Kitchen Witch Tips – FB2B, part 11

For those who read to the bottom of my recipe posts, you’ll have noticed that I’ve been adding a “Kitchen Witch Tips” section to them. I thought I’d take a little breather from recipes and stories and explain what this (hopefully) practical addition to my blog is supposed to mean.

Wikipedia® defines the Kitchen Witch as:

A kitchen witch is a practitioner of magic who uses the tools at hand to work his or her spells and create their rituals. For example, using a kitchen carving knife for an athame, a cast iron pot for a cauldron, etc. Common kitchen herbs frequently have magical uses as well.

This is the definition that is a more mystical one. I can’t deny that good cooking does have some type of “power” over one’s senses, as depicted in many a film, such as Babette’s Feast and Big Night. Haven’t you ever left a great film just craving what you saw displayed on screen? Don’t certain smells “conjure up” memories from deep within ourselves?

However, the second paragraph of the description of the term is more what I had in mind when I created the concept for my blog:

Some kitchens have a kitchen witch doll, which is said to prevent burnt pots, keep meals hot and flavorful, and to weave the family together. The kitchen witch doll is often placed over the stove, near the kitchen entrance, or sometimes over a seating area in the kitchen.

Obviously, for those who have read my blog from the beginning, we didn’t have one of these in our home kitchen, otherwise I might not have burned the chocolate I was trying to melt [see “Some of My Cooking Experiences – FB2B, part 3”]. Some kitchen supply stores used to sell stuffed dolls in the shape of witches with broomsticks. I remember being with my mother and asking her about them. She explained to me the legend along the lines of the second description.

“Kitchen Witch Tips” in this blog are designed to be little tidbits or helpers to make your food more flavorful or the process of getting everything to the table a bit smoother. I hope you enjoy them and find them a welcome addition to your culinary knowledge. Feel free to write in with any additional suggestions that might be useful as well.

Buon appetito!