Cooking in Katie’s Kitchen

 I know, it has been almost a year since I posted. And I’m not sure what directions I plan on taking my blog. I am actually shocked to see that anyone ever ends up on this page.  But I have been encouraged to post something about food, recipes and health since it really is something I am passionate about.

I love to cook and prepare food, and eating it is the reward. I don’t follow recipes all the time.  I tend to read a few for the same dish and then use them as a general guide. 

Over the weekend I bought some beautiful brussel sprouts at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. So, my most recent creation was a brussel sprout salad and I was happily surprised how much I liked it.  I will warn you now this will not be in typical recipe format. I didn’t measure anything.

I take that back.  The recipe called for 2 lbs of raw brussel sprouts, so I grabbed the bag from my fridge, brought it into the bathroom, stood on the scale with it and without it and decided it was more than a pound, but less than two. So I cleaned about half of them and dropped them into the food processor with the slicer blade. Then I added the olive oil, a pour that looked good for the amount of greens I had in the bowl (maybe a tablespoon or two), then some salt, about 1/2 of lemon squeezed over top, about 15 grinds of fresh pepper, a small handful of chives pulled from the garden and chopped, about a handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a handful or more of pine nuts.  Then I tasted it, and added more nuts, salt and cheese.  I almost ate it for breakfast! it was yummy, but I am glad I waited, because by lunch everything had really soaked in and it was even better.  Definitely more of an art than a science for me.

If your curious, here is the link to the recipe I started with:

http://www.oprah.com/food/Raw-Brussels-Sprout-Salad-with-Almonds-and-Parmesan

The pine nuts were inspired by another similar recipe I read while I was searching and I had some hanging around that need to get used.

In Defense of Chrome

Today brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze (or similar brown looking finishes) are extremely popular. Brass fixtures often look dated and are becoming harder and harder to find, due to being less popular. But chrome seems to be an often avoided finish, more so that it deserves in my opinion. Yes, it does show water spots, so will you black granite countertop, but people don’t seem to be avoiding that. Many builders grade and entry-level products come in chrome and so it seems to get a reputation for being cheap. I would argue that chrome is more affordable. Cheap insinuates bad quality, and chrome is actually a very durable finish when applied well to a quality product (It’s all over your car isn’t it?). Yes, I too have seen chrome finish flaking off a cheap plastic faucet. This is not what I am suggesting. If you pick a quality fixture, selecting chrome over another finish can save you a significant percent, and figured over a whole bathroom and make a sizeable dent in a budget, and these are the days of a tighter budget. 

Chrome is also easy to mix and match, and is always the same, regardless of supplier or when you purchase it. Unlike other finishes, such as brushed nickel, which isn’t too bad, but some manufacturers only offer “stainless steel” or “matte nickel” or any number of other proprietary names of finishes that might be a little warmer or cooler in tone than brushed nickel or have a different texture to them. Oil rubbed bronze is the worst for this, especially since real oil rubbed bronze is a living finish. Which means it is created from oil applied to bronze that creates a patina that changes with exposure to water or natural oils from your hands. Most fixtures available today are not truly oiled bronze, they are a dark brown finish designed to have the look of real oil rubbed bronze.  Just about every manufacturer’s oil rubbed bronze looks a little different, whether it goes by a different name or not.

Chrome is the perfect finish for any retro space, it has been a common finish for the last hundred years or more. It is also a great choice for any mid-century modern inspired, clean lined design. So why not reconsider chrome, it can be a more authentic, durable and it can help you stay in budget.

Fun for the Kitchen

When I have time to kill, I love surfing Etsy.com Here are some of the Kitchen themed things that have caught my eye.

If you were sweeping you kitchen with one of these beautiful, all natural brooms from BROOMCHICK, you won’t have to hide it in the closet or panty. You could hang it right on a blank wall as a functional and decorative piece of handmade art. I also like her turkey wing whisk broom. I definitely see place for this in any country or rustic kitchen.  Or even to just bring a little bit of th outside in!

I also love the unique “footed plattes” and cutting boards at grayworksdesign. They are all made from local (to New York) sustainably harvested and reclaimed woods. One of their cheese plattes would make a great center piece to your hors d’oeuvre or desert course.

And one of my favorite shops, BottleHood. Where the artist takes used, wine, soda, beer and liqueur bottles and turns them into glasses, vases, spoon rests, and even pendant light fixtures. Upcycling these bottles that would otherwise land in a California landfill into beautiful and useful pieces of any eco minded individuals kitchen or bar.

