Varmint

I've received the stupid whisk/tongs contraption, but if anyone wants this, I have an adjustable Fiddlebow Bread Knife, just let me know. Why, oh why, are these even made. I will admit that I re-gifted an Herb Bowl with Mezzaluna Chopper, which isn't that dumb, but entirely unnecessary.

The issue is not the space taken up by the door. This remodel job expands an already large pantry by another 16-18 square feet, where I currently have a traditional door. The issue here is that by bringing the doorway flush to the new counter, if we install a traditional door casing, we'd end up with about a 23 inch door and would be unable to get larger items in and out. I'm trying to come up with ideas to make the passageway at least 26 inches. Eliminating a door frame is the first step. Then it's just a matter of figuring out the rest! As far as bifold doors are concerned, I just have bad memories of poorly hung closet doors, which sound very cheap to me.

Two things: Ask the GC if he has anything closer for you to look at. It could be he wants to show you the "best" work the cabinetmaker has done. Also, make sure you see at least 3 jobs the cabinetmaker has done. Anybody can get one job right. Consistency is the key. Wait for both quotes, and don't anyone rush you into an "opening in their schedule." If the younger guy is relatively new at this, pricing may take him a bit lobger. The GC is going to have other jobs to compare pricing with, so it's simpler for him to trun the estimate around. Will the GC "allow" you to come up with your own cabinet supplier? If he won't, there's (likely) a kick-back going on with his cabinet maker. I'll come clean and say this is a personal pet peeve and not based on anything "professional." I hate kick-backs and won't work with any contractor or designer who wants to use them. A GC should use a supplier/trade/service because they do good work, not because they slip a little somethig into his wallet with every job. A. ← I've asked the GC to quote me two prices: one with his cabinetmaker and one where I provide the cabinets and he installs them. I don't think there's any kickback going on here, as this GC does have a lot of integrity. I'm just a lot pickier with my kitchen than I was with my siding! I just came from Home Depot to look at a couple of items and got a second look at their pricing. Geesh! My cabinets will be better made, built to spec, and will cost 30% less than the so-called medium to high grade cabinet they sell. Unebelievable! I am going to wait for both quotes. I had the plumber come by today, and now I have to get the HVAC guy onboard, as this should be a pretty simple job for him. I think it's pretty funny how I still find myself vacillating between the two options I have before me. Ultimately, this isn't a difficult job, so I shouldn't worry. But I do! As far as

Pocket doors are not an option, as there isn't enough space for them to go. If we could find some sort of telescoping pocket door, however, that could be an option. I just don't know if such an animal exists. After sleeping on it, I'm a bit more undecided. We asked the GC to show us some of his cabinetmaker's work, and he wanted us to visit a town an hour away. If this guy is so good and has been in the business for such a long time, why is it so difficult to find samples around here??? I've asked the GC for a bit more of a detailed quote, as the one thing he was a bit wishy-washy on was the cabinet price. I should get some sort of quote early next week, I'd think. I'm still waiting on the quote for the younger guy.

On Monday I met with a young builder who does not have his general contractor's license. He's very creative, talented and energetic. He wants this work badly, primarily (I think) because he'd end up with unbelievable before and after photos! Friends have used him and have been very pleased with his work. I have not yet received his quote. Because of the overall cost of this project, I do not have to use a general contractor. I will need to pull permits for the construction as well as electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. Earlier today I met with a general contractor who we had previously hired to do our siding. Our siding job was atypical in that our house is a fairly bizarre contemporary style and we put on all cedar siding. They did an excellent job, and we have received literally hundreds of compliments on how our house looks. I've been a bit reluctant to use them, however, as I couldn't imagine those same workers having the creative energies needed for my kitchen. The GC informed me that he uses an entirely different crew that does nothing but kitchens, including a master cabinet maker with 30 years of experience. He gave me estimates on all the work: electrical: 2,000-3,000; plumbing: 2,000; cabinetry: 14,000 installed; flooring: 2,000-3,000; HVAC: <1,000; Counters: 3,000; Demo, carpentry, windows: 10,000-14,000. Total: $34,000 to $40,000 including cabinets but excluding appliances. Adding in the 11 grand for appliances, and my budget is right around $50,000. For this size of kitchen with this amount of work, that's about what I expected. Working with a GC gives me a bit more peace of mind. I'm also impressed with their use of an all-exclusive kitchen crew. I want to look at this cabinet guy's work, but he makes these cabinets on-site and installs them himself. That also gives me comfort, knowing these things will fit. My cost for getting cabinets from cabinetrydirect.com will be about $12,000, including shipping. I then add in the cost of installation, so it might be the same price. But I'm still giving the GC my cabinet specs to get a firmer quote on those. One final reason why I'm leaning toward the GC rather than the younger, more energetic guy: when this contractor did our siding, his final price was less than 2% away from his quote. We added some changes, so that added some extra cost, but those were not substantial. This contractor will allow me to buy everything I want to save money. Otherwise, he charges cost + 20%. Thus, I need to make a decision. The GC can't begin until March, whereas the other guy is freed up the first week of February. However, I've waited this long, so another month or two ain't gonna be a problem. As you can tell, I'm leaning toward the GC, but I want a firmer idea of the cabinet cost.

