Seriously Useful is a selection of kitchen tools from Amazon that I can't cook without.
Done? Hah!
Done? Hah!
I‘m back on line — at last. (You don’t want to hear about my (ongoing) Internet tribulations.)
Doesn’t look bad, eh? Fairly neat. Not a lot of counter space, but enough to get by. The KA and Cuisinart are available for easy use. Reasonably sane layout with knives and cutting board between the fridge and sink. The cabinets are packed to the gills, but every cook worth his or her salt is used to that and most of the things in the cabinets are convenient according to their function – for instance, dishes and glassware are above the dishwasher. There’s really just one problem…
This is the stuff that didn’t fit in the kitchen. Those boxes? Cookbooks. There’s even an entire large box full of roasting pans, baking sheets, and similar oven cookware that I haven’t found yet.
Oh. And my other closets are already full.
Sigh… I need comfort food.
Technorati: Food | kitchen | moving
14 Responses to “Done? Hah!”
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Disclaimer: Most quantities in recipes are approximate. Adjust as needed according to your taste and experience. Unless otherwise specified, eggs are large and butter is unsalted.
The macaroni looks yummy.Where’s the recipe?
Hang in there Kevin! Besides, you can do more with one little kitchen than most people could do with “kitchen stadium”! (That’s an Iron Chef reference). And yeah that macaroni with the crusty, crunchy top looks very tasty. :)
Putoseko,5 tbsp butter3 oz grated parmesan cheese3 tbsp flour2 c milk2 tsp ground mustard seed2 tsp ground white pepper1 1/2 tsp salt1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce16 oz shredded extra-sharp cheddar12 oz elbow macaroniHeat oven to 425F. Grease casserole dish with 2 tablespoons butter and dust with parmesan cheese.Make a bechamel sauce with the flour, 3 tablespoons butter, and milk. Stir in mustard, pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce.Stir in 10 oz grated cheese (reserve 6 oz)a handful at a time, melting each handful before adding next.Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and mix with cheese sauce. Pour into casserole and sprinkle with remaining cheese.Bake on middle rack of oven for 25 minutes or until browned.Andrea,Thanks, but where the hell am I going to put all that stuff!
I have lived in the same house for for 19 years, although during that time I had the house completely gutted and remodeled while I lived elsewhere for 11 months. I hate moving. Good luck getting settled. I’m impressed you are cooking and posting at all.
Kevin. Two words (that we’ve learned over the last year of working in the World’s Tiniest Kitchen): Storage Shed.Yes, it sucks, and sometimes we have to go out in the pouring rain just to retrieve a can of beans for tacos, but it’s better than selling all our culinary posessions to neighbors with large kitchens who don’t know how to cook!
Miz D,I think my fellow condo-owners would object to me putting up a storage shed in the parking lot.So I’ve ordered a sort-of buffet to go in the dining room. I can store infrequently used stuff in it. (I say this knowing full well that _anything_ stored in it will become infrequently used. As they say, out of kitchen, out of mind.)
Kevin: Awww… Comforting comfort food in your new house. Bravo.PS: Cranky and I moved into our townhouse here exactly a year ago, and we still have stuff in boxes in the garage. We just set up a hutch in the dining room, and it will hold the less-used items. But in all this time, we haven’t used: the wok, the ice-cream maker, the chafing dish, the waffle iron, the fancy china, etc., etc. Eventually you discover maybe you *can* do with less. But I ain’t gettin’ rid of that stuff, no.
CC,The first time I lived in Nashua, NH I had to keep my KA in the bedroom closet — I didn’t bake bread once. Fortunately things like the deep fryer, the chinois, table linens, and so on are already only used a couple of times a year so provided I can get all that stuff into the buffet I’ll be alright.On the bright side, I should find it relatively easy, under the circumstances, to resist buying new kitchen stuff.
Kevin…unfortunately, the scientific fact is that the amount of stuff to be stored in the kitchen will always be greater than the amount of storage space by a factor of no less than 1.1…you’ve seen my large kitchen and I’m here to tell you that I’m out of space, storing things in remote locations, on counter tops, etc. I know this doesn’t help you with your problem but I just wanted you to know that there really is no escaping it……with respect to your situation, I’d be looking hard at that space above…in the picture it looks like there is room for at least one deep shelf on each side, above the cabinets…or maybe a pot rack (if the ceiling is high enough) on one side and a shelf on the other. On another matter, who told you it was mac-and-cheese week? I just made some and was writing up the blog entry…hmmm, I wonder what the Chopper is up to out on that island…Anyway, good luck with the kitchen…even the best kitchen needs wearing in, like shoes, before real comfort is achieved…you’ll get there….
Hey Kevin, The color of those walls give me the chills (the good ones).Can you just imagine the person that chose that color? They probably chose it out of thousands and decided on that one. Then painted it, wow. Remove that thing hanging down that you bump your head on every time you lean in to the table to grab something. You’ve got wall space, time for those commerical chrome racks! Have some lucite cut and lay it down so your books don’t fall through. Buy a handful of clamp-on flood lights and point them at the ceiling to light the entire room and racks.Get to it buddy!Biggles
Hey – do I spy a cubby hole above the door? Can’t tell by the picture. What around hanging things on the wall around the door. The other room? Dining room? Places for bookcases? That is what I did in my dining room – bookcases hold my cookbooks which makes it very handy to sit down and read:) Good luck!
I want a closeup of that wallpaper, it looks so wallpapery. LOLSeriously, congratulations on stage one. Stage two — the settling — will last another year or two. Or a decade or two.
Stephen,I know it looks like there’s space up high, but it’s an illusion. Or, rather, it’s unusable.I’ve been eating TV dinners while getting the kitchen to a cooking state, and mac-n-cheese was the perfect first dish — easy to make and great left over.Doc,Good chills?Maureen,I definitely need more book shelves — I’m pondering where and what kind. I think I’ll have to wait until the buffet arrives to make the final decision.KM,Wallpapery. Yes, that’s exactly the word.I had a cooking class yesterday morning, so Thursday I did the first real cooking in the kitchen when I prepped for the class. I’m happy to report it’s a usuable space, a bit tight, but not too bad.
And to think I was proud of putting up a ceiling fan in Bek’s office today. I’m put to shame. ;)