Cooking to the Music

It's Friday, and a lot of our friends are getting ready to kick back and relax. So, I decided to answer a particularly fun question that came to me the other day.

Hi Betty,

I love cooking. There is something envigorating about making a home cooked meal. But, so much of the prep work can make me nuts. Peeling potatoes and chopping vegetables is just so boring. Usually, I try to put on some music to make it go by quicker. I was wondering, do you like cooking with music? And if so, what are your favorite songs?

Sincerely,
Rockin' Around the Kitchen.

This is a great question. I do enjoy music to liven up the work. It certainly makes waiting for the water to boil more tenable, as well as cleaning up after the meal. The radio is almost always playing as I dance around the dishes.

As for my favorite songs, I guess that depends on what kind of mood I am in and what I am cooking. If I am cooking delicious desserts, like a bundt cake or cheesecake, I prefer something upbeat that helps you move around the kitchen. Nothing gets you up and moving like a good R&B mix. I enjoy Marlena Shaw's "California Soul" or Carol King's "I Feel the Earth Move." But anything that gets you moving and dancing is great for mixing up some batter and strutting out your desserts. Great desserts take confidence and bravado, anything that can inspire that only adds to the dish.

Of course, if I am making a dinner for two, I want to be inspired in a different way. Maybe it is a Valentine's Day meal. A little love mood music is in order. "The Best Is Yet to Come" by either Frank or Tony is probably echoing off the linoleum. Another standard of the Crocker kitchen is "Cause I Love You" by Lenny Williams. If that song doesn't inspire love in your food, nothing will.

Music is great for helping you get in touch with your inner chef. The best cooking comes from the soul. Whether it reminds you of your grandmother's kitchen or makes you think of how special the people you are cooking for are, music can really help that dish strike the right chord.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend.

Betty