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8 GENERAL NEWS KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n JUNE 2018 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Is Cooking a Feminist Act, as Nigella Lawson Claims? y Twitter verse has been abuzz about an essay that Nigella Lawson, the British cook and author, published on a website called LennyLetter.com in early April. In the essay, Lawson rightly points out that she's not a chef — having never had the training and certification to have earned that title — and describes herself instead as "a home cook who writes about food." This, by the way, is the same way I describe myself. "There's a reason why the home cook has always been seen as a lesser creature," she writes. "Traditionally, chefs have been male and paid; home cooking was 'women's work,' unwaged and taken for grated, sentimentally prized but not essentially valued or respected." The estimable Lawson goes on to describe cooking "to be one of the basic prerequisites for sustaining the self: It is an act of primary independence." She commends the sensuality of the kitchen, "something less lofty and more physical: the feel of the dough in my fingers, the scent of a lemon as I zest the skin and the aromatic oils spritz in the air, the sizzle of onions in a pan, the darkly gleaming beauty of an eggplant." Anyone who cooks probably shares Lawson's sensual pleasures in the kitchen. I'm not sure, however, that I share her assertion that home cooking has traditionally been undervalued as "women's work." My own mother, in addition to being a vocal partner in my family's business, prepared almost every evening meal for the seven of us in the family, f rom scratch. She was a curious and inventive cook who knew how to stretch the family's food budget, and my father valued her work in the kitchen immensely. He taught us to thank her every night for preparing our meal, and to compliment her on its quality. If, as my father also taught me, all work has dignity, then kitchen chores — because they are unselfish, meant to nourish not only the cook but those she feeds as well — must have double the value of other kinds of household labor. Mopping and vacuuming benefit everyone in the household, it's true; but tasks like that don't nourish everyone under the roof. I know plenty of men who, like my father, appreciate the work that goes into preparing a good meal. And I know plenty of men who are willing to do that work themselves. As a kitchenware retailer, are your customers predominantly women? When men come into your store, are they shopping for themselves or for one of the women in their lives? If it's the latter, what can you do to encourage your male customers to do more cooking themselves? Thinking outside the box — beyond grilling and barbecuing classes, for example, which traditionally draw men cooks — may help here. Classes in kitchen basics, featuring dishes tailored to your male clientele, could be a draw. So could sales, coupons and special offers that are especially men-f riendly. Lawson hits one nail precisely on the head, though: She urges people to stop apologizing for their work in their own kitchens, to stop referring to themselves as "just" home cooks. I couldn't agree more. When we agree that all work has dignity, then we see that the home cook has no reason to apologize. Dignified work gives home cooks — whether male or female — a reason for pride. You can help your customers share in that pride. KN BY ROBIN MATHER Robust leasing activity continues to drive expansion of gourmet housewares, tabletop and specialty food resources at the Las Vegas Market. Currently, there are more than 650 gourmet resources presented at Las Vegas Market: more than 250 housed on C11 and more than 400 more presented across the campus, in both permanent showrooms and in temporary exhibits in The Pavilions at Las Vegas Market. New gourmet showrooms debuting in July include Badash Crystal (mouth-blown and handmade glass); Serene House (personal air care products); and TASTE - A Gourmet Food Experience (specialty food collective). In addition, seven leading suppliers recently renewed showroom leases: Columbia Empire Farms; Grainware; Hammond's Candies; Kitchen Source; Menus & Music; New Canaan Farms; and USA Pan. Las Vegas Market is the nation's fastest growing gift and home décor market, presenting more than 4,300 gift, home décor and furniture resources in an unrivaled market destination. The summer 2018 edition runs July 29-August 2. For more information, visit www.lasvegasmarket.com. KN Gourmet Continues to Grow at Las Vegas Market Delta Faucet has revealed the results of its biannual Homeowner Index survey, which found one in four Americans would spend upwards of $20,000 on their kitchen remodel this season. With an overwhelming majority of homeowners (89 percent) planning to host a summer gathering, it comes as no surprise that nearly half (46 percent) of respondents named the kitchen the room they would be most likely to remodel. "At Delta Faucet, we understand the kitchen is the heart of the home. We continuously strive to innovate our products and technologies to make life easier and meet consumers where they are in terms of design and functionality," said Susan Fisher, Vice President of Marketing, Delta Faucet. "This survey sheds light on how homeowners feel about their homes during a pivotal time for home improvement, just before summer entertaining begins." Eighty-nine percent of Americans noted they will host summer parties centered in the kitchen; with summer break in the near future, parents replied they are even more likely than non-parents to host at least one summer gathering at home (96 percent versus 83 percent). More than half the survey respondents said that they'll host three or more gatherings during a typical summer season. The Fourth of July tops the list as the most kitchen-centric spring or summer holiday, followed by Memorial Day and then Mother's Day. More than half of all consumers said that they'd commit to doing some, if not all, of the spring remodeling themselves, with Millennials being particularly likely to take on some of the project themselves. While contemporary kitchen design style continues to gain popularity, homeowners aren't ready to go out on a limb when it comes to style. "Traditional" design is the preferred choice (40 percent), followed by contemporary (34 percent), which increased slightly when compared to last year's findings. (32 percent). KN Survey Finds Homeowners Thinking about a Kitchen Remodel BY LORRIE BAUMANN The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association is bringing celebrities, proven leaders and outstanding entrepreneurs to New Orleans June 10 through 12 for this year's IDDBA 18 trade show and conference. More than 10,000 industry professionals and 800 exhibitors will gather at one of the food industry's most thoughtful and inspirational events. Events begin with a welcome party on Saturday, June 9. IDDBA Chairman of the Board of Directors Erik Waterkotte will lead off the general sessions of the conference at 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 10. Following him to the stage at 8:30 will be Ginger Hardage, former senior vice president of culture and communications for Southwest Airlines and now the Founder of Unstoppable Cultures, a brand "designed to help organizations create and sustain cultures of enduring greatness." She will discuss building blocks for improving company culture and enhancing communication skills. Christina Tosi will also speak on Sunday. The CEO and Founder of Milk Bar, the twice-named James Beard Award winner, also serves on the board of Hot Bread Kitchen, a non-profit social enterprise that envisions a food system that equitably rewards talent and sustains a diverse work force, and on the board of Cookies for Kids' Cancer, an organization that funds research into pediatric cancer through cookie sales and local events. She is also a judge on the "MasterChef " and "MasterChef Junior" television programs. Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback of the Green Bay Packers will be the final speaker for Sunday's general session program. The MVP athlete is also the co-Creator and Founder of itsAaron, a foundation that helps create awareness for organizations changing the world. Many of the general session speakers, including Tosi and Hardage, will also speak at IDDBA Show & Sell Workshops. These are more intimate and interactive gatherings that take place in the interactive marketplace on the IDDBA show floor. The Show & Sell marketplace showcases trends and merchandising ideas that attending retailers can take back to their own stores and start using immediately, with the workshop sessions held in that forum give attendees a chance to sit in on live demonstrations and to ask specific questions of industry experts. Other speakers who will appear in Show & Sell Workshops include IDDBA Show Offers Fame, Fortune, Intelligence and Leadership Continued on PAGE 10

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