I'm a professional chef, but frankly, I've always had a preference for cooking at home. There are two reasons for this. First, restaurant cooking can be very restrictive, whereas cooking at home allows me freedom to experiment. The more important reason, therefore, is that at home I can cook alone. While I'm on the job, I have no time to myself. I'm managing a hectic, crowded kitchen and supervising more than a dozen people. It's only when I'm in my own home kitchen that I can relax and take real pleasure in the culinary arts. But last Monday night I underwent an attitude shift. My husband and I have invited a neighboring family to dinner. While the others entertained themselves in the family room, I was alone in the kitchen, blissfully trying out a new recipe for pasta sauce. Looking up from the onions I was chopping, I saw our neighbors' son, Danny, poking his head through the doorway. 'Do you mind if I watch?' he asked. Actually, I did mind but grudgingly allowed him entrance into my sanctuary. My grumpiness dissolved. I saw how truly fascinated Danny was with what I was doing. I asked if he wanted to help, and we spent the next 40 minutes sharing the joy of cooking. I so thoroughly enjoyed the experience that I was forced to reassess my view of cooking as an ideally solitary activity. In fact, the next time we invite his family to dinner, I think I'll ask Danny if he'd like to be my assistant again.