Do stews count? If so, you could always try to recreate Dave the Cook's version of Brunswick Stew, more commonly referred to around these parts as VD Stew!!!

One of the contractors did the siding on our house last winter, and I looked at their kitchen work at a nearby house. Another contractor just did a good job on a friend's kitchen. I'll likely use the same plumber we've used for years.

I have one dishwasher that we'll keep. It's black, but it works well.

That problem has been resolved!

OK, time now for some budgetary items. This is my preliminary budget list for items that I will be purchasing on my own. This includes maple cabinetry (from cabinetrydirect.com, appliances, lighting, floor and countertop tiles, and fixtures, sinks, and other listed items. The cabinetry costs list the price for oak and the 11% added cost for maple. Other "second row" costs include tax. I have NOT included shipping costs, which could add another 600 to this total. I also grossly overestimated the cost for countertops, particularly if I use tile. I'll have contractors' bids for the construction, electrical and plumbing in the next few days. Excuse the formatting of this, but it's pulled directly from an Excel spread sheet. CABINETRY Part No. Description Base Price Adj. Price MPC2790 Tall Microwave Cabinet -- 27 inches wide 795 882 B21-2ROT Base 1-Door 1-Drawer W/ 2 Roll Out Trays -- 21" wide 422 468 B15FH Base With Full Height Door 1-Door -- 15" wide 214 238 5349-1550DM-1 Single 50qt Pull-Out Waste Container (Rev-A-Shelf) 200 200 W3336 36" Tall Double Door Wall Cabinet-- 33" Wide 356 395 WPE Wall Panel Finished End -- Right 90 100 SB39-1ROT Sink Base W/ 1 Roll Out Tray 435 483 B24D-2ROT Base 2-Door 1-Drawer W/ 2 Roll Out Trays (cut down to 22-1/2") 464 515 BPE Base Panel Finished End 130 144 W4236 36" Tall Double Door Wall Cabinet-- 42" Wide 415 461 WPE Wall Panel Finished End -- Left 90 100 WPE Wall Panel Finished End -- Right 90 100 B30 Standard Base 2-Door 2-Drawer -- 30" wide 421 467 BCB48 Blind Corner Base 1-Door 1-Drawer 403 447 "Magic Corner" 400 400 BOC3030 Base Oven Cabinet 289 321 B33 Standard Base 2-Door 2-Drawer 440 488 DB15-4 4 Drawer Base -- 15" wide 397 441 W1536 Standard Wall - 36" Tall -- 15" Wide 201 223 B24FHS-3ROT Full Height Door Base 1- Door W/ 3 Roll Out Trays -- 24" wide 469 521 W3636 36" Tall Double Door Wall -- 36" wide 375 416 B12FH Base With Full Height Door 1-Door -- Cut to 17 inch depth 194 215 B15FH Base With Full Height Door 1-Door -- Cut to 14" width 214 238 B15FH Base With Full Height Door 1-Door -- 15" wide 214 238 SB24 Sink Base Standard -- Cut to 22 inch width & possible open back 267 296 B18 Standard Base 1-Door 1-Drawer -- 18" wide 272 302 B18 Standard Base 1-Door 1-Drawer -- 18" wide, shallow front, 28" depth 272 330 BW1854 54" Bookcase Wall Open -- Cut to 17-1/2" width, 15" deep 343 420 WD3618 18" Tall Refrigerator Wall Cabinet - 24" Deep -- Make 28" Deep 284 315 WD3618 18" Tall Refrigerator Wall Cabinet - 24" Deep -- Make 28" Deep 284 315 21 Blum Tandem Full Extension Drawer Runner 30 630 SUBTOTAL 11109 APPLIANCES Range Monogram 36 inch 6 Burner Gas Range - (ZDP36N6HSS) 4949 5,295 Hood GE Monogram ZV950SDSS 36" Chimney Wall Hood 1099 1,176 Wall Oven Monogram Stainless Single Oven - (ZET938SF) 1639 1,754 Main Sink Blanco 510-874 444 Prep Sink Elkay LFR 1915 250 Faucets, disposals 1,000 Dishwasher Maytag MDB9750 Stainless 749 801 Lighting 1,000 SUBTOTAL 11,720 FLOORING 200 Sq. feet 650 COUNTERTOPS 60 Sq. feet 2,000 TOTAL HARD COSTS $25,479