There are so many great vendors on Etsy that if you haven’t checked it out yet, you really should. As far as I understand all of the above products are handmade in the United States, and are some of my favorite examples of eco-friendly functional art. You can even search for local vendors, no matter if  local for you is Michigan, Hawaii or Thailand.

The Basics – Cabinet dimensions

Since cabinets are typically manufactured in a factory somewhere, they are made in consistent standard dimensions. They are typically made in 3″ increments; 12″, 15″ 18″, 21″, up to about 36″ or 48″ wide, depending on if it’s a framed or frameless cabinet. Keep in mind if your cabinet is not made in the United States this will not be true (most Canadian and European cabinets are measured in metric).  Base cabinets are typically 34 1/2″ tall, with the addition of a 1 1/2″ countertop puts your typical kitchen countertop at 36″ off the floor. Bars counters are typically at 42″ tall, desks 30″-32″. Wall cabinets are most often 30″, 36″ or 42″ tall and mounted 18″ off the countertop surface.

 Here is a really basic illustration of a typical set up. Many homes have ceilings at eight feet high, and many basic kitchens have 30″ tall wall cabinets mounted a total of 54″ off the ground (36″ + 18″). This leaves 12″ of space above, that is typically open or filled with a soffit.  Many people add space to their cabinets in a remodel by making the wall cabinets taller. You will want to try to maintain as much of that 18″ space between the base and wall cabinet so you have room for small appliances on the counter work surface. This space can often reasonably be squeezed to 16″ if it must be to make room for moldings. Therefore a 42″ tall wall cabinet would need to be right at the ceiling with minimal moldings to keep things spaced properly.

The countertop thickness will vary with material, and a backsplash is typically either 4″ tall and made of the same material as the countertop, or full height. A full height backsplash covers the wall completely between the bottom of the wall cabinet and the surface of the counter top and is often made of tile, but can also be solid to match the counter surface. I am not a fan of installing tile above a 4″ splash of matching counter material.

What I’m reading – Michael Pollan

So I’m sure many people out there are making their New Years resolutions to eat better, exercise more or just be all around more healthy. Or maybe you’ve already broken yours. Well, don’t give up, eating better is just about being mindful and making a series of small, good decisions.  This quick little book was a great guide to make it all seem not so complicated. Michael Pollan’s” Food Rules”

I admit, originally I was turned off by the title, Food Rules. Does food have rules? Should food have rules? Who are you to tell me what those rules should be!  But I had already read Michael Pollan’s other book “The Omnivores Dilemma” and really enjoyed it. Plus, this was so short I thought I’d give it a shot. After reading it I actually thought about buying a bunch of copies as christmas gifts. It was simple, logical and the kind of advice I already try to eat by. I really liked the idea of making all your own junk food. The reasoning is that most food that’s bad for you is hard to make , time-consuming or makes a huge mess in the kitchen. If you had to do it yourself, instead of buying it in an instant, you would do it a whole lot less, plus you would know exactly what’s in it (no preservatives or red 40!)

I borrowed a copy from the local library. But it was also on the shelf at my local book store, so take a peek. Maybe it will help inspire you to stick to your New Years resolution.

Something I found randomly interesting

So as anyone who is looking at my blog can plainly see, I have not been overly motivated to keep up on new content since I have been trying to restricting myself mostly to kitchen and bath design related information. So in hopes to get myself back in to the swing of things (or of anything) I am posting today about a random kitchen tool that I thought was cool, and a video that taught me something about a food I always knew was good for me but rarely attempt to integrate into my diet; coconut.

I have found more than one website and YouTube channel featuring John and I always enjoy his enthusiasm. (especially considering that his video blog growingyourgreens.com as more than a years worth of postings, more than once a week and I couldn’t seem to manage posting text consistently twice a month.) He also inspired me to learn more about a raw food diet, which I admit I will never do, but I have gotten some great idea for ways to try foods that I would have never otherwise come across had I not been inspired to look at more raw food videos. Today I have a coconut half eaten (meat removed without this tool) in my fridge and I am attempting to sprout lentils to try in my next stir fry.

Without further blabbing, here’s the video:

What would my kitchen look like if. . . .

I think one of the best tools a kitchen designer can have is a good CAD program. Most homeowners have trouble picturing their kitchen with all of the changes they would like to make. 

I use Chief Architect Interiors when I present plan options to my clients. I can easily move walls, doors, cabinets and change colors or styles of materials and then instantly show the changes in perspective views that the computer generates.

