marie-louise
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Posts posted by marie-louise
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oops, duplicate
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... I found I had left the list at home, so I decided to see if I could remember everything. I wound up buying about fifteen things. When I got home and checked, exactly two of them were on the list, and I had completely spaced on about ten!
I made something else.
Cheers,
Squeat
Been there done that!
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I shop every day or two on the way home from work. I can never decide what I want for dinner in advance, plus how else could I serve fresh Acme bread with dinner? I have to take a list to the store-even if I only need 2 or 3 things. By the end of a long day at work, the state of my toilet paper supply has left my short-term memory. I also have to have a plan for dinner before I go into the store, otherwise I find myself loitering in front of the counter as they repeatedly ask if I need help.
I goto one of the weekend Farmer's Markets every week or two. Sometimes I take a list there to remember the amounts or items for a particular dish I want to make, but in general, we just buy everything in sight!
We keep a seperate staples list. We buy our staples from so many different places that things stay on the list for a long time. (I'm referring to things from upscale delis and various ethnic grocery stores.) The trick is to buy two jars of things & put it on the list when you open the last one, so you always have a backup. Easier said than done. I try and keep about 5 kinds of rice in my pantry, but just last week I went to make pilaf and used the very last cup of any type of rice in the house. (I wonder what the checkout guy thought when I bought 1 package of chicken & 5 packages of rice the next day at the store?) Since it's just the two of us, we use Safeway instead of Costco for the basics-there's a huge one near us that is open 24/7.
There is always SOMETHING on the list!
I use hand-written lists.
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I was thinking someone along the lines of Arne's drawing (but without changing the pantry or taking out the table.)
I would do almost exactly what he drew for the sink area-take a look at pictures of origninal Craftsman kitchens-you can get a narrow cabinet or set of shelves above the DW (to the right of the windows, all along the wall). You could store glasses, dishes etc. there. In your case, get a smaller sink so you have more counter space. There are some square Farmhouse sinks that would look PERFECT. If you can, move the dishwasher 12 inches to the left and make the cabinets go all the way to the doorway.
Depending on how big those walls are, you could turn the stove 90 degrees (that shouldn't be too expensive) & do one of several things:
If you don't bake much, Viking makes a 27-inch stove. The burners are full size, full BTU, but the oven is a little smaller. If you are lucky, you will be able to get a 24 inch x 24 inch heavy duty chopping block (the kind w/ the 12-inch thick top) to put on one side of the stove. You can put some wall cabinets around & on top of the stove hood.
If your lifelong ambitions include a massive 6 or 8 burner range, well, this is the kind of kitchen for it (see Andiesenji's green stove on Dave's thread.) Just get one w/ a griddle & buy the chopping block cover for it. That will be your other workspace.
Hoosiers are wonderful. I've had them in several old kitchens. They would be right at home here.
You will adapt to not having much counter space. You will have fun working at that table. It is too special to get rid of, even if it takes up too much room.
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Lucy's journals are beautiful but just because it is made on a computer doesn't mean it can't be as wonderful as handwritten! You can even add photos to a computerized version.
I have a template for my cookbook. I've changed it over the years; at the moment it closely matches the colors and fonts of A New Way to Cook. I'm sure someday that will look as dated as my Grandma's handwritten cards.
I keep the pages in those plastic slipcovers-easy to pull one page out and set on the counter; easy to change one or two things in a recipe & print out a replacement.For my new menu journal, I'm using the Levenger Circa system. I use these notebooks for both my personal journals and my professional life-you can buy their high-quality paper or print on your own paper & punch w/ their hole punch. I like this system because you can add & delete pages, and anything that can have a hole punched in it can be included in the journal. They sell all sorts of covers, included these drop-dead gorgeous leather ones in all sorts of colors: http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PROD...985%7CLevel=2-3
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Here's a link to a California driving tour for our 25th anniversary: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=39525 (Our final choices are at the last few posts of the thread, but there are lots of great suggestions for other places in this thread.) There are lots of other great threads on Carmel, the Post Ranch Inn (my highest recomendation, but it's very expensive), and more in the California section.
