FabulousFoodBabe

I'd wanted a foot pedal sink in two other kitchens and ran into a lot of trouble with the plumbers, cabinetmakers and contractor. This time, no one fussed (at least not to me). I know there are some logistics issues, but am not sure why. The contractor told me early in the project that the plumber will fuss about it, but if he wants the job, he'll do it without whining. The pedals come in lots of different finishes, from brass-look to ceramic. Mine is the satin nickel choice from this place. If you get a new house, you'll be the (no lie) SIXTH person I've met since we bought this house, who started with a kitchen remodel and wound up with a new house. The first ones were the owners of this house. Apparently it's pretty common. Ack! Yes, it can be overhwhelming, can't it. the architects had me start with what I absolutely had to have and since a big-assed range was tops on the list, it limited the layout of the room and what kind of ventilation we could have. It even helped set the styling for the rest of the appliances, countertops, etc. You probably can have an outdoor kitchen, too, can't you. (jealous)

I found something very interesting about Ruhlmann's take on the "new" CIA. He mentions that the influx of middle-aged women as students have caused the change in the atmosphere at the CIA. That such students don't put up with the stuff that the old-guard Chefs do. In my experience, not quite. Young women are the ones who are schooled in the belief that just talking about boobs creates a hostile work environment. If a chef refers to proof-ready bread dough as feeling just a bouncy butt, I can tell you that the 40ish woman is not the student who will run screaming "sexual harrassment" to the nearest dean. Because they knew I wasn't a wussy, I heard lots of hysterical stories from the chefs, and it's a shame that the younger students will miss out. Things weren't always so litigious and correct. Sigh. Other than that, man, the guy does seem to have quite a happy for Rachel Ray.

Yep -- did it in my last kitchen, and would do it again. I got Snaidero for the price of KraftMaid, and a nice high-style, as well. I had to have some things made to round out my kitchen -- the fronts for the modular Subzero components, for example -- but it worked out since the display I bought had both color and wood in it, and my appliances were steel. I'd suggest going through the display piece by piece with the seller and being sure that all the pieces are documented. I'd photograph each and be sure everything is noted -- dings, missing hinges, scratches (even those that can be buffed out), everything. Then take the time to go over it piece by piece when it arrives at your home. One of the unexpected upsides for me was that the showroom stored the cabinets free of charge while we were waiting to install.

BekkiM, I'm salaaming.

We'll be spending our Christmas holidays on Barbados this year -- very excited. It's one of the few Caribbean islands we've never visited. We are in an apartment just a bit south of Gibbs Beach, in St. James Parish, on the water. (We feel most lucky that the owners agreed to let it to us for just one week, which is all the time Secondo has for winter break.) We will have a housekeeper and a cook for our family, for the entire stay. I've asked that the cook prepare only breakfasts and lunches each day. We will have dinner out either at a nice'ish place, or a beach bar, or at Oistin's or that other fish fry place whose name escapes me (but I have it written down; too lazy to look right now!). Dinner plans are The Tides (our first night in), Lone Star for Christmas Eve and The Cliff for Christmas Day. Anyone been to these? any other don't-miss places? And, any suggestions as to what native, or local, foods we should have our cook prepare for breakfast and lunch?

And it's Family Weekend at UT! (BTW, who cares about Major College Football when you've got the Yanks!?) Can't wait to see the kid -- we're taking bets on whether he's cut his hair or shaved since August. Friday night, we're going to Pane Rustica, with a few of his buds and their parents. Saturday, he's asked for Mexican or Cuban, and I'm trying to figure it out. The rest of the time, he's going to take us to "his" spots. He asked that we please not go to Bern's this time and since it's about him, we won't. This time. And thank you, artimisanne, for your list as well! I think he's spent a good bit of time at Beef O'Brady's on Clearwater Beach should I be afraid, if he takes us there?

