It's probably the most neglected part of the kitchen. One of the most despised chores has to be cleaning the oven. It’s easy to ignore – simply close the door – but it has a terrible roll-on effect.

I dream about my father a lot, but only as his body boogies beyond the vignettes of flames. There he is, in the backyard behind the house I grew up in, dancing near a fire pit under the cover of a ...