How Much Time Do You Spend in the Kitchen?

_{Photo © Christine Benlafquih}

I learned recently that About.com's Guide to French Language, Laura K. Lawless, spent a few years in Morocco. One of the observations she makes in her Moroccan Culture Series struck a chord with me: "The cooking alone takes tremendous amounts of time - I would say much more than in the typical Western household, and even more during holidays, including the entire month of Ramadan."

Yes – she's spot on! Moroccan culture is very food-oriented, and I average four to six hours a day in the kitchen, but that's probably less than women who bake the family's bread daily and consistently prepare a second evening meal. (Lunch is the main meal, but many Moroccans also cook a late supper.)

I find that Moroccan cooking isn't the time snatcher – it's the prep work of shelling peas and beans, cleaning fresh fish or recently slaughtered poultry, picking through locally harvested dried beans, washing organic eggs one-by-one, scrubbing dirt-encrusted or muddy potatoes – and the list goes on. Kitchen clean-up comes into play as well, as the vast majority of Moroccan kitchens aren't equipped with a dishwasher.

How about you – how much time do you spend in the kitchen? Take the poll below and see how you compare to other readers.