Kitchen Talk

By: Alex 

Art by Alex 

I once learned about someone’s entire college career in less than an hour. That person was my best friend’s mother, and she told me all about the challenges of med classes, homesickness, and independence all while chopping vegetables and taking chicken in and out of the oven as I sat in her kitchen during her daughter’s graduation party.

I had the privilege to this information because of a phenomenon I call ‘kitchen talk.’ Kitchen talk is when you find yourself sitting in the kitchen with the host of a party, talking as they prepare food for the guests, all while there is much more activity going on elsewhere in the house. But you just feel like the kitchen is the place to be.

In any instance, kitchen talk always results in two great things: super stories that you would never hear if you would have stayed in the basement or on the patio for the whole party AND first picks on any/all the food the host prepares for the guests. Great stories and good food-- two of my favorite things!

Kitchen talk has never failed me. It’s super helpful because I love creating stories. But sometimes I find that many of my stories are about the same thing—growing up. And that’s fine because I think growing up is such an important part of life. But the thing is, there’s so much more to life than growing up. And since I haven’t even finished that stage of my life, it’s sometimes hard to broaden my range of storytelling.

This is where my hours of kitchen talk come in. I’ve heard stories about marriage, family, tragedy, crime, careers, and triumphs in my time in the kitchen. All of these experiences that I hear about don’t just entertain me; they educate me. I’ve never experienced most of what I hear about, but listening to someone else’s life helps me write from a different perspective. It gives me more of a voice and insight towards something I wouldn’t otherwise understand.

As a seasoned kitchen talker, I’ve learned, to get the most out of my experience, ask questions. I’m totally interested and wrapped up in a story that anyone will tell me. But if I’m completely touched or moved by something, I’ll ask the storyteller more questions, so they can elaborate on something I want to know so much more about. 

A life is so interesting to me. And without doing extensive research and interviews, the kitchen is the best place I can get these candid moments. I love finding stories in unexpected places. It’s got to be my favorite part of life. Everyone has a story—no matter if you know it or not. Kitchen talk gives you the chance to realize that; people can touch you in unexpected ways if you just get to know them a little better, even if it’s only for less than an hour. The kitchen is the first place I go when I arrive at a gathering. The kitchen is where the real party is.