MUSE IN THE KITCHEN

 Most of us would agree that the kitchen is one of the most sought-after places in our homes, where we spend at least some part of our time every day. We go there to make ourselves a cup of tea or coffee, prepare a snack, or cook a full meal. Yet we seldom pause to notice the things around us—the fresh green leaves, the multi-coloured vegetables displayed on the shelves, the stacks of red onions, brown potatoes and white garlic, the varied hues of different types of rice and lentils, and the fragrance of the spices used in cooking. Even the sight of cream, light brown or pink-coloured eggs and meat may appeal to the non-vegetarian eye.

Me and My Kitchen

We have a fairly large kitchen at home, and I spend a considerable amount of time there. During winter, I particularly enjoy its warmth while cooking.

I also have a habit of reciting poetry—both in English and in local languages—while working in the kitchen. One day, as I watched potatoes and multi-coloured vegetables sizzling in a fiery red masala curry, their aroma filling the room, I was struck by the sheer beauty of the sight and fragrance. It seemed to me that such moments deserved to be captured in a poem. Soon another thought occurred to me: perhaps many poets before me had already written poems inspired by food and the ingredients used in cooking.

Food Poetry

Food, with its captivating colours, fragrance, flavours, and textures, has often served as a muse for poets, inspiring them to craft verses. Great and not-so-great poets alike have written poems celebrating cooking, eating, sharing meals, favourite dishes, and cherished food memories. While exploring this idea, I came across some delightful food-related poems.

Here are a few of them.

Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) was an English writer known for her romantic, devotional, and children’s poems. The following excerpt is from her famous poem Goblin Market:

Goblin Market

Morning and evening,

Maids heard the goblins cry:

“Come buy our orchard fruits,

Come buy, come buy:

Apples and quinces,

Lemons and oranges,

Plump unpeck’d cherries,

Melons and raspberries,

Bloom-down-cheek’d peaches,

Swart-headed mulberries,

Wild free-born cranberries,

Crab-apples, dewberries,

Pine-apples, blackberries,

Apricots, strawberries;—

All ripe together

In summer weather.

What a wonderful feeling this poem evokes! One almost feels tempted to buy at least some of those luscious fruits.

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) was an American Quaker poet and a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery in the United States. Here is an excerpt from his nineteenth-century poem “The Pumpkin”:

Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better

E’er smoked from an oven or circled a platter!

Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry morefine,

Brighter eyes never watched o’er its baking, than thine!

Pablo Neruda (1904–1973), the Chilean poet, diplomat, and politician who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971, wrote many poems celebrating ordinary objects and foods. Here is a snippet from “Ode to Onion”:

                 Onion,

luminous flask,

your beauty formed

petal by petal.

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745), the renowned satirist, essayist and poet, even wrote a rare poem on cooking mutton. Here is an excerpt:

How I Shall Dine?

Gently blow and stir the fire,

Lay the mutton down to roast,

Dress it nicely I desire,

In the dripping put a toast,

That I hunger may remove:

Mutton is the meat I love.

Emily Dickinson

Even food appears metaphorically in the poetry of the great American poet Emily Dickinson:

 

Fame Is a Fickle Food

Fame is a fickle food

Upon a shifting plate

Whose table once a

Guest but not

The second time is set.

Maya Angelou (1928–2014), one of the best-known American poets, also authored several cookbooks, including Hallelujah! The Welcome Table (2004). In her poem “The Health-Food Diner,” she lists the nutritious vegetables offered by the diner, yet humorously confesses her craving for steak.

The Health-Food Diner

No sprouted wheat and soya shoots

and Brussels in a cake,

carrot straw and spinach raw,

(today, I need a steak).

Not thick brown rice and rice pilaw

or mushrooms creamed on toast,

turnips mashed and parsnips hashed,

(I’m dreaming of a roast).

Health-food folks around the world

are thinned by anxious zeal,

they look for help in seafood kelp

(I count on breaded veal).

No smoking signs, raw mustard greens,

zucchini by the ton,

uncooked kale and bodies frail

are sure to make me run.

Here are a few humorous poems inspired by thoughts on food:

Cooking Your Food

Rice, butter, salt and pepper—

The muse in your kitchen,

Cooking your food

With the spices of love

And the romance of nature.

—Edward Kofi Louis

The humorous poem “Italian Food” by Shel Silverstein celebrates the musical sound of Italian cuisine:

Oh, how I love Italian food, I eat it all the time,

Not just ’cause how good it tastes

But ’cause how good it rhymes…

Minestrone, cannelloni, rigatoni, spaghettini…

Oops—I think I split my jeani.

And finally, a charming recipe for happiness:

Happiness Recipe

2 heaped cups of patience

1 heart full of love

2 hands full of generosity

A dash of laughter

A head full of understanding

Sprinkle generously

with kindness

and plenty of faith.

Mix well.

Spread over a lifetime

and serve everyone you meet.

These poems celebrate the enchanting relationship between poetry and food, showing how culinary experiences can inspire poets to craft memorable verses.

The process of cooking can indeed be a form of meditation, through which we feel our oneness with nature and express gratitude for the bounties she bestows upon us. The goddess of the Muse is not confined to temples or places of worship; she is everywhere around us. All that is required is the patience and sensitivity to discover her presence. When we do, we realise that finding beauty and poetry in everyday life is one of the greatest joys of living.

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