Mission creep is a very good term. I'm trying not to look at the next project until this one is done and we spend a week on Barbados absorbing the sun and de-stressing. We figured it's one of the few places we can go, where it won't matter much if we're completely broke and can only sleep, sun, snorkel, and hang out at beach bars. I spoke too soon about thinking this project would take way longer than we'd hoped. CEand the architects are using their considerable muscle to get our stainless countertops templated and produced in record time (fireslate will be done in 2 weeks, no biggie). Cabinet dudes had to take one back to their shop for reworking this week, but it's okay. Lots of details came together. Handles were installed, the lighting platform above the island was finished and is ready for wiring. Architect actually had me wear my Danskos to have the foot-pedal on the handsink custom-fitted. Look to the right and you can see the cutout. Next week, we're finalizing the drawer storage bins and I can show you how my flours will be stashed. And my heavy appliances.

I think eG could make a fortune by having sayings like this screened onto aprons for sale. MelissaH, I felt your frustration through your entire post, even though it made me smile. A friend is redoing her kitchen in Monogram appliances, and has asked for any quirks she should know of. I'll pass it on.

Exactly -- how are mass producers making this without the gelatin? I got mine at a Whole Foods but hadn't seen it anywhere else.

At this rate, if you finish by Christmas, I'll STILL give you a pinch! Tell me what you wanted to do? KWYM about being unique -- I'm starting to hear of others looking at bamboo cabinets here and all I can do it pray that mine gets done first! I don't really have a spice system. They're in the jars or boxes they come in, or if they're bagged I put them in an old Mason jar, and keep them in one of the cabinets. My cookbooks live in my office which is on the first floor of the house, but for when they visit, I have some shelving built into the side of the refrigerator cabinet. Now, if you want to see my rice and flour storage systems ... we can talk! Thanks, doll. We live in a very normal, suburban-type of neighborhood with a little, um, different terrain. The street runs behind our house, at the top of the hill, but the way the house is set into the outcroppings, and thanks to the way I had the deck built and landscaping done, it's very private. I have a feeling we'll be eating out at Thanksgiving this year. SIGH. At the very least, my birthday party is going to have to wait.

You said it, sistah! I feel for you, with the faucets. Some days I think I should have built the kitchen around the sinks and faucets, instead of the range and work-space.

I got some about a year ago; it was about the same as Perfect Addition: Better than Swanson canned (or in a box), but no better than what I do at home.

Thank you. I was thinking the same thing. FiveLeaf was available for a while through Omaha Steaks, waaaaaay before Per Se was open. The Lobster Mac & Cheese was very good and worth the $$. Same stuff as at FL? Nope. But the cook and waiter were cuter

So, we are mostly done with cabinet installations. Here's a shot of what the kitchen looks like now: remember, from this vantage point, it used to be a big wall, and some icky sliding doors to a deck. The installation has been interesting; most of this is being assembled on site. Genny, if you get yours done before Thanksgiving, I'm coming to Mesa to give you a congratulatory (and very jealous) pinch! Here's how we hope the rest of the job will go: -Electricians will do things. -Cabinetmakers will finish. -Templates for countertops will be taken. -Appliances will be installed -Floors will be refinished and sealed -Backsplashes and some finishing touches will be done. -Countertops will be installed (since two of the sinks are integrated, plumbing will be completed) -Cabinet pulls will be installed -painting will occur, inside and out These guys work fast, so I'm confident that inviting 15 people to Thanksgiving Dinner was a smart thing to do. And if it wasn't, I'm going to beg eG to develop a "gouging my eyes out" smilie. Genny, what are you considering for your materials? Did you see BekkiM's backsplashes? Wow.

Very exciting, BekkiM! Can't wait to see the cabinets. I'm really looking foward to seeing your photos. Definitely worth a big green Woo Hoo!

I'm really doing the happy dance -- my appliances are here! And some are not boxed, so I can fondle them (great term, BekkiM!). First, the SubZero had to be brought by a crew of four men. As you can see, our house is situated kind of weird on the lot, so they had to back the truck up the hill to the deck and wrestle it out. No turf was damaged in the process! I didn't think it would be kind to photograph and post these guy sweating and wrestling over this thing, but it is a big S.O.B., and it took about 45 minutes. Now it sits in the foyer with its face to the wall. They say it's to keep from being damaged, but I know they don't want me playing with it until "it's time." Hmph. The rest of the stuff is in the garage, mostly in boxes. Except for the BlueStar! I feel like I did when the bambinos were tiny babies: Every so often I go and look at them just to be sure they're still there.

