In a recent discussion one person asked why compromise had become so difficult. Why couldn't we all try and see the merits of another's position we didn't agree with, and use that as a basis to try and understand each other more. OK, another responded, tell us about the positions where you are willing to give ground. Gay rights? No, that was non-negotiable. Abortion? Same. Immigration, gun control, racism? No, no and no.
Now, while I am not by any means equating those viscerally-held beliefs with cooking, it does echo the same musings on gas vs. electric. Or as Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson tweeted "If the maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it from my cold dead hands." A bit over the top (unless you're Bobby Flay), but people who like to cook have strong opinions on the topic. As did I. And then we moved.
Thirty plus years ago when we looked to relocate, every possible new abode had positives and negatives. Location, floor space, closets: the list goes on and on. You had to weigh each item and see which was a deal breaker, which was something you could live with (at least for a time), and where you were willing to give ground.
High on our list of important items was the kitchen. The house we were most interested in (and which we eventually bought) had one with a good-sized footprint, though not as updated as we might have liked. No matter: we felt we could deal with it "as is" for a while, and eventually upgrade. The one thing I was forced to give in on was the fuel (my wife was not as committed as me). Whereas the kitchen where we lived at the time was gas, this new home was all electric.
Like many I was a gas aficionado, used to the fast response, high heat and fine control that that modality gave you. Whether it was eggs for breakfast or stir fry for dinner, gas was how the big boys cooked. But the neighborhood we moved to literally didn't have the pipes, so the standard on the street was wires. When several years later we finally got around to ripping out the old space and installing the new, I had acclimated to electric. Added to that were new glass cooktops that offered other benefits, and it was the path of least resistance.
Fast forward (actually, slow passage of time), and we find that we are once again noting an inflection point. Not that we want to redo the space: every morning we come down we are delighted with what we have. But many years of use have meant that our existing stove and cooktop are a bit worn and not as responsive as they should be. The oven doors aren't closing as tight, and the flush-fitting range has a number of scratches on it. But while we still don't have gas piped into our neighborhood, we do have a gas-powered emergency generator, and so have a ready if limited supply of propane capable of being tapped if I really felt strongly about it.
However, the state of play also seems to have shifted. On the one hand there's been some discussion of the downsides of gas. Not that I put much stock in the more hysterical spins on Viking ranges rising up to kill us all, but it would be equally foolish to discard new information involving pollution, climate change and health. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ledger, the joys and benefits of electrically powered induction cooking have been making, if not headlines, than at least feature segments. Anecdotally a chat with a food service professional who used to be a chef related that the hype about induction is not misplaced, that he indeed preferred it for heating, cleaning and general usage.
So where does that leave us? Considering our point in life and our future plans, we're not making any sudden moves. But just as I was once convinced that there was no way to caramelize apples on electric, my eyes have been opened. That has forced me to acknowledge that both points of view are legitimate. Or in a broader context, perhaps we all need to try simmering a different way.
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Marc Wollin of Bedford likes to cook with whatever he has. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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