kitchens

Dream Kitchen “Must-Haves”

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Designing your kitchen if you love to cook, could be one of the most important things you do in your life.  Think about the time you spend in your kitchen and how everyone generally gathers around or near the kitchen.  In today’s culture, the open area kitchen has become so popular you want it to be as perfect as possible.  Here are some of my personal favs in the kitchen.
Contemporary Kitchen by Marble of the World
1. Quartz counters. Quartz has become the most popular and practical counter for the kitchen. It’s made using actual stone and echoes the natural appeal of granite or marble. It is processed and manufactured in ways that make it strong, nonporous and color-customizable to create many different looks with good color predictability (as opposed to a stone slab, which can contain more unexpected surprises and potential cracks).

The beauty and durability isn’t without a price: Generally, it is more expensive than stone or total synthetics, although the price will vary depending on composition and manufacturer.

While granite counters get overexposed on real estate reality shows, quartz is definitely the new must-have for most designers.

2. Custom cabinets. You don’t want to throw that beautiful counter on used and abused cabinets, so custom cabinets are the perfect way to go.

There is an advantage to using true custom cabinets versus stock cabinets. Custom cabinets can be fitted perfectly to your kitchen, filling the space precisely and making the best use of corners, spaces between windows and any height or length of a wall.

Custom cabinets can achieve looks that stock cabinets can’t, especially when integrated with other features such as a banquette seat or kitchen island. This is especially important when going for a sought-after transitional style, where cabinets are desired to be seamless but not ultraminimalist.

3. Counter-depth fridge. If you’ve gone to the trouble of getting sharply tailored cabinetry, it would be a shame to ruin the lines with a bulky fridge. Deeper refrigerators soon fill with unused items hidden in the back.

Counter-depth refrigerators word great a typical 24-inch-deep counter for a flush look. Buyer beware as some models sold as “counter depth”  stick out a bit past a typical counter when installed. Check the exact dimensions of a model you’re considering, and compare notes with your installer to make sure it really is 24 inches.

My personal preference is to get a refrigerator that you can install panels on the front so it disappears into to the cabinetry and does not call out: “Look at me, I’m the refrigerator!!”.
4. Deep sink. For people that actually cook and use their kitchens, a nice deep sink makes all the difference.  Filling a large pot easily in the sink, if you do not have a faucet right by the cooktop is ideal.
With the open kitchens of today, if you have a deep sink and have to leave something in it soaking, it is not as obvious.

A little extra depth is even helpful for smaller sinks, such as those at a bar, prep counter or butler’s pantry, as it helps avoid splash back when rinsing vegetables or pouring out a liquid.

It’s an easy and affordable upgrade that’s part of any home

5. Touch-activated faucets. With a sharp, deep sink, let’s make it even easier to use by adding a touch-activated faucet. These smart devices aren’t just for minimalist tech-head homes. They come in a range of styles to suit even more traditional or transitional kitchens.

Inside that stylish faucet is a sensor that activates the faucet just from a tap, so you can turn on water even with your hands occupied.

The next time you’re making dough (or just making a mess) and need to rinse off, you’ll be glad you can turn on the faucet with just a tap from your elbow. I am going to add one to my kitchen as I did not in my recent remodel and I always have something all over my hands and am constantly cleaning my faucet when I am done cooking.

6. Drawer dishwashers. Besides looking smart, a drawer dishwasher opens up new intelligent functions.

Running a full-sized dishwasher when only partially full is a waste of water, but a unit like this can wash each individual half, giving you more flexibility for the size of the load to be cleaned. Plus, you can be running one drawer while still filling another so you can clean your often-used items now while other pieces build up a bit over time.

7. Hidden range hood. Hoods should either jump out at you or be invisible.  I love my invisible hood that goes up and down with the touch of a button.  It is only up when I am cooking.  The alternative is an exquisitely beautiful hood that is a focal feature in your kitchen.
8. Steam-convection oven. Convection ovens increase the effectiveness of a typical oven by circulating the hot air inside to cook more evenly, making this a modern cooking essential. Newer technology takes that concept one step further with steam-convection combination ovens that some say result in better texture and nutrition.

