Steve Jobs- Can the iPad be the electronic cookbook we have been waiting for?

I am usually not a gadget person, but the idea of an electronic cookbook has been appealing to me for some time. How convenient would it be to be able to access your favorite cookbooks, cooking magazines, food blogs, and family recipe archives all in one place that you could actually use in the kitchen? I know I would love it. Since my laptop is essential for my foodblogging and freelance work, I am loathe to take it into the kitchen for fear of spilling something in it or knocking it over, so usually if I am following a recipe that is on the computer, I am walking back and forth between the den and the kitchen to avoid such a problem. But from what I see at the iPad unveiling, it could fit in my regular cookbook holder, hold electronic cookbooks, and provide access to an entire world of recipes and allow me to manage my menus, shopping lists, etc. in one place.

While I might not plunk down the dollars just to read the latest novel on an iPad, if I could fill my iPad with Bittman and Ruhlman, and Julia, as well as the blogs of my foodie friends and my favorite food sites, I could see that this could actually be a good investment!

So Steve, has a food blogger tried out your new device as the latest foodie kitchen tool? If not, I am volunteering.

An Old New Kitchen Island

Since the time we first bought our house, about 9 years ago, I really wanted an island in my kitchen, but since we added a two-story addition, there just was no money in the budget to accommodate that fantasy. Every time we have visited a house with an island, I have just loved how an island, even a small one, can enhance work flow and provide additional prep space. This most recently was brought to mind when we stayed at the beach house for the girls' birthday last April. The house had a small granite-topped island(right) that served as a baking center with all appliances, equipment and accessories for baking collected in one place. Since this island was in the center of a kitchen about the same size as mine, I started thinking that this is something that would work and so I started looking around for some alternatives that would not require demolition and construction.

The first alternative we thought about is an old butcher block, something my husband has always wanted. But while they look awesome and offer some prep/counter area, the drawbacks are that they are extremely heavy, and they offer no additional storage, something I was really hoping to gain.

I started looking at a kitchen-cart type of island. I thought that would give me space, and I could position it where I wanted to provide extra workspace and flexibility. I checked several sites including my staples Amazon and Overstock, as well as some others such as ekitchenislands.com
and Kitchen Island Superstore. I was impressed with the versatility that there was- so I knew I was not the only one with "kitchen island envy".However, I had a hard time finding something with the features I wanted in my price range.

Then a possible solution fell into our laps. We have been buying furniture at auction for most of our married life, and our favorite haunt is the Phoebus Auction Gallery. Their catalog for each auction is online so it is easy to find whatever you are looking for. And if you know what you are looking for and set yourself a spending limit, you can get great deals on furniture, rugs, art...just about anything you could need for your home. Which brings me back to my island.In looking at the auction catalog, I saw an antique store counter made of oak and it occurred to me that it might make a good island, offering both the prep space and storage we wanted, with the added bonus of being a real antique. After taking the measurements, it appeared that it would fit so we prepared to bid, but we had an alternative - we thought if it didn't fit well in the kitchen, we would use it in the den to hold our TV. Since most of the full-featured kitchen carts run in the $300-$600, we thought if we could get this piece for under $300 we would be happy. Since the piece had some character, even including original square head nails, we thought it would blend well with the whole feel of our house.

My husband is the auction bidder, but I watched the action in real time from home on Proxibid,and we got the counter for $250!! It is now in our kitchen, and the longer it is there the more I wonder how we lived without it, I bought baskets and made extra storage on the shelves. and the top provides a great place to put groceries on the way to the fridge or pantry , and extra space for chopping (on a cutting board,of course) Our dilemma now? Originally we thought we would have a piece of granite cut to cover the top to protect the wood, however, the wood surface has such a beautiful patina that we are rethinking our decision.



So now - see what you think about our makeshift kitchen island. I would love to hear what you think, and whether you think we should cover the counter or not. Do you think it looks out of place in our traditional kitchen? Should we move it to the den for the television or does it look right at home?

Where the Magic Happens....

I have been following S'kat's kitchen renovation over at Bistro 613, and it prompted me to think about my kitchen, the things I love about it and the things I would change. For someone who loves to cook there is no room more important than the kitchen. In fact, as far as I am concerned the kitchen is the heart of the home. I have only had two kitchens of my own. Our first home was an 1100 square foot duplex that was built in World War I as the first federal housing project for workers at the Newport News shipyard (Picture, right is actually my street). My kitchen was about 12x12 and at the time we bought the house it had the gas hot water heater in one corner and the furnace boiler in the other corner. I have seen closets that were bigger than this kitchen.

