There’s nothing like some music to get things cooking in your kitchen!
I will tell you that I have a WHOLE bunch of playlists on my trusty Iphone. Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, and a frequently revised list called “Kate’s Favorites.” (This last one currently has Jason Aldean, Adele, Train, Bonnie Tyler and One Direction on it. Yep.)
But if you told me I could have one and only one playlist on my phone, I wouldn’t even blink…I’d pick my Dinner Party playlist.
This is a lovingly collected conglomeration of songs that I play at high volume when I am cooking, at more civilized volume when we are entertaining, and sometimes just for the heck of it and because I feel like dancing around to something appetizing.
You never know when or where the dancing around urge will strike, and it’s good to be prepared.
I currently have 108 songs, and they all have one or more of the following in common: a food or drink in the title, or something to do with being hungry or thirsty.
Which means I have everything from Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” to “Whipped Cream” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass to “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band. And yes, I have the Pina Colada Song.
Anyway, this is not only a playlist that puts you in a fabulous mood no matter what is going on in the kitchen, it’s also a great conversation piece around the dinner table…I have gotten many new ideas for songs to add as my dinner guests try and come up with ones I’ve missed (until my friend Janet pointed it out, I was missing Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”….I hung my head in shame, and then ran to download it.)
Please feel TOTALLY free to leave your suggestions in the comments below. Please?
And that’s my Kitchen Tip of the moment…I’m here to recommend that you consider starting a Dinner Party playlist of your own. I promise it will make your kitchen hours that much merrier.
I’m going to listen to “Cheeseburger in Paradise” now.
jude says
Would you give us your playlist, new to the game can use all the help I can get. tks
Hi Jude, and I so wish I could! But sadly, Apple has taken the Share button away from the playlist app. If I can figure out a way to get a list of just the song titles, I will share that!
Jim Sheppard says
Banana Puddin’ and Too Much Pork for Just One Fork
Southern Culture on the Skids
Love these! Thanks. :)
Susan says
You must have Green Onions, right? Booker T. & the M.G.’s. There are no lyrics, but it’s a good groove for the kitchen.
Kate says
I do have that one – and yes, I’ve danced around my kitchen many times to it. Thank you! :)
Nancy says
Here’s a few from my list: “Strawberry Fields Forever”, the Beatles, “American Pie”, Don McLean, “Banana Pancakes”, Jack Johnson, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, John Lee Hooker, “Cherry Bomb”, John Mellencamp, “Salt Peanuts” (my version is Liquid Soul, but I think it’s originally Dizzy Gillespie), “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, Marvin Gaye, “Banana Split for My Baby”, Louis Prima, “Trout”, Neenah Cherry/Michael Stipe, “Orange Crush”, R.E.M., “Pulling Mussels from the Shell”, Squeeze, “You’ve Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby”, Tommy Dorsey, “Pork & Beans”, Weezer, “Cinnamon Girl”, Prince. From the teenage daughter’s collection, “Applesauce”, Animal Collective and from her toddler years “Biscuits in the Oven”, Raffi.
Kate says
Whoa! I think I need to cook you dinner…I have a couple of these but SO many great new ones – thank you!! :) :)
Joanne says
SUCH a fun idea for a playlist! I love listening to music while I’m cooking or getting ready for something or cleaning…there’s something about dancing with a spatula in your hands that just feels so right.
Kate says
I know! The kitchen is definitely for dancing as much as it is for cooking.
mimi says
“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie … that’s amore” …. Dean Martin!!!
Kate says
Got that one – keep ’em coming! :)
Danielle says
So are you going to share the playlist? I love this idea and instantly went through my iTunes to collect all the food-related songs. I’d love to get more ideas from your playlist! Some of my favorites: “Mayonnaise” by Smashing Pumpkins, “Brass Monkey” by Beastie Boys, “Horchata” by Vampire Weekend and “Lemon Tree” by Peter, Paul and Mary.
Kate says
I LOVE your suggestions – I didn’t have any of these! I’ll try and figure out how to share the playlist – so far Itunes has stumped me, playlist-sharing-wise.
Karen Nelson says
Great idea Kate! And you never know when
that mood will strike to bust a move and become
The Dancung Queen in us all<3!
Kate says
You know it!! :)