Kay Hudson

Several months ago, during a fruitless search for a corkscrew, I realized that I had accumulated forty years or so of mostly unused and unneeded kitchen junk in my cupboards. Recently I picked up a couple of new gadgets designed for people like me, who live alone, don’t cook much, but like the occasional hardboiled egg or baked potato. It’s not a big kitchen, and finding a place to store them, other than on the counter, has thrown me into cleaning out the cupboards.

Years ago, when I was cooking for three, and even baking, I needed a lot of this stuff. I even have some indestructible wedding presents (and I was married in 1969). But what did I ever think I was going to do with the box of knives I just found? Apart from a few cute little specialty knives left over from a cheese-of-the-month club we belonged to thirty years ago, they’re headed out, along with the utility candles in the same box. I have candles that smell good now.

I didn’t even remember that I had a George Foreman grill. Minus the drip tray. Or the instructions. Into the out box it goes, along with the microwave sandwich maker (no instructions, and apparently no longer made, since I can’t find instructions on line). Lots of microwave cookery gadgets with no instructions. I think one of them is supposed to make omelets. I’ve never made an omelet in my life. And then there’s the electric rice/vegetable steamer, suitable for feeding a crowd.

Cooling racks, muffin tins, pie plates—I haven’t baked anything in more than a decade. Among the large collection of wooden carving boards (I’ve long since switched to plastic) I even found an old fashioned wooden rolling pin! I’m not sure I ever used that. Three sets of mixing bowls. Three lasagna pans. Rusty cookie sheets. At least I’ve found a use for that microwave oven carton I never recycled—instant trash bin.

I’ve cleared enough space to stow my new toys and most of the stuff cluttering up the counter. Not much left there now but the microwave oven and the toaster. I’ve hauled two boxes (one of them so heavy that I’ll have to divide it before I try to move it again) out to the garage.

And I’ve only done half the cupboards. Somewhere there are still three or four toasters that did not meet my exacting standards, a blender or two, a couple of crockpots, and a countertop toaster oven. And a LOT of old pots and pans. Maybe tomorrow.

I still haven’t found the old corkscrew. But I have a new one, and a bottle of wine waiting . . .