Just noticed that his birthday is in May (so is mine!) This is the best month to visit Yosemite!!! Not too many tourists, the waterfalls are so full that there is a roaring sound in the entire valley, and the dogwoods are in bloom. Try to stay at The Ahwahnee-in general you have to book a year in advance, but you might get lucky that time of year.
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How are you all doing?
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Oh my God, this stove is beautiful. Do you still cook on this???
PS Where is Dave today? Tearing down that ceiling, I hope!
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I have some more ideas, but I need to know some measurements:
The sink area (radiator to wall by DR)-length & depth.
Length of stove area.
How long is that blank wall to the right of your stove (measured to the indentation for the fridge.)
How deep & wide is the indentation for the fridge?
How far away from walls is that table (which is growing on me, BTW-every house needs a quirk or two.)
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What a beautiful tribute to your mom. It brought tears to my eyes.
How about if you post a favorite recipe/ menu of your mom's, and we'll all make it this week in honor of her memory?
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I want to serve chicken soup tonight. Homemade stock, poached chicken breast, homemade noodles. For a weekday dinner, I'd just serve this, but it's Saturday night, the weather's turned cold, so tonight might be the first fire of the season in our dining room fireplace.
What's the perfect meal to follow chicken noodle soup?
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To the right of your sink was probably a wall cabinet. In CA it would have been one of those cabinets that had a mesh-covered opening to the outside-I suppose they don't have these back East, eh? You could store a lot of dishes in a nice tall cabinet there. Also, a wall-mounted pot rack would be handy next to the stove.
Every time I look at that table, I think that someone out here would pay lots and lots of money for it. It's very unique. Is it made out of redwood or fir?
PS Be careful about taking up your floor. If you are lucky, it will be incredibly beautiful Douglas fir, but if you are not, it will be funky subflooring, made in an era before they mastered plywood.
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I don't think your opinion is suspect at all. I kinda like it.
That's what I'd do, too. Or... white counters & red appliances-like a new KitchenAid mixer.
PS The suspense is killing me about this ceiling!
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So here's a dumb question. If you chop things on butcher block, don't you get knife grooves in the surface?
Not a dumb question at all. The answer is yes. It gets cuts, but they are superficial. Think patina. My experience has been that they look better w/ age. At first, the wood looks "dry" and every cut shows. After awhile,once you've oiled it enough times, the surface is a little more seasoned and the cuts either show less or the pores get swelled shut-I'm not sure which. End cut maple shows the cuts less than flat grain maple, or maybe it's harder so it cuts less...
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My thoughts on kitchen surfaces:
BUTCHER BLOCK IS ESSENTIAL I've had a butcher block surface in every kitchen. For many years it was a 24 inch x 24 inch one that had a top about 1 foot deep; now it is this 30 inch x 60 inch worktable. The first one was even sturdier than my current one. One kitchen had an island stove surrounded by an end-cut butcher block counter-now THAT was handy. I can't imagine not having a kitchen without a run of butcher block somewhere; honest, it's not the same chopping on a cutting board. So that gets my vote for part of the kitchen (not by the sink, of course.)
CONCRETE IS OKAY At the moment I have concrete counters in my kitchen. They are fine but I want to get rid of them. (see my link early in this thread to some pictures and my rationale.)
I VOTE FOR LAMINATE I've had laminate in three kitchens and I liked it a lot. I never had any problems with staining or chipping-one kitchen looked perfect after sixteen years. All of these kitchens had white or cream-colored countertops- I REALLY liked that it looks so clean all the time. I loved being able to roll out dough on something that I could see was spotless.
I WANT CORIAN My next counter in my current kitchen is going to be a soft white (bone) Corian with one big integrated sink. I know some of you think that Corian stains, but I was recently in someone's home that had a 4-year old Corian counter, and I thought it looked fine. She had few scuffs and scratches-that's all. I want a surface that looks as clean as my white laminate countertop-and I want that integrated sink-so this gets my vote for surface worth spending a lot for. It will fade into the background & you'll notice other things in the kitchen.