My kitchen was such a singular place, that when I was taking a nonfiction writing class and we were asked to write an essay about our favorite place, while my 18-year old classmates were writing about under their favorite tree or at the beach, I wrote about my kitchen with the hulking furnace, the floor that was pitched enough you had to be careful opening the oven door, and how, despite its ugliness, guests always congregated there. (I got an ovation when I had to read it aloud to the class!) Over the years, we were able to relocate the water heater, add additional cabinets and a dishwasher (after about 10 years of doing without). Now that we have made this house into a rental, it has had a new fridge added, new paint, a new range and new flooring. It looks better now than it ever did when we lived there!

When we moved to this house and decided to add on, we spent the most time making decisions about the kitchen. I wanted a ceramic tile floor (5 kids, 2 dogs!), an island, a gas range, Corian countertops. Since we were adding a large two-story addition, we had to make compromises in order to fit in the budget and so I got a Dacor dual-fuel gas range (which I love), great tile floors, and a Bosch dishwasher. There was neither room nor money for an island, so I gave that up. We selected white cabinets (easy to change color scheme, easy to clean), and had to resort to Formica counters (damn the budget!) But when complete, this kitchen was easy care, bright, and guess what? It still is the heartbeat of our home.

What do I love- the floor (so easy to care for), the range (Dacor has the best customer service ever!), my pantry (I love having a place to stockpile all the staples for our meals), our extra freezer (we have an upright where we store meats and other frozen goods that we buy in bulk or on special)

What would I change- the countertops (Solid surface looks so much more upscale, and is more durable), range hood (mine is way too noisy when it is on high)

What do you love about your kitchen? Are there things you wish you had? What would your dream kitchen look like? I'd love to hear from other foodies (and love even more to see your pictures!)

Note: if you want to see some awesome kitchen ideas, check out

HGTV top ten kitchens (where my fantasy kitchen came from!)

Above, my real kitchen; Right below, my fantasy kitchen (the difference? About $350K!)

A Cook's Christmas

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that many of my gifts this Christmas related to food or its preparation. It is pretty much a sure thing that something related to food would be welcome under my tree. So what gifts warmed the cockles of my culinary heart? My husband gave my kitchen an upgrade by purchasing a brand new set of pots and pans. These are a beautiful set of Tramontina Domus cookware, well-made enough to have "helper handles" and heavy enough that you might need them once they are full. My old set of cookware was also Tramontina, and I have been happy with it, but this set had more and bigger pieces, an important consideration when both "Evil David" and I are cooking on tapas night. I am not a fan of nonstick coatings so I wanted something that I could scrub with a Brillo pad if necessary. I have been using these pots and pans since Christmas, and I have to say that I love the "professional" look and feel of these pots and pans, not only when I am cooking, but the way they look on my stove (see for yourself at left and right where they were pressed into service during the cooking marathon that was Chinese New Year's Eve).

What else does a cook (and my kitchen) really need to do some serious cooking? Knives, of course. Everyone knows that knives are base equipment for chefs, so much so that they are included equipment when students enroll in culinary school. Now, I have written before that my knife inventory has been seriously crappy since my son left with his real chef's knife. So I wasn't really surprised that I received a lot of knives for Christmas (apparently my family hasn't heard of the old superstition that giving a knife cut your love for the recipient in half!) Before Christmas, I did a lot of research on knives, what quality and materials to look for, how a good one should feel in your hand. I even consulted Consumer Reports. In the end, my husband bought some knives made by Tramontina. While we knew the reputation of Wusthof , we needed so many knives that to buy Wusthofs would have broken the bank, so my husband selected knives that were made of high carbon steel made in Solingen, Germany and the handles are antimicrobial. I was thrilled to get two chef's knives, two paring knives, two utility knives, and two Santoku knives. Since I haven't used a Wusthof, I can't say how these compare, but I can tell you how they compare with my old knives (which I promptly threw out!)- they are incredible! I can chop and slice properly, and with great precision. My husband got these knives at Sam's Club, and I have to say that I would highly recommend them if you want good quality knives at an affordable price.

What other cooking goodies have I been enjoying since Christmas?

Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, The Cook's Illustrated International Cookbook, and the one gift that was in my stocking that I need your help with- a bottle of white truffle oil. I have never used truffles or truffle oil before, but I know it is highly prized, and you should know by now, I am game to try almost anything. So if you have recipes or good ideas on how I might utilize this new culinary ingredient, all suggestions are welcome. And I'd love to hear what cooking or blogging-related loot you scored this Christmas.