When it comes to cooking, I am not a very creative person. It seems rather odd, really, when I think about all the parts of my life where creativity is strong. I’m a writer, and I’m a story teller. My kids often bypass their book shelves and beg me to make up stories for them instead of reading. I come up with some pretty creative arts and crafts, and my kids’ birthday parties are chock full of creative decorations and games. Even the birthday cakes are fun, imaginative creations. But when it comes to breakfast, lunch and dinner it’s quite rare that anyone in my house asks, “Oh, what’s this?”

It isn’t that I don’t appreciate food. In fact I’ve always been in awe of chefs, and having worked in restaurants since I was a teenager I’ve been around more than my share of artists in the kitchen. My awe of them started early on when I would watch the owner in the little diner where I worked pick all the right toppings to make a chicken sandwich into something you just couldn’t wait to get ahold of, and has carried through to most recently while working at a resort restaurant and I would marvel at the exquisite blends of flavors and textures the chefs put together to make unique appetizers and entrees.

I love the sensation of tasting something wonderful, and I love it when I cook something someone else thinks is wonderful, even if it lacks much creativity or came pre-marinated and all I did was apply heat. But some might say that I’m selling myself short on that note because the very act of cooking can truly make or break a meal. And that is why, even without being a chef, even without being creative in the kitchen, the kitchen is all important.

There are the basic elements of a great kitchen, of course. A working triangle, for example, makes the space usable. But today, architects and builders are recognizing that the kitchen is truly the heart of the home and are putting more thought than ever into creating and building a space that reflects that. Because the truth is, no matter how nice a home is, it’s the kitchen that we most need to connect with. It’s the space where our children will come with smiles on their faces asking for something to eat. It’s where parents will pass down secret family recipes. It’s the space where family and friends come together to share stories and laughter. It is where memories are made.

It’s really no surprise, therefore, that when the Central Oregon Builders Association added the Chefs on Tour element to the annual Tour of Homes, the one-night event became an immediate hit. Not only do participants get to tour a wide selection of new homes from a selection of Central Oregon’s builders, with all the latest trends and styles, but they get to see eight kitchens put to use, and to taste some of the area’s top chefs’ creative masterpieces. What a great way to find some creative inspiration!

Alas for me at this point in my life I’ve basically accepted that my creative inspiration will only shine outside of the kitchen. But who knows, maybe with the right BBQ or smoker set among all the right outside furniture and decor, maybe as my vegetable and fruit gardens grow and provide me with fresh ingredients, maybe my home’s outdoor living space will inspire something in me and maybe, just maybe, someday I’ll hear my husband or my kids ask, “Oh, what’s this?” as they sit down to eat.