HOME TRUTHS: Music for the Kitchen: Tasty Tunes for Cooking . . . or Whatever

In Category: Food

When I’m at home, I spend much of my time in the kitchen—cooking, munching, cleaning, opening mail, drawing up grocery lists, planning schedules, packing lunches, reading the newspaper, and chatting with family and friends. It’s my official multitasking hub—and music is almost always playing in the background when I’m there. Following is a list of some of my favorite tunes for getting into a kitchen-y groove. Burn a CD for yourself or someone who’s celebrating the completion of a culinary space redo. You might want to package your gift with a spatula or a wooden spoon—they make great air-guitar picks.

1. “Someone’s In the Kitchen with Dinah”— Kidzone,
Are We There Yet?

2. “Kitchen Man”—Bessie Smith,
Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings Vol. 4

3. “Soul Kitchen”—The Doors,
The Doors

4. “Come On in My Kitchen”—David Bromberg Band,
How Late’ll Ya Play Till Vol. 1 (Live)

5. “In the Kitchen”—R. Kelly,
TP.3 Reloaded

6. “Green Onions”—Booker T & The MG’s,
Green Onions

7. “Coffee Drinks”—Late Tuesday,
Remember We Forget

8. “Betty’s Diner”—Carrie Newcomer,
The Best of Carrie Newcomer—Betty’s Diner

9. “Who Stole the Hot Sauce?”—Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band,
Who Stole the Hot Sauce?

10. “Sénégal Fast Food”—Amadou & Mariam,
Dimanche à Bamako

11. “If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake”—Bing Crosby and Bob Hope,
Bing Crosby: The Radio Years, Vol. 2

12. “Ice Cream”—Sarah McLachlan,
Mirrorball

13. “Lilac Wine”—Nina Simone,
Ultimate Nina Simone

14. “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk”—Rufus Wainwright,
The Last Kiss (original motion picture soundtrack)

15. “Food”—Nellie McKay,
Pretty Little Head

16. “Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love”—Maria Muldaur,
Sweet and Slow

17. “Cookin’”—Pete Townshend,
Scoop

18. “The First Cutting”—Michael Hedges, Taproot

19. “Scrubbin’”—Dr. John, Next Hex: The Nashville Sessions

20. “Frying Pan (Riffin’ the Scotch)”—Kay Starr,
Radio & Recording Rarities, Volume 3