I WOULDN'T GET GRANITE I don't care for the look of granite. It looks pretty in the pictures, and I know it wears well and is useful, but personally I find it too hard and cold a surface to convey the warmth I want in a kitchen. Also, I'm in my 50's. I've been around the kitchen trend block a few times. Granite may theoretically last forever, but it's trendy. Someday soon granite is going to seriously date a kitchen, and that's going to be a pretty expensive cosmetic remodel. I'd rather have a trendy color on the wall (note my green kitchen) or on a run of laminate, and keep the expensive things very neutral and classic. Edited to add-I think plain black granite, and the black & white flecked granite, will become classics. When I think about ones that will likely be dated, I'm talking more about those colorful patterned ones.
TILE Life is too short to clean grout every day. Makes a terrific backsplash, though-
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The formula for determining your correct counter height*
Measure the distance between your bent elbow and the floor. (ex: I'm 5-7, mine is 39-inches, but my 6ft. 4-inch husband's is 45!)
Three inches less than this measurement is the best height for most of your countertops (for me, that's 36 inches; for my husband, 42 inches.)
EXCEPT for tasks that require leaning into the job, such as kneading and rolling out dough-these should be 6-7 inches below your elbow. (for me, that's 32-33 inches, and for my husband, 38-39 inches.)
So, designing a kitchen that's comfortable for the two of us requires different heights! My note-I find my 34-inch high worktable the perfect height for me to chop at.
*from Kitchens for Cooks by Deborah Krasner. THE best book on designing a kitchen I've ever read. the whole book is filled with practical information like this.
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I have what I refer to as My Cookbooks-for the last 16 years I've had computerized recipes for all the things I like to cook. I'm constantly revising them. Most of them have a Master Recipe, then lots of Variations. I also have a lot of information I've scanned or typed-anything from the best apples for cooking to a page on my favorite temperatures for each kind of meat. I have about 200 cookbooks, but I like having all my most important information in one place.
I just started a little notebook to write down menus-not for every day, but for special multi-course meals. I'm trying to teach myself more about menu planning for multi-course meals, and I think it will help me to write down what I made, with comments on what worked and what could be improved. I also think it will be fun to look back over the years at what I cooked for my friends & what wines I served.
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Dave,
Lowered ceilings aren't usually lowered to hide ductwork.
While I find the idea of the low ceiling of an attic dormer a desirable place to read in an overstuffed chair, the idea that someone would CHOOSE to make a kitchen more claustrophobic by dropping a ceiling is very sad. Very, very sad.
Go for it, Dave. (At least start poking around in all the panels-don't they just lift up?)
If this is true, then you can store things on top of the cabinets!
PS One of my kitchen books has the formula for the ideal height of a counter (it is measured from the height of your bent elbow.) I will find it for you. Since this is such a well-built piece, you may want to take it with you when you move. You should get the height right.
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Many years ago I gave my husband the Neiman Marcus Food of the Month. That ranges from caramel corn to ham to chocolate. He was giving it to his brother the same year, and was surprised that I gave it to him.
I picked out 12 places to have a picnic in the Bay Area. I made a handwritten book that had the date, a Xerox of the article about the location & the menu for each (using the Neiman Marcus food). I also customized a picnic basket by making a fancy lining w/ pockets for a knife & the corkscrew and stocked it w/ cool items (plastic dishes & wine glasses, a tablecloth, cutting board, lots of containers.) I wrapped the whole gift up in a matching fleece blanket.
We had a great time doing those picnics. He loved that I made a fuss over him once a month w/ this elaborate picnic. He still keeps that little book in a cubbyhole on his desk, and we still use that picnic basket & blanket.
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Once again-WOW-painting those cabinets made the room look brighter and nicer!!!
I'm so confused about these lights. It appears that your ceiling could be about a foot higher without them. Do you think there are heating ducts and wiring in other portion without the lights? Is there a floor above you? Waht I'm really getting at is, could you knock out that ceiling & make the room a foot higher?
You could put a new top on that worktable-and make it extend over the sides a little in each direction. You could get a 30x56 inch piece of John Boos butcher block! If you are not very tall, you could cut down the toekick by a few inches to give a finished height of 34 inches. For ideal chopping and kneading, you want it about 2 inches lower than your most comfortable counter height.
