harrysnapperorgans

I was a photocopier technician for years, and I would store my stainless steel long Snap-On screwdriver in my tool box with the shaft stuck on a strip of magnet - and it was always magnetized, even through stainless steel is not supposed to be magnetic. Therefore, I'm sure knives could be magnetized too. Sorry for the derail. As you were! Love the kitchen. Make me jealous in my tiny shoebox! If I were you, I would try to hang on to those lovely old ovens, they look great and I love old quality items that are soo well built that they still go after 50+ years. Then again, as a ex-electronics technician, I could service an oven like that myself without having to pay someone. As for the lighting over that counter, personally I would just install some flush mounted halogens. Not period correct, but nice warm light, they are cheap to buy and install, and if they were flush mounted, they would have almost no effect on the look of the room.

this sounds wonderful. you're making me very hungry!

I have no real advice apart from : Try it! Chocolate spread sounds delicious.

I like this thread - I'm no chef, so it's nice to be able to post simple food that I do cook. Friday night and I was totally in the mood for a steak. I made grilled porterhouse steak, grilled potatoes and asparagus and a rocket salad.

Rico, that looks great! What is chimchurri sauce? Some form of pesto?

I think I already do - Welington, New Zealand. From a food perspective, we have incredible super-fresh seafood. Local farmers churn out great lamb and beef. We have excellent wine an hour's drive away in the Marlbourgh region, beautiful fruit and vegetables from the Hawkes Bay only slightly further. 10 local coffee roasters churn out wonderful coffee bean, and there's 3 or 4 local breweries as well. Here in Wellington City, there is a couple of great supermarkets, and of course there are good farmers' markets as well. I believe we have now edged out NY as the city with the most cafes, bars, and restaurants per capita anywhere in the world. I suppose one negative is that the range of available stuff here is probably narrow compared to some bigger cities. We also have to be careful to use seasonal fruit and veg, as the stuff that is imported tends to be well past it's best by the time it actually gets all the way down here. I would love to try living in France - maybe not the hustle and bustle of Paris, but maybe a smaller town. If I could ever drag myself away from the great job and lifestyle I have here way down the south end of the world.

I just made a simple, easy pasta dish that I know my kids will eat - and that will make my wife happy when she gets home tonight. Pasta with chicken, peas, broccoli and toasted garlic bread crumbs. I managed to cook this while holding a grumpy 11 month old as well!

It's straight to thick chunks of red meat, red wine, and potatoes for me. My wife will eat that kind of stuff, but doesn't really enjoy it, so most of the time I cook with her tastes in mind - lots of pasta!