FROM THE TABLE

The Fifth Course Editorial Journal

Issue No. 002

August 2026

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New Kitchen, Same Rules

By Ashley Harris

Phew.

Another month has passed and things are a bit hectic on this end for a very good reason: I moved!

Sunday, July 19th was a very, very, very busy day for my partner Byron and I. Seven people, a decent sized U-Haul truck, many 100-plus litre storage bins from Walmart (and the few Costco bins of the same brand, but 5 dollars less… I can’t say no to a good sale), many trips back and forth from my mother’s home in Midtown Toronto to our little bungalow in Scarborough (Toronto’s east end), and a solid laugh and chat over Domino’s pizzas in our new living room.

I wouldn’t have done this any other way.

The last month of the initial nesting period (as I’ve been told it’s called) has been practically me chronically cleaning up the place, rearranging furniture and little bits and pieces, subtle IKEA trips (I found great success in a cute faux plant for our bathroom for only ten dollars), taking suspicious pictures of future additions to the home in the home section of my local Walmart, lowkey reading articles on my phone about how-to garden in the Home Depot aisle, running to and from Europe (Italy and the UK, to be specific… I love my job as a flight attendant), and learning how to tend to a cute little garden in our large backyard.

My future as a little old lady looks bright, minus the actual aches and pains I’d developed at the ripe age of 32.

The home is pretty much in a great place at the moment, I would estimate about 75 percent completed, by my standards. Byron has been a great sport in letting me take over the whole HGTV project, inside and out. The goal to make this a safe space for us and our future guests (starting immediately after our September housewarming) is seeming to be pretty realistic. We’re just short a few furniture pieces, some core electronics, and art. Lots and lots of art. Oh, and a nice, slightly excessive neon sign for the living room.

Art.

Learning about my kitchen and the garden have been absolutely fundamental to me, for obvious and some subtle reasons.

One: How the kitchen functions. Essentially, the core temperatures of my stovetop ranges and how fast it’s been burning my onions (fast!). Becoming acquaintances with your cooking apparatus, I find, is paramount to a successful and delicious relationship. I’m getting the hang of it but I’ll definitely need a bit more time understanding why the hell it gets hotter out of nowhere. Maybe it has trust issues. To be honest, I would also have trust issues as a stove, given the way I initially found it (along with the other rooms in the house and the backyard).

Two: The initial feng shui of the fridge and cabinetry. I truly believe that a good home chef has to be equipped with the most efficient paths and locations for pretty much everything. That, and also the fact that I absolutely need to know where my eggs, spices and condiments are at all times. Hey, sometimes a quick protein fix at 2 AM is necessary.

Three: Understanding just what the heck is in my garden bed. Both my arms are temporarily out of commission aside from working in the economy class galley on the Boeing 777-300s I’ll be operating on to and from London Heathrow this weekend, as a result of a very back-breaking, messy three mornings turning over soil, pulling out an entire subway system of weeds and roots from the topsoil, rehydrating the bed after years of neglect, testing the pH and nutrient levels, and mulching the perimeters of the bed. Additionally, lots of bugs and worms were encountered, a fantastic sign for my future plant babies. Next on the shopping list is a healthy bag of organic compost from Rona, along with a full-size garden spade because ohhhh, my back…

This begs the question: What am I going to be growing in my little rectangle of heaven?

Answer: Herbs, and lots of it. And hot peppers, too.

The future list, complete with a finalized plant map, is as follows:

• Rosemary
• Greek oregano
• Chives
• Thyme
• Dill
• Thai basil

As a bonus, a large pot of mint (I learned that it has the ability to grow everywhere, so it will go in its own little pot on the side), as well as the couple planters housing both ghost peppers and jalapenos on the side, in lieu of space in the ground.

Why just herbs? We have a deal of wildlife running around the neighbourhood, specifically skunks, so I personally don’t see it as a substantial loss if they decide to have an all-you-can-eat buffet in the backyard. Also, we have a pear tree from past tenants! The poor thing looks a little sickly with yellow spots on all leaves, so that’s next on my to-do list after I get the garden neutralized (pH wise) and planted with herb/pepper starters. My little old lady lifestyle intensifies.

Indoors, I’m also learning how to use my Ninja air fryer in more ways than just throw in, turn on, press start. Byron and I have been learning how to make some serious recipes with the device, though it’s only just a start. I’ll return here with our findings in a month or so. I’m also very intrigued with the ‘dehydrate’ setting… I have a lot of leftover cherry tomatoes sitting in a little plastic container in my fridge right now. Hmmmm… Perhaps I might, for the sake of science…

My Ninja blender (can you guess one of my favourite kitchen appliance brands of all-time?) also needs some love. Not just smoothies but an entire encyclopedia of sauces that I’ve picked up along the way. And the food processor…

Along with doing some ground research in downtown Roma at the local Pewex, I’ve been actively asking co-workers about their food and cultures along the way. I’ve learned a lot about Brazilian and Ecuadorean food in the last couple weeks. I absolutely need to dive deeper into regional cuisines in both countries, and this excites me–I’ll be revisiting the Ecuador conversation on tonight’s flight.

The work and research continues. I suspect that all will be good and well mid-fall. In the meanwhile, I’ll be here sautéing onions down to caramel, in hopes that it doesn’t turn into borderline charcoal for the fiftieth time (I likely need a link to an oven guy, methinks because how?!).

Until we meet at the Table once more,

Ashley Harris

Editor-in-Chief, The Fifth Course