I knit and sew, (mending) read and watch tv as well as do bookwork sometimes.

Nothing. Just cooking.

.

Everything

My stone top island has no stove or sink, as they are both on the wall side. The island bench (2.5 m long) I use for cutting out patterns, felting and other craft work. I love it!!!

My kitchen is for food preparation. Punkt. Apart from the fact that it has no table/surface suitable for dining, work or crafts, etc., and certainly no casual seating space, I wouldn't actually want to do anything else in there. I'm not a fan of open plan design at all, hence my choice to live in a 1930s apartment with its original floorplan preserved. A simple door is a wonderful thing for keeping the smells, steam, grease and general mess of cooking away from my furnishings, books, audio equipment and other technology, not to mention my guests who do *not* need to watch me cook or distract me by trying to chat to me while I do it! :)

Technique for technique, but no hostess can do without utensils in the kitchen. Of course, some recipes can be trusted to household appliances, but there are some dishes that are best obtained only on the stove or in the oven. For example, for frying cutlets or pancakes, nothing has been invented better than a frying pan https://www.amazon.com/pie-iron-for-campfire-cooking/dp/B088H42W2L and baking forms help to bake crusty pastries.

We enjoy the kitchen for making sandwiches and tea and coffee and treat it like a display kitchen, we do not cook in the indoor kitchen so we generate grease and fume while doing all cooking in the alfresco kitchen. The house is always fresh and clean with no sign of cooking smells or thick layers of grease on surfaces.

My brother uses his outdoor BBQ area all the time but here in Vic, you could never cook or eat outside for the flies.

I have only been in my home for 4 years but I always turn the rangehood on and have only wiped the top of two cupboards with the slightest film of grease perhaps once a year in that time so I think the secret is always having the rangehood on.

I also don't have an outdoor area for cooking and don't think I ever will as there doen't seem to be anywhere that it could go to work so kudos to you ha-ha

I use my gas cooktop usually, I have an outdoor kitchen where I also have my air fryer, which I use all the time.

You see, my kitchen isn't just where I whip up delicious meals; it's where the magic happens when friends and family come over.

Picture this: it's Friday night, and the gang's all here. We're gathered around the island, sipping on cocktails and catching up on the latest gossip. The kitchen becomes the heart of the party – a place where laughter flows as freely as the drinks.

And let me tell you, some of my best memories have been made right here in this kitchen. From impromptu dance parties to deep late-night conversations, it's where bonds are strengthened and good times are had by all.

Oh, and speaking of good times, I recently introduced everyone to this amazing pico de gallo recipe. The fresh flavors added an extra kick to our gathering, and now it's become a staple whenever we get together.