A remarkably convenient cooking appliance has arrived.
Toss in the ingredients, press a button, and it's done. No recipe, no adjusting the heat. It's been a star in our kitchen too.
But when people go so far as to say "cooks and restaurants are finished," something stirs in my chest. Menu planning, prep work—there's still plenty left. If anything, the more convenient things get, the more skilled practitioners move a step ahead. They refine what they never had time for before, and the gap widens. When the base broadens, the distance to the summit grows.
Nobody asked, yet I feel myself getting worked up, wanting to push back. No, no, that's not right—I tug at their sleeve. Honestly, it's not even worth making a fuss over. More people standing in the kitchen means more good food gets made. The person who threw out those words will probably still visit their favorite spot on the weekend.
And still I can't let it go. Sooner or later it'll be my turn. I'm bracing for words that haven't been thrown at me yet.