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My Kitchen Re-Do! Windows and Drywall

Posted on October 15, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Week 3

We’ve finished day 2 of dry walling with the Bucket Walkers. Bucket walking is an amazing technique to watch. Have you seen it? Imagine a man standing on the open end of a tall bucket, using his weight and swing to travel along the floor. They also use stilts. It’s a fussy messy process, but lookin’ good!

The kitchen sink window looks much bigger when it really isn’t. That’s because it’s now 1 awning window rather than 2 casement style.

The electricians have been busy digging out, re routing and making new lines. There were wires everywhere before the dry wallers came. The builder took lots of pics so he’ll know exactly where all these wires are when he’s ready to dig them out for the final switches, outlets and electrical connections.

Notice all the can lights in the ceiling!

 

Microwave/Oven and Range Center

Microwave/Oven and Range Center

 

Laundry Closet and Desk/Dining Areas

Laundry Closet in Hallway and Desk/Dining with Pantry

New Wall Opening for a Larger Kitchen Space. Notice Imprinting on the Floor Marking the Removed Wall

New Wall Opening for a Larger Kitchen Space. Notice Imprinting on the Floor Marking the Removed Wall

 

Dining, Desk and Door to Backyard

Dining, Desk and Door to Backyard

A Window with a View: Above the Kitchen Sink: Power Central!

A Window with a View: Above the Kitchen Sink: Power Central!

 

 

 

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My Kitchen Re-Do! Demo

Posted on October 8, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Week 1

This demo was completed in 3 days. We left town for the mess. Griggs Building and Design Group accomplished everything they planned and opened up our kitchen to the hallway, giving it a larger and brighter look. I won’t spoil the surprises to come.

 

Kitchen Window

Kitchen Window

No More Peninsