How did I start the new year? Doing the oldest job in the world, that’s how. No, not that – I said “job” not “profession”. In truth, it’s not even a job, at least for me. Oh OK, out with it – I spent the first morning of the year with one arm in a soapy sink and my sweaty chest heaving against a blisteringly hot hob. Well, in reality I’m not that short and the hob is not that high up – it’s just a bit of exaggeration seasoned with too much Hell’s Kitchen episodes on You Tube. But there is an ounce of truth because I really did cook and entertain (cook mostly – I can’t utter a one-liner without breaking it up into phonemes).

The technologies which have had the most profound effects on human life are usually simple- Physicist John Dyson

Cooking is a beautiful thing. Not only because a celebratory meal is applauded by the guests’ life-affirming show of white teeth, but also because the Vulcan-inspired hammering of steaks does give you insights.

In my case, the hob’s burning rings of fire were like an amuse-bouche leading to an appreciation of simple technology.

Cooking might be a complex affair (try your hand at one of Grant Achatz’s recipes and you won’t stand the heat in the kitchen) but it is based on simple technology which has been simmered in centuries of wisdom, creativity and burnt fingers. Take the pan, for instance – just a piece of metal which sizzles and splutters with mini fireworks to celebrate Prometheus’ classical theft. Or the tagine – its cone-shaped lid traps steam and turns tough meat into butter-soft delights.

And what about the Bialetti moka, a form of low-tech genius that hasn’t changed in more than 75 years? It’s the perfect marriage of form and function – the beautiful lines of a simple design that cleverly combines water, coffee and heat into a beverage that wakes you up to early morning pleasures.

But the kitchen is not all heat – from the fridge and the mixer to the pepper mill and the thermometer, other kitchen technologies use all the rules of physics and science.

And the simplest technologies of all reflect their genius quality in the fact that they haven’t changed in years. The design of the Kilner jar, for instance, has remained the same since the 1840s and is still effective today as when it first revolutionised the way we preserve food.

So the next time you’re on cooking duties, take a look around and appreciate the simple technology that makes life taste better.

techeditor@timesofmalta.com