JoeV - Wow! What a gorgeous kitchen. Congradulations.
Vera - I understand what you are saying, completely. It is not alwas possible to control who comes to your house.
If I am in the kitchen, also my holy ground, I am alwasy accompanied by my tow Larrador Retrievers. They ar usually parked on the floor in inconvenient locations awaiting the slip of hand that will place a food morsel on the playing field and initiate a call to action. Thye asre also crazy good to me and I don't mind. I appreciate plesant company while cooking. I reserver the right to slect who may and may not sample, unfortunately, based on arbitrary criteria. As far as help, not so much. I kind of maintain that I cook it and someone else can serve it. There is where I really appreciate help.
DW has a GF that comes to the house infrequently, She is a really great person. She will usually pitch in without asking and is a wonderful person to have helping. Ine day I was doing dinner for about 12 and was WAY behind the gun. She and her cousin showed up pitched in and put everything back on schedule without any of us getting in eachother's way, it fealt great!.
As far as those that come to my house that i would just as soon not come, I can always find a way to be doing something that requires my full attention. I do believe that if someone is a gueat in my house, they must be treated as a guest.
I have a kind of dreamy fantisy that I could pick two people at DC who's cooking I really like and prepare a meal with them.
All in all, yup, the kitchen is hallowed ground.
AC