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- Bungalow Kitchens--there is another book, too, called Bungalow Basics: Kitchens. I think the one you've suggested looks better. In fact, it's in my shopping cart...
Bungalow Basics: Kitchen is one of a series of little 5-inch books. The photos in them are all from his terrific book The Bungalow and Inside the Bungalow, so if you buy The Bungalow, you don't need to buy the little books.
Please think long and hard before you change a thing in that pantry (or your house in general.) You will substantially decrease the value of your home if you take out original cabinets or move doorways. At least in the Bay Area, there is a cult about Craftsman homes with their original cabinetry/ woodwork. People will pay obscene sums of money for ones that have them, or even bigger sums rebuilding the things that are missing. You have stumbled into an amazing find by having a home with so few owners. I've lived in a few Craftsman homes, including my current home, which is a new home rebuilt with many faithful details after the Oakland hills fire. The style grows on you. The best book on the syle in general is a book called American Bungalow Style by Robert Winter, although Paul Duchscherer's book has a lot of floor plans in it-it may help you more at this point.
I've never seen a table like that. They more often have little breakfast nooks, although they are usually very small. That I might take out, unless the wood was gorgeous, and even then I might try and sell it to a Craftsman dealer...
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I bake mine. They still taste good & greasy, because they sizzle in chicken fat as they bake! Do not scrimp on the foil or you will have a very messy pan to clean.
I'm not watching the playoffs but this might make a good meal for watching the debate tomorrow (it's at dinnertime on the left coast.)
BAKED BUFFALO WINGS
3 lbs. chicken wings, “drumettes” if possible; legs can also be used
Sauce:
1–2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. (to taste) Tabasco sauce
1/2 stick (2 oz.) unsalted butter
1/3 c. hot sauce such as Frank’s
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
For serving: Blue Cheese dip/dressing & celery sticks
Preheat the oven to 425º convect. Line a sheet pan w/ heavy-duty foil.
Rinse the wings with cool water. Dry each piece well, squeezing w/ paper towels.
As each piece is dried, place on baking sheet, skin side down. It is okay if they are crowded on the baking sheet. Sprinkle w/ salt.
Bake for 15–30 minutes; the time will depend on the size of the chicken wings & how crowded they are in the pan. Remove from oven; drain the juices from the pan (form a canal with one corner of foil, pour the juices down the sink, & re-crimp the foil).
Turn the wings over, skin side up. Bake for another 15–30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter & heat the garlic in the butter until softened, but do not let it color. Add to remaining sauce ingredients in a large bowl that will hold all the ingredients.
Add the wings & toss to coat well. Return to the oven & bake for an additional 5 minutes to let the sauce bake into the chicken.
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There is a wonderful book called Bungalow Kitchen (I will leave the Amazon link to someone who can follow directions better than me.) It will help you see how the original kitchen might have been laid out. It is arranged by obsessive restoration (yes, that's the author's term) and modified restoration, so you can update the kitchen while showcasing that BEAUTIFUL pantry of yours.
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I currently have an older (pre-Sub Zero) Wolf with a gas oven, convection fan & infrared broiler. It's had an assortment of recalls and problems-I'm planning to replace it in the next year or so.
I want a self-cleaning oven. Period, it's non-negotiable. I don't broil much, but do like that infrared broiler quite a lot. Like Marlene, I always roast with the convection fan on, so that is a must.
My choices in a high-BTU 30-inch slide-in range that's self-cleaning are a dual fuel (assorted brands possible) or a Viking gas self-cleaning oven. Suggestions?
Edited to add I rarely bake-except for pizza. The corner store has the entire line of Acme bread
and I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I bake about 1 cake, 1 pie and 2 dozen cookies a year. I'm looking for the best oven to roast chicken (and clean off the spatters.) (FG, I have no idea which fuel is cheaper in California. I think it varies. It's a house; we pay for both.)
Dave the Cook's Kitchen Reno On the Cheap
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
WHERE IS DAVE?
I'm going to feel mighty guilty if I hear Dave electrocuted himself taking down those lights.