apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Lately I've been listening to Ratatat - gets me in a meditative yet active mode. Also, Tift Merritt's new one has been good. And South African gospel has been really good for the kitchen lately too.

And always NPR and This American Life.

I like listening to Gilberto Gil or Os Mutantes when I cook.

It's seasonal. In the summer and spring I love to listen to Bossa Nova and Thievery Corporation when I cook. When I'm making a stew, braise, roast, casserole, etc I love Diana Krall's The Look of Love or Miles Davis.

Oh, I love catching up on my podcasts when I know I'll be in the kitchen awhile-- like This American Life! Or, if I know I'll be in the kitchen a while, I take the opportunity to listen to any new music that I've been meaning to get around to. Lately Santogold and She & Him.

Okay, how crazy is this? Three of us who listen to This American Life while we cook?

I'm also trying to get through my 56 concert backlog of All Songs Considered. Evidently they peeked in my brain and recorded every concert I've ever been slightly interested in.

It completely depends on my mood. Some days it's fast, driving, loud rock (Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters), some days it's Ella Fitzgerald, some days it's my favorite internet radio station that plays indie rock (www.woxy.com), etc etc.

Cleaning the bathroom, on the other hand, always gets loud, energetic music, because I hate cleaning the bathroom.

It really depends on my mood when I'm cooking. Sometimes it's Loreena McKennitt, or some Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn or Rosemary Cloony. Occasionally I listen to an internet radio station for ambient music or trance.

For doing dishes, though, there's nothing like listening to the old radio show The Shadow. The ad spots still in the recording always make me laugh.

I head to NPR, too. It's also good company when you're cleaning, especially if it's moving day and you're doing the final whole-house scrub down on your last Sunday in the place. Otherwise, it's just whatever comes on the local mix station or my randomized mp3 list.

mostly when I bake... actually, when I do the massive Christmas cookie bake -- I usually zone into the Bare Naked Ladies, Loreena McKinnett or other Christmas music.

When I cook, I used to like to listen to CBC radio (the Canadian equivalent of This American Life and NPR).

These days, with a toddler who climbs onto the table to do a soft shoe routine and pull the blinds, I just find myself hearing my voice saying "no, No, NO!!" a lot... (cooking is stressful these music- and radio-less days)

My husband recently installed an under-cabinet television in our kitchen for me, so right now I'm watching the first season of a sci-fi series I've been meaning to check out on DVD. We have a fairly open floorplan, and there's another TV right around the corner in the living room, so everything has to be done at fairly quiet levels. I prefer to be able to rock out to my music, so I save listening to it for my craft room, cleaning, or when no one's home (so I can sing along).

I can't listen to music while I'm in the kitchen. I enjoy the "zen" feeling of cooking a good meal and prefer the sound of my knife against the cutting board. That being said, Miles Davis is usually pouring from my flatmate's room in the evenings when I'm trying to put together a meal.

I have a 15" flat screen tv/dvd player in the kitchen. I subscribe to Netflix, and have been renting TV series' that I haven't seen and watch them while I am cooking.

I second listening to This American Life. (Its also great listening while cleaning!) But my favorite cooking music must be Edith Piaf.

Podcasts - CBC radio - Q the podcast and The best of DNTO, The MOTH podcast, NPR Food podcast, This American Life.

On CD - David Sedaris, Verve Remixed 1-3, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Veda Hille.

Peacelily -

I zone out on DNTO making stews and soups, and breads and cakes all afternoon... sigh...

Monika1 - Sook-Yin Lee would be impressed (and probably hungry)

I usually cook with a glass of wine...usually red....so the perfect accompanyment to red wine is Andrea Bocelli. Sometimes I like me a lil Enya, Yanni, or Sarah Brightman too.
And on rare occasions I go with Vedera (previously known as Veda).

NPR seems to be the general consensus around here! I like "Wait...Wait Don't Tell Me!" or "Prairie Home Companion" myself

I always have music playing in my house - it is generally just my ipod on shuffle. I have about 2000 songs with the majority being Pearl Jam & Foo Fighters with several dozen other artists thrown into the mix...other than that, I will often pay dvd's of concerts (again pearl jam or foo fighters) for the sound quality and my LOVE of live music!