Foods cooked in steam tend to retain more moisture and thus more vitamins than foods that are simply baked or boiled. That makes a steam-convection oven not just a part of a dream kitchen, but a step toward healthier eating.

9. Pro-style gas range. Steam-convection ovens may be high-tech, but when it comes to the range-top, nothing beats the look and power of chef’s kitchen style burners. I added a section of induction to my Wolf cooktop, as it boils water for pasta faster than anything else.
10. Deep drawers.  Trading out the usual lower cabinets for deep drawers (one or two per traditional cabinet box) gives you easy reach-in access to anything from a large pot to stacks of dinnerware.
To improve organization even further, drawer divider systems can break the interior into perfectly sized compartments so everything has its place. They can be adjusted later if needs change.

Deep drawers are an affordable upgrade as many companies provide deeper drawer units at the same cost as a more typical three-drawer model.

Dream Kitchen “Must-Haves”

Luxury Kitchens Sell the Home: Design Trends

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 January 21, 2018 by 

Recently some 60,000+ people gathered in Orlando, FL at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) hosted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. It’s where companies that supply the kitchen and bath trade showcase their wares to interior designers, retailers and dealers, architects, builders, and remodelers. KBIS is part of Design and Construction Week with the NAHB International Builders’ Show.

Kitchens take center stage at KBIS and have been a focus of my research over the past year as well. I participated in a series of AuthLux day-long workshops on luxury kitchen and bath design sponsored by ROHL, the kitchen and bath luxury fixtures company, and part of the Fortune Brands family of companies.

An excerpted hour-long version of that full-day event was presented at this year’s KBIS, but I thought to share more insights from an AuthLux Summit panel discussion about designing the luxury kitchen of tomorrow today, hosted by Dallas-based interior designer Denise MaGaha.

The kitchen unlocks the value of a home

The kitchen is now the showpiece of the modern home. “The ultimate design statement of the home starts in the kitchen,” said MaGaha as she introduced the discussion focused on the three essential design elements for the modern kitchen – Cabinetry, Appliances and Water Appliances. “With the trend toward open-floor plans, the kitchen sets the stage for all the other design decisions in the home.”

The kitchen’s importance to the home owner is second to none. In today’s open-floor home designs, the kitchen takes center stage as the place where the family’s lifestyle starts. Kitchens are the most important selling point in home buyers’ decision, according to Realtor.com, and homes listed with “luxury kitchens” sell faster and command a higher selling price than similar-sized homes in the same ZIP code.

It’s no wonder then that interior designers find the greatest demand for their services in remodeling kitchens. Some 80% of home remodeling projects take place in the kitchen, according to the National Association of Home Builder’s Remodeling Market Index survey.

Here are some highlights from the panel discussion:

Upscale cabinets must be as beautiful on the inside as on the outside

Cabinets are the grounding element in the luxury kitchen, as all the other elements are mounted on them or placed within them. What’s more, they set the design style for the kitchen. “Today we see transitional and modern style with strong architectural references increasingly popular,” explained Jason Artus of Rutt HandCrafted Cabinetry, based in Lancaster County, PA.

“That’s also why we find European style frameless-constructed cabinets growing in demand,” Artus said. Frameless cabinets allow for additional storage with wider drawers and pullouts because they do not have a face frame attached to the front of the cabinet box and no center stile coming down in the middle of two cabinet doors. Frameless cabinets give a sleek, simple aesthetic that provide easier access to the items inside.

Another trend Artus sees in luxury cabinet choices is more drawers, instead of hinged door cabinets. “Additional drawers in the kitchen results in more accessible storage and organization, which is a top priority for clients to be sure that each and every kitchen item has its place.” And once those drawers or cabinets are opened, lights need to turn on automatically to guide the way.

And for the luxury home owner, the outside is just as important as the inside when it comes to cabinets. “It is expected that today’s upscale cabinetry look as beautiful on the interior as it does on the exterior,” Artus said, as he points to growing interest within the design community in white oak on cabinet interiors for “those looking for a lighter option to pair with darker exterior finishes.”