Since we're now beginning the active phase of renovation, I'm locking this thread. I've started a new thread to discuss the actual process from beginning to end. Join us there.

When Mrs. Varmint and I agreed to buy her family home from her parents 6 years ago, I did so with one condition: that we'd renovate the kitchen within a year -- 2 at the most. Well, after a 6-year wait, we're ready to go. Thanks to all the great suggestions from our great members here at the eGullet Society (all of which is contained in this monstrosity of a thread), I've come up with a solid plan. This thread will focus on all the details of the renovation. I'll include drawings, budgets, permitting, costs, and all the highs and lows a family of 6 could experience. First, however, I should show you the plans. I drew these, following the ideas y'all helped me develop and refined by Arne Salvesen CKD (aka Daddy-A), who has provided great advice from a professional design perspective. Let me go over the plans briefly: Along the counter where the main sink is located (bottom right), we'll start with a 27 inch full-height double-doored pantry that'll house the microwave. We'll then have 36" of base cabinets/countertop (two cabinets, one of which will be a trash pull-out) with about 33" of upper cabinets. The sink will consist of a 39" base cabinet housing a Blanco 510-874. The dishwasher is next, followed by 22-1/2" of base cabinet. To the right of the sink (if you're standing at the sink) will be 42" of upper cabinets. There's currently a circuit breaker box on that wall, which we'll flip to the other side. We'll also consolidate an existing 6 light switch panel down to 3 switches. The baking area (the complete "L") will likely consist of a slab of white marble cut from the existing kitchen (the short side of the "L") and the rest will be tile -- likely granite. Arne has suggested using a "magic corner" in the blind corner of that region. This is a new product to me, but I think it's pretty cool. Go to this page, and then click on the first thumbnail for a video showing how this works. My Kitchen-Aid mixer will sit on the counter in the corner -- an area that rarely gets used anyhow. After the magic corner comes the oven and then 33 inches of base cabinets. We're expanding the pantry by about 4 feet. This makes for a very narrow doorway (27"), but I'm thinking of installing a restaurant-style swinging door there to make things easy. If anyone wants to research this type of door for me, please do so. Over to the cooking area, we'll have 15 inches of base and upper cabinet, then the range/hood, and then 24 inches of lower cabinet (with pull-outs for cookware) with 36" of upper cabinet. The corner of the eating bar will be a bit unusual: I don't want a lazy susan in this corner, so the unusually shaped cabinet will have the doors facing out, with no hardware. This gives me some storage space for rarely used stuff. Note that the closet is new, too. Moving clockwise, we'll have a 21 inch base cabinet followed by a prep sink (Elkay LFR 1915) and then a second dishwasher. The little block with an "X" represents a post, as it will be replacing a load bearing wall tying into an I-beam over the eating bar. Down to the Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, there will be a 2 inch wall built in at the end which we'll paint with magnetic paint, creating a giant place to hang our refrigerator magnets. It should be pretty damn cool. To the right of the freezer is a strange configuration of "desk" area and bookshelves. I've marked it with an asterisk. This is strange because the base cabinet will be almost functionless, as the area under there houses some return-air ducts from the adjacent room. This surface will likely consist of a slab of marble from the existing countertop. Above the marble will be a high bookshelf for "some" of my cookbooks! I've worked out a number of other details, but I'll provide those as we go along. I met with one contractor on Monday and will meet with another tomorrow. I'll also fill y'all in on those details later on. I'll be sure to include lots of photos, specifications, equipment choices, price lists, etc. I'll try not to hide anything from you, as this should be a learning experience, and if mistakes are made, you can pick on me! It should be fun, however.

