What’s the most important tool in the kitchen?

Remember the Recipe Boxes? I was lucky enough to grow up with pretty much daily interaction with a Grandma and a Great Grandma. Each Grandma had a recipe box, (that now live with my mom) and each one triggers distinct memories of flavors.

I have made cookies so many times that I hardly need to reference the original recipe anymore. But during the cookie creation process, it is easy to get into the zone of creativity and get lost in the moment. So sometimes it’s handy to have the recipes available at a moments notice. 

I am not yet at the point to trust Alexa and Siri with my collection, but I do trust them to set timers and keep me on top of my baking. But if someone were to ask me what my most important tool in the kitchen is. I would have to say:

A notebook - for thoughts, for trials, for recipes, and this season, poetry.

“Do you want a cookie?” is an easy question to ask

They’re just so happy and inviting

The feeling, the texture, the flavor that lasts

It reminds us of feelings, also of times past

They’re so easy to bake

And once in the oven, they cook up so fast

A cookie is pure, so fresh and so honest

Just for a moment, they’re just what we need

The feeling, the texture, the flavor that lasts

The chocolate, the nuts, the ingredients are vast

The measuring, the mixing, the scooping

And once in the oven, they cook up so fast

And cookies and love, they are unsurpassed

The thought and the time that helps us create

The feeling, the texture, the flavor that lasts

We make 72, with love from times past

But nothing is forever

The feeling, the texture, the flavor that lasts

And once out of the oven, they’re gone oh so fast.

Grandma Gladys’ Recipe Box