Luxury kitchens mean chef-quality appliances

While cabinetry provides the modern kitchen’s form, the appliances provide its function. And today that function is going more high-tech as smart technology is added into the mix. Selecting appliance brands that serve their function in style and are ahead of the curve in innovation is key.

Juanita Galliford, of Thermador, part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, shared that her company has been at the forefront of kitchen innovation since its founding in 1916. It invented the wall oven and cooktop combination and was the first to introduce stainless steel. And in 1948 it brought the first professional-quality and performance ranges to the home owner, followed by the first self-cleaning oven in the 60s. When it comes to kitchen appliance innovation, she said, “Thermador has led while other brands have followed.”

On the cutting edge of cooking technology today is the steam/convection oven, Galliford explained. “The steam oven is one of the healthiest ways to cook a meal. Traditional ovens pull moisture out of the food as it cooks, while in a steam oven food is cooked in its own juices, enhancing flavor and retaining nutrients,” she said and told how it is also super-fast, allowing a 14 lb. turkey to cook in only 90 minutes.

And in the modern luxury kitchen, the refrigerator has taken on a new role as the “culinary preservation center,” noted Galliford. “Refrigerators are no longer just about preservation. Today’s homeowner wants personalization allowing them to customize the line up of cold storage combinations that give them exactly the cold storage solutions they desire.” So a modular concept in cold storage is required allowing the homeowner to pick fresh food store, freezer and wine storage combinations right for their needs.

From sink and faucet to water appliance

And perhaps the most overlooked, yet most critical function in the kitchen is the faucet and sink, which ROHL has redefined as the water appliance. “The most used appliance in the kitchen is actually the faucet/sink combination,” said Greg Rohl. “A family of four uses their water appliance 20-30 times a day. We encourage designers to think about reallocating budgets towards this most heavily used ‘appliance’ allowing clients to spend more for better quality and more attractive solutions.”

To discover the water appliance faucets, fixtures and fittings that meet 21st century needs in quality, style and function, ROHL canvases the world to find products that meet the luxury homeowners’ needs, like the innovative Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet, which founder Ken Rohl discovered in Europe in 1983 and which became the flagship product for the ROHL brand.

Through close collaborations with its worldwide partners, ROHL finds it critical to maintain authenticity in time-honored material and craft while adapting to modern needs. “We work closely with on-staff engineers and industrial designers to incorporate low-lead material requirements, meet California water-use and flow restrictions and IAPMO and EPA WaterSense criteria without compromise,” Rohl noted.

Designing the luxury kitchen of tomorrow today

Designing the kitchen of tomorrow today requires bringing many separate components provided by a variety of suppliers with unique expertise together into a cohesive kitchen package that combines beauty and function, efficiency and style. “Traditional kitchen configurations with upper and lower cabinets are being replaced by full-on kitchen islands – grounded by larger sinks, faucets and accompanying accessories,” Rohl explained. “Today, and in the future, the multi-function sink/faucet combination will continue to be the mainstay of the kitchen, flanked by the cooking and cold storage appliances, and installed with beautiful, architectural cabinetry that defines the kitchen’s style.”

The kitchen’s place of presence in the home is without doubt. Yet its form and function continues to evolve with technology, product and design innovations. Perhaps Christopher Peacock, a high-end cabinetry designer in Norwalk, CT expressed the evolution of the modern kitchen best: “It’s almost not worth calling it a kitchen anymore—it’s a living room that you can cook in.”

Luxury Kitchens Sell the Home: Design Trends

Brioche Bread & Mushroom Bisque

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America’s Test Kitchen is my favorite cookbook for the moment.  The mushroom bisque is simple and yummy.  It freezes well, as this was pulled from the freezer in the morning.  I added Enoki Mushrooms and little sour cream, to jazz it up at the last minute.  The Extra Rich Brioche Bread recipe is from Iliana Regan in the latest edition for Food & Wine Magazine, featuring the Best Chefs.

