If you had lived in medieval Europe one of your challenges would have been getting enough food. There were often famines caused by bad weather and or population growth. Fast forward to the 3rd millennium and in much of Europe and North America food is abundant and cheap. No longer are people restricted to seasonal foods as imports arrive from all parts of the globe. For people with disposable income there is no need to prepare food, you can eat out for every meal and the kitchen may be redundant.
