I’ve noticed that chefs and foodie types tend to be a little on the obsessive side. Nothing wrong with that. The food arts often demand a military-like precision and an unparalleled focus on detail. But I (normal guy) have been able to make it through life rather unscathed without exhibiting psychoneurotic behaviour. I’m not a slob by any means and I can focus on detail when needed. But growing up in a family that emphasized constant order and exactitude made me lean the other way.
This post was inspired by my (OCD) sister and brother-in-law’s “everything has its place” cupboard. In a random poll of my entourage, most cited my sister’s cupboard as the standard that they admired. Hmm. While I often made fun of my sister’s clear need for psychiatric help, my informal survey led me to think that perhaps I’m the one who needs assistance. Maybe an insanely ordered cupboard is what I should be trying to attain? Help me out here. What do you think? While the cupboard on the left is clearly desirable, is it in fact…normal? Vote below.
Ha ha! I am more a cupboard on the left person. When I was studying pastry at the Cordon Bleu here in Ottawa, we were required to do a “stage” in the main kitchen. The pantry there was disorganized and nothing was labelled properly. I was wasting a ton of time and it was driving me nuts so I volunteered to come in on my own time to organize it for them! I'm not sure what they thought of my compulsive tendencies but they sure appreciated it after I was done. Perhaps your sister and I can come to your kitchen and do the same? 😉
Love that story. I met my fair share of bakers and they tend to be “left cupboard” people. Much more organized and detailed oriented than chefs and cooks. Ha! It's clear I need all the help I can get!!
okay. I admit it. I am someone who is anal-retentive to a fault and dirt and disorganization give me hives. This said, my cupboard does not even approach the one on the left. There is a happy middle-ground for kitchen cupboards but the real key is…how often do you empty them to see just how many of the same things you own – my sister had approximately six of everything until i went through them. I threw out six (6!!!) bags of garbage from her cupboards alone. No…you are VERY normal.