Extra Rich Brioche

INGREDIENTS

  • One 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm buttermilk (100°–105°)
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • Canola oil, for greasing

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the yeast with the buttermilk until it dissolves. Let stand for 10 minutes, until foamy.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the bread flour with the sugar and salt. With the machine at medium speed, add the yeast mixture, then add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Drizzle in the butter and beat for 10 minutes; the dough will look slightly greasy. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding.
  3. Lightly oil a 10-by-5-inch loaf pan. On a work surface, roll out the dough to a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. With a long side facing you, fold the dough in thirds and fit seam side down in the prepared loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 1/2 hours.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425° and set a rack in the center. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Brush the top of the brioche with some of the egg wash and make a 1/4-inch-deep slit down the center of the loaf. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush the top again with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes longer, until the top is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the 
loaf registers 182°. Transfer the brioche to a rack to cool for 
30 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.

MAKE AHEAD

The brioche can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil and kept at room temperature for 2 days.

Mushroom Bisque

Ingredients

  • 1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 ½ cups chicken broth
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream, plus extra for serving
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Chopped fresh chives

Instructions

SERVES 6 TO 10

NOTE FROM THE TEST KITCHEN Tying the thyme sprig with twine makes it easier to remove from the pot. For the smoothest result, use a conventional blender rather than an immersion blender. Our Fried Shallots (see related content) can replace the garnish of cream and chopped chives.

  1. Toss white mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and 1 tablespoon salt together in large bowl. Cover with large plate and microwave, stirring every 4 minutes, until mushrooms have released their liquid and reduced to about one-third their original volume, about 12 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to colander set in second large bowl and drain well. Reserve liquid.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and fond has formed on bottom of pot, about 8 minutes. Add onion, thyme sprig, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is just softened, about 2 minutes. Add sherry and cook until evaporated. Stir in reserved mushroom liquid and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in water and broth and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Discard thyme sprig. Working in batches, process soup in blender until very smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Return soup to now-empty pot. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Warm to 150 degrees before proceeding with recipe.)
  4. Whisk cream and egg yolks together in medium bowl. Stirring slowly and constantly, add 2 cups soup to cream mixture. Stirring constantly, slowly pour cream mixture into simmering soup. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until soup registers 165 degrees (do not overheat). Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnishing each serving with 1 teaspoon extra cream and sprinkle of chives.

TECHNIQUES

Lots of Mushrooms, Little Work

Our bisque contains a full 2 pounds of mushrooms, but we found that there’s no need to slice or chop them. Because mushrooms lack a thick outer layer, they give up moisture readily even when left whole. We simply toss them with salt and microwave them until most of their liquid is released. Then we brown the shriveled mushrooms to deepen their flavor and use the reserved mushroom liquid to help form the base of the soup.

MEGA MUSHROOMS: A mix of white button, cremini, and shiitake mushrooms gives our soup woodsy depth.

Yoking Together Yolks for Silky—and Flavorful—Bisque

The abundance of cream in bisques gives them their lush consistency, but it also makes most versions taste flat. While the fat droplets in cream thicken a liquid by getting in the way of water molecules, slowing their movement, they also mute flavor by coating the tongue and preventing flavor molecules from reaching taste receptors.

For a bisque with both pleasing body and a more pronounced mushroom flavor, we turned instead to an old-school French thickener—a so-called liaison, which replaces a large portion of the cream with egg yolks. As the bisque heats, proteins in the yolks unfold and bond together into long, tangled strands that, like the fat in cream, interfere with the movement of water molecules. Egg yolks also contain the powerful emulsifier lecithin, which has a twofold effect: It breaks up the fat droplets into smaller particles that disperse more completely throughout the liquid, obstructing more water molecules, for an even thicker consistency. It also keeps the bisque smooth by holding the fat droplets suspended in the liquid so they don’t separate out.

If yolks can do all this, why even use cream? Because the fat it contains provides an appealing mouthfeel that yolks alone can’t match.

 

Brioche Bread & Mushroom Bisque