By Donna Covrett

I recently witnessed courage at a cocktail party.

Surrounded by a Stepford Village of Hugo Boss and Ann Taylor, I was slipping into a semi-coma of conversations of market share, solid portfolios and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. I perked up as a hush came over the vodka and cranberry crowd. An attractive woman in her early 30s was proudly stating her major occupation as Domestic Goddess with a minor in Environmental Law. A single mother with two children, three dogs, a thriving practice and a full social calendar, she was as proud of her baking abilities as a hazardous waste case she had recently prosecuted and won. All of the Ann Taylor suits backed away in fear, while a few of the Hugo Boss suits inched closer, sniffing the air for hints of cinnamon and vanilla. I was in the presence of the Domestic Goddess redefined.

No longer the image of the perfectly coifed persona in a fluffy pink cardigan and a fetching gingham apron , the modern Domestic Goddess (or God) is not confined but instead enjoys being in the kitchen, taking sensual pleasure in food preparation and relishing the outcome.

Many of us have become alienated from the kitchen, finding the army of appliances and gadgetry frightening rather than comforting, and preferring the store-bought baked goods over creating our own. You need neither a professionally appointed kitchen nor well-stocked pantry to bake. A pair of hands, a bowl and wooden spoon will see you through most creations. Purchased cake or cookies don't nearly convey the depth of achievement you feel in making your own. There's something about seeing such elemental change -- that flour, butter, eggs and sugar could become this and more -- it's simultaneously humbling and empowering.

Clearly the message of the modern Domestic God and Goddess is that such simple pleasures are not to be underestimated.

E-mail Donna Covrett

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