Tools of the trade

I have never been able to do anything related to cooking or baking without getting it all over me. (This also extends to other things—as a reporter I once stuck flowers on a Tournament of Roses float in pursuit of a story on the process; after less than 30 minutes I had glue on the back of my jeans, my shirt, my hands and my hair—but I’m in the kitchen more consistently than other places.)

And lately, of course, I’ve been doing a lot of baking, which means there are flour and sugar particulates all over the place. When LQ came over Saturday to teach me the care and feeding of sourdough starter, I was thinking that I need flour-colored sweatpants. Invariably when I set out to bake something I’m wearing navy blue or black, and I end up with white handprints and little splatters of dried meringue all over me.

Even—and I’m not sure how this happens—on my face.

Aprons don’t seem to help, as they leave your back exposed, and I somehow manage to look like I’ve rolled in dough front and back.

So here’s my product idea: a kitchen burqa.

Only the color of flour and cake batter.