What? A Witch in the Kitchen?!

Ever since I was a wee girl, I have had a fascination with all things witchy. Hallowe’en has always been my favourite holiday, with the witch being my favourite persona. Heavily influenced by the character of the Wicked Witch of the West from ‘Wizard of Oz’, the concept of a witch terrified me – and filled me with awe. Though decidedly favouring of the bad-ass ones, I knew that there were ‘good’ witches too, ones that watched out for the well-being of us mere mortals.

You can imagine my delight, then, when my Mama graced our kitchen with a brand new witch, who flew from our ceiling. I was told the witch originated in Scandinavia (some say Germany), and was there to make sure that the cooking was always good, and our kitchen a happy one. She was old, with a green flannel skirt and a black cotton apron with red flowers on it, a white blouse, a black kerchief on her head, and a pair of bright red felt boots. She looked a little like an old babushka from the Czech story books my grandparents used to ever-so-patiently translate from. I was completely charmed by her.

The Kitchen Witch, I suspect, manifests herself through most Mamas (and maybe a few Papas as well). Focused on the practical tasks of keeping herself and her family happy, healthy, and well-nourished, a Kitchen Witch is the alchemist of raw ingredients: grains, herbs, spices, veggies and fruit. She is not strict with her magic, and will improvise whenever necessary from the things that are available around her. She may even go out of her way to make her table look as magical and inviting as the food that is served.

She is magical without even thinking about it. Her ability to do this transcends religion, nationality, or belief. She is the guardian of the hearth, which sustains those who gather round it.

Though the kitchen witch’s mission is to prevent your pots from boiling over, your food from burning, and your cakes from falling, if these things happen, don’t despair. Becoming the Perfect Witch takes lots of practice!

The tales which follow are the attempt by one such oft-challenged witch to weave the elements of a magical kitchen into an enticing series of witchy-tales and kitchen-scapes that will stimulate both your appetite and your imagination, and provoke you transform your own kitchen into a hearth.