A football pitch, an apparent murder scene and a Greek-themed party zone. Today’s kitchens have become more than simply a place for cooking and eating. Veronica Stivala dines and chats.
Goalmouth
While for most of us the word ‘dribble’ conjures up a style of icing on a cake when talking about cooking, for the Vella family, it has a slightly different meaning – football.
“Our kitchen is a football ground,” chuckles Lorraine Vella. When her husband Adrian comes home after work, if their son, Daniel, 11, has finished his homework, the football comes out and the two practise their kicks, tackles and dribbles.
“I’m pretty relaxed about the whole thing and so long as they don’t get in my way, I don’t really mind,” explains this easy-going mother.
The kitchen is where they all spend most of our time. Because Adrian works during the week, the weekend is for quality time and if the family doesn’t go out, then they spend their time together in the kitchen.
One favourite activity is making pancakes on a Sunday morning. This has become a special ritual for family-bonding and if a Sunday is missed then it has to be made up for on another day.
The kitchen was also the main hub of activity when Rachel, 15, and Daniel would return home after school.
“When the children were younger,” explains Lorraine, “they’d have lunch, do their homework and play in the kitchen. Now that Rachel is older, she studies in her room, but Daniel still works in the kitchen.”
The spacious, wood kitchen has wide windows through which the sunlight pours brightly – one can understand why the family like to hang out in this room. And with a small bar with stools, kitchen chairs and table and two comfy sofas, there’s plenty of space where to sit down, have a chat or watch TV in this kitchen.
It is also a place where Daniel practises guitar and naps, where guests gather during parties and where the extended family hangs out on special occasions. Oh, and where they eat too.
Blood on the kitchen floor
There’s a joke about a chef being mean because he beats eggs, mashes potatoes and whips cream but Marie-Claire Pellegrini gave an added twist to the quip when she turned her kitchen into what looked like an axe murder crime scene.
While trying out a new recipe for a red velvet cake, she unwittingly spattered her kitchen with red food dye. The dye also landed on her cat, Jenny, who spent a few days resembling Sid Vicious.
The story made it to Marie-Claire’s food blog ( http://mariecp.wordpress.com/ ), which she updates from her laptop while sitting at the kitchen table.
Indeed because the room is so spacious and allows for a long, wide table, Luigi and Marie-Claire’s kitchen is used for studying, with nibbles at easy reach, and also for serious couple discussions.
“The kitchen is free from distractions,” says Marie-Claire, “which allows us to discuss the serious issues over a table, just like business deals are made over dinner.”
The kitchen has also been used as a sort of classroom – where Luigi was given cooking lessons, both because he wanted to learn since he never had the opportunity to do so before and also as Marie Claire’s first mentee when she was learning how to be a mentor nurse.
The Pellegrinis’ kitchen is also the nucleus of activity when family and friends come over.
“It’s probably because the kitchen is more informal,” notes Marie-Claire.
The airy kitchen is plain but functional. Marie-Claire loves cooking and the most important thing is that food tastes good and is healthy.
Marie Claire says that were she not a nurse she would become a chef. After all, the two professions are very similar: you wear a uniform, work in a team and you have to keep an eye on the ticking clock.
It’s all Greek
Although the quaint oak-panelled room with earthy tiles and warm, yellow walls is, for most of the time, Aldo Cauchi-Savona’s kitchen, it has seen its fair share of unconventional parties.
A cooking savant, Aldo has held themed parties where he could show off his gourmet prowess and where his guests could flaunt their attire.
So this kitchen has witnessed toga-clad patrons flowing in and out in search of stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki, Greek olives and thirst-quenching beverages.
Despite the outside the norm activities, Aldo explains:
“It is important for me that every room has its function.”
His kitchen is a place dedicated to preparing food – a special bookshelf has been allotted for an assortment of themed cookery books and a hanging set of pockets are home to Aldo’s selected and discovered recipes.
A conscious decision was made to have no TV in this room, though sometimes, Aldo does get out a book and read while he’s waiting for something to cook.
Because Aldo lives on his own and spends a good amount of time at work as a software developer, he isn’t at home much and the weekend is spent cleaning up the mess that has accumulated over the week and when the special recipes are cooked.
However, the kitchen always factors into his busy life – it is his morning pit stop for a glass of water and a biscuit.
Perhaps Jiji and Mimi would take offense at the idea that Aldo lives alone. The two Siamese cats even have a special tiny corner allotted to them with their water and food bowls and a special pot of catnip (to keep them from eating Aldo’s plants).
Aldo’s kitchen is also his beautiful cream and brown cats’ kitchen. It is where he feeds them and where they inspect their master’s cooking techniques and sometimes test his coffee.
“The kitchen is a special place in the house. It’s located at the back because it’s the place of nurturing,” explains its owner.
“When I have friends over, I let them into the kitchen. It’s a sign I’m more open to them.”