dishes are an integral part of the dining/cooking experience. Paper plates are ok for outdoors, but don't serve up pasta primavera on paper plates. Set the table for enjoyable dining.

You know, I'm not here to talk about setting the table. Yes, proper food display does matter. Fine China, Fiesta-ware, or standard tableware it doesn't matter that much as long as you make the presentation of the food as well as the food itself. How do you present a hotdog? Well, that's another show. But do have a beautiful table for dining and whatever you do, don't have a centerpiece that forces you to crane your neck for talking to your guests.

I'm here to make a confession about dishes. I have never been a good dishwasher. Fix dinner and then put stuff back in the fridge - someone else can do the dishes, that was my mindset. I didn't think myself too good to do the dishes. I found myself lazy with a capital L. My wife told me once "I don't mind you making dinner, I just wish you'd clean up your mess afterward." She was right. I could use the pots and pans but scrubbing them clean? That just wasn't in me to do. So for that, I asked her forgiveness and I ask yours as well.

A few weeks ago, I changed my way of cooking and cleaning. I had an epiphany. A breakthrough moment. The kitchen ceiling opened and I saw the light. I pictured a pottery maker squeezing clay through their hands, feeling the textures of the clay, the smell, and then creating their art. Knives, pans, utencils, those are part of the art as much as the food itself. The more time i could spend familiarizing myself with their nuances, the better I could use them. A knife is like a golf putter. It has a distinct feel and weight. You know how far you can take it before you need to switch to a wedge. A knife is the same. Sometimes you need a different knife, but gosh darn it at least now I KNOW when I need a different knife. Familiarity, that's why I should "do the dishes." Knowing where everything gets put away, knowing the texture of a bowl has changed a bit since the last time I used it, knowing it's time to season a pan. And then the kitchen ceiling closed.

Turning out the lights as I left the kitchen, I imagined a carpenters workshop with all the wood shavings swept up, all the tools put away, the lingering smell from freshly cut timber. Just like a woodworker, I had used the tools of my trade, created something beautiful, and then just like any responsible tradesman, cleaned and checked my tools for the next days work.

Doing dishes isn't about cleaning up a mess, it's about cooking.