Here is an option for a kitchen re-done in the existing space

And here is what it might look like if we removed the wall between the kitchen and the adjacent dining room

In just a few more clicks we could see tile on the floor, dark cabinets, or a different doorstyle. A creative designer with the right tools can help you completely transform your kitchen into the space you’re dreaming of.  And a good CAD program can give you a great preview. Of course budget is a major factor. But if you’re wondering what your kitchen would look like if. . . . . and you’re in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area you can contact me at katie@katieskitchens.com

Watch a concrete countertop being made!

Handmade in Detroit, eco-friendly content, great for so many reasons!

www.concretedetroit.com

Can my Kitchen Be Done by Christmas?

This time of year, ” Can my project be done by the Holidays?” is a very common question.  And while the answer is different depending on the scope of the project and the availability of the products, here are some of the basics of a  remodel timeline.

1 Day – Set up and dust protection. The first thing a good remodeler should do is meet with you about how they will be using your home, where their stuff goes, what door or bathroom to use, where garbage will go, etc. Then they will set up a staging area and protect the work space.

1-3 Days -  Tear out. This should mean carefully removing unwanted materials and disposing of them.

Up to 2 week – Framing and rough mechanicals. Of course for some project there is little none of this, but it includes relocating plumbing, running new electrical lines, framing in new walls or ceilings, and making heating and cooling system changes required by the new design. This can be a tough time because you wont alway see the progress and you will start to miss your kitchen.

3-5 days – Drywall. remember this is done in steps, hanging board and tapeing seams, adding joint compound, letting it dry, sanding, then joint compound and sanding again.

3-8 days – Installing cabinets and trim. Cabinets should have been ordered at the beginning of the project. Often they take many weeks to get and take up a couple of hours to receive and organize for a big project.

3-5 days - Install flooring.

2 days – Countertop. This is a bit deceiving, it only takes a few hour to template and  a few hours to install, but there might be weeks in between these dates. And typically the cabinets MUST be installed first. Sometimes a project slows down at this point.

3-5 days – Fixture installation and backsplash. The tile guy comes back, the plumber and the electrician come back, things really come together.

2-4 days – Paint.

3+ Days – Details and Punchlist. This is all the little issues and details that need to be finished up to make your space perfect.

This can all add up to 8-9 weeks, and that is if all goes smooth. So if you are asking yourself right now (begining of October) if you should start a remodeling project. You better get moving! You may not need all of thesee steps, but you still need planning time.

 

Chemicals in the Kitchen

So I have been reading “The Hundred-Year Lie” By Randall Fitzgerald. He writes about toxic, or at least questionable, chemicals in food, drugs, and all of the other products around us and the kinds of terrible effects they have on our heath. It has opened my eyes to just how ubiquitous these chemicals are and how visually unstudied they are, especially when it comes to long-term effects that build up in our systems over time.  I thought it was worth breaking my current blog silence to put it out there, with a kitchen twist, of course!

Some of the places you find chemicals in your kitchen, is the cleaning products. We all know there are toxic chemicals in oven cleaners, pesticides and other chemical cleaners. There are also chemicals added to dish soaps, hand soaps and other every day products.  And while the amounts are small and we don’t notice any effects, they are there. 

There are chemicals in our water, like metals, chlorine and fluoride.  And the  newest problem is pharmaceuticals that build up in the drinking water because our cleaning system hasn’t yet found a way to completely remove these. Also not completely removed are some of the chemicals in all those soaps and cleaners (as well as lotions and make-up, etc.) 

Your cabinets are constructed with glues and finishes that have urea formaldehyde and other VOC’s that can cause people to feel ill especially when the cabinets are new and the chemicals are more concentrated, or if people are extra sensitive. The same types of chemicals may be in your flooring or countertops.

There are even synthesized chemicals in your food. Processed foods are full of them! Hormones and antibiotics in your meats and cheeses, left over from what was  given to the animals, and pesticides on your fruits and veggies.

All of these things contain “safe” amounts of chemicals that we live with everyday, but the point Fitzgerald is making is that the constant exposure to multiple chemicals can create unsafe qualities and combinations over time, as demonstrated by the rise in health issues such as behavioral disorder, cancers and infertility.

While it is unrealistic to think we can eliminate all of these chemicals, or that if we could we would never get sick. It is worth while to be aware and make smart choices when and where we can.  Consider no added urea formaldehyde cabinets if you’re remodeling, eat less processed foods and try cleaning your glass with water and vinegar like your great-grandmother might have. It  can’t hurt, it can only help.