After the most recent holiday posts from members who cook, I was dismayed to read the tales of stoves that locked cooks out, of stoves that went on strike, of stoves that simply quit. Community members were forced to order take out, depend on friends or family who had enough holiday fixings to share; I think as well of all those who didn't post about moments of cog fog or meals gone bad, or of myself too busy with a planned move to do more than open a can of soup to heat in the microwave.
So this message is for all stoves and those who stand above and before them, hoping that the turkey will be roasted to perfection, the ham succulent, and the standing rib perfectly au jus. Please read this to your kitchen stove: just because you may have heard from the TV in a nearby room of a government shutdown at this festive season, there is absolutely no justification for you to indulge in any similar shenanigans or dysfunctional operation! Any stove that goes on strike like Amazon workers, or shuts down like the United States government will find itself pitched unceremoniously to the curb. Now, community members, go forth and coook! May all your meals be as planned, delighting you and those you cook for with their seasonal scents and flavors. Bon appetit!