Met with one contractor yesterday and am meeting with another on Thursday. Demo looks to be scheduled for early February!

The Angus Barn is indeed a Raleigh institution, and ages ago (decades??), I dined there frequently. The beef is good, not great. The rest of the menu is also pretty darned good, but it's a steakhouse. They have a solid wine list, and in the end, as long as you're not thinking too much about a budget, you can have a good time there.

Let us know how it goes, JD. I've got my peas, my collards and my boston butt which I'll smoke with pecan today. Of course, I'll make popovers, too, which is a new tradition in our house.

Why, WHY, won't someone open up a food store that actually cares about the food first? I'm really tired of these fru-fru "Junior League" food-oriented gift shops where you can't even find a decent bottle of olive oil. It's tiresome, and although I never want to wish failure on honest businesspeople, I fear that Figs will be successful, spurring on the creation of even more of this wastes of space.

No, you've been fine. Hoppin' john is its own distinct dish, and other dishes that are often served at New Year's Day feasts include collards and some sort of pork product. There are numerous variations of hoppin' john, but the one I favor is Bill Neal's, which includes the peas, rice, cheddar, tomatoes and scallions. Even my kids look forward to eating this dish!

No soy/ginger sauce in that book. Sorry. I'd think there's plenty of recipes for that type of sauce available. The book does have a spicy peanut dipping sauce, though!

No mirin, just the rice vinegar. And you add the pepper flakes to taste, rather than the paste. As far as the black beans are concerned, they're important, but not essential. Use what you found, without the garlic. The fermented beans add salt, earthiness and a bit of sourness to the dish. And I checked the cookbook, and it is 400F. But going longer and slower should also work. Have fun!

Here's the recipe, as adapted from Steven Poses Frog-Commissary Cookbook: 1/4 c Chinese fermented black beans (if you can't find em, get the paste) 1/2 c soy sauce 1/4 c sesame oil 1/4 c unseasoned rice vinegar 1/2 c brown sugar 1/4 c molasses 2/3 c hoisin sauce 1/4 c horseradish 1/4 c Dijon mustard 1 T minced garlic (or more to taste) 1/2 c ketchup OPTIONAL: Hot pepper flakes or paste to taste 4 lb chicken wings Combine all the ingredients except the wings, then add wings and marinate in fridge overnight. Oven at 400F. Bake wings and sauce in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet for 45-60 minutes, basting occasionally, turning once. The wings will turn a dark, reddish-brown color.

The recipe I've used comes from the Frog-Commissary Cookbook, which is at home. If anyone else has a copy and can get Marlene the ingredient list, plus a re-written summary of the procedure, that'd be great. Otherwise, Marlene, you may have to wait until the end of the day. The only "unusual" ingredient in the recipe is fermented black beans, but you can use other types of Chinese black beans. The sauce also has brown sugar, hoisin, garlic, horseradish, sesame oil, soy sauce, ketchup, mirin, chili paste, and other stuff. You marinate the wings overnight in the sauce, then bake them for awhile until the sauce gets very thick and dark. The flavor is sweet and hot and salty and rich. I love these things!

Gee, I'd say you need something Southern, like hoppin' john!!! Although that's really a New Year's Day food (and it isn't conducive to a heavy hors d'oeuvre setting). How about some Asian-barbecued chicken wings or "riblets"? You bake them in advance and reheat that day. Pretty simple to make, but a bit messy. I can find a recipe somewhere. Also, why not a soup? It can actually work well in this type of setting if you serve it in mugs. It's usually a hit in the middle of winter.

Oh, it's brown all right. That's why you start with the dark roux. It adds depth of flavor and color, too. It shouldn't really taste like gravy, simply because the other ingredients create the distinction. And you did add okra, right?

Ick, ick and more ick. I like a lot of foods, but livermush hasn't quite hit my list of favorite things. Kathleen Purvis wrote a similar article about livermush a couple years back.

And now we return you to your regularly scheduled blog.