I'm very late to this thread, and it's very interesting and says a lot of the same things I've been thinking/hearing for years. hathor, I'm with you on the "bit o'makeup." (To everyone else, yeah, she's a real monster ... not!) Seriously, I wear mylack of sleep less well with every year. Lancome makes an amazing undereye concealer that's waterproof, and waterproof mascara. Just a tiny bit of each makes me feel not-horrible, and got me through some wicked Augusts on the line. When I have a choice, I wear knot-button coats with plackets that are cut on a curve. Since I look more like a guy, I've always "defined" my waist with the apron which, because the waists are usually huge on me, makes me look like an EBWE (Egg Body With Extremities). Seriously, denim jackets and pepper/fish/mushroom pants are only for teaching kids, in private classes. I've worked in some kitchens that don't allow them. When I see Nigella Lawson in her little twinsets, I think (a) what I wouldn't do to have that body!, and (b) little green, pink, and blue fuzzies in the food. Unless she wears a white coat over her cashmere when she cooks, of course.

Lightly buttered, and toasted. And you know that brioche and croutons aren't the same as "fried stuff." Unless you pass it through a deep fryer about two hours after you start frying fish ... oh, man. Imagine that! Seriously, MichaelB and vogel, this sounds amazing. Such a lot of work and heart went into this. Beautiful stuff.

Ahem. I'm a sophisticated wordly type. I actually left my zip code -- moved from the west side to the east side, I did! If it were a church basement, it'd have lots of fried stuff, anyway. Love the fauxmahto. I can see a whole line of foods now : Fauxmahto soup, fauxmahto paste. What kind of fusion do you call this -- French-Kentucky Rim?

MichaelB, when you say "salmon gelatined," did you mean you put it in lime Jell-O? Or Lemon? For something this fancy, maybe both. I see it presented in little fish molds with Miracle Whip eyes piped on, and paprika for color. It sounds amazing. My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.

Whoa! Leslie, nice! I'm loving your blog, btw. I also have always had dual-fuel (Thermadors, when they were the only option), but won't with the new kitchen. I really like electric ovens, but the space we had allocated (a 60" Wolf dual fuel) meant that I wouldn't have two ovens that held my full-sized pans, so I wound up with the BlueStar. BTW, I realized the space issue literally at midnight one night, after I'd approved the plans and we were starting pre-construction ... holy crap! I like ranges, I don't want a cooktop and wall ovens, they just feel weird to me. My SIL had the appliances you're getting. She loved them, they were beautiful. I'll never forget her first Thanksgiving turkey(with pears) that she did. That bird was perfectly browned, with minimal fuss. We finish electrical work and drywalling next week. One week from tomorrow, the cabinets arrive. I'm so excited I can hardly breathe! Sign me, Easily Pleased!

Hey -- you wouldn't be Chef Corky Clark in real life, would ya?

If money is the driving issue, do the cheapest. If education is, do the CIA.

I just stand under it and know it's there, and that helps. Thank you , Miss Megan. It's my favorite part, so far. I can't wait to cook again.

Well, it's been a heck of a week chez Foodbabe: Drywall installation, taping, and finishing. Husband and son scuba-diving, basset hounds escaping and running through the neighborhood all night, weird donuts and men on stilts. We're right on schedule! (BTW, no one showed up until late on Tuesday to do anything, and I was so so happy. SO SO happy. First time in 41 days of work that I've been able to have coffee outside with just the pooch.) First: Here's how the place looks now. This is the view from the entrance to the room. I love it. From here, you can see the shape of the work and storage spaces. On the left side is the mini'kitchen/pass. The big flat surface in the middle will hold the refrigerator; behind that is cleanup center with sinks, dishwasher, etc. The Man On Stilts rules! He walks on these things like he was born with them. I want a pair in the worst way. I could reach everything. I could tower. He must feel like the King of the Drywall. This is the weird Munchkin that popped up in the box the other day. It looks sort of like a meatball with congealed tomato-grease on the outside. The sugar is orange but tastes like sugar. I think it's supposed to be pumpkin or spice or somthing. It just weirded me out so much and no one ate it. It's the Lone Munchkin. Yes, it's blurry but I'm still learning how to use the photo editor! Trust me, it's a weird, weird thing.