Long time Jefferson Park residents, Mike and Celeste Burke, have been living in Chicago for over 60 years. I really enjoyed visiting Mike and Celeste, I was particularly struck by the creativity they employ in the ways they spend time with their family and the special places they have created in their classic Chicago bungalow.

When I asked Celeste and Mike whether there is a particular place in their home where they go when they are feeling blue, I was immediately moved by Celeste’s answer. She said that she would go into the pantry and close the door. Sometimes she would pull the phone into the pantry and sometimes she would look at recipes that she wanted to make. I could relate to the appeal of hulling up in a pantry. As a frequent cook myself, I can completely appreciate the joy that comes from being surrounded by goods for preparing and serving food, I can imagine the coziness of tucking away into this tiny nook, and the shear pleasure of flipping through recipes, thinking about cooking them and to whom I would serve them. I knew nearly immediately that this is the space in their home I wanted to paint. Thanks for stopping by!

Special thanks to Stefano Vita for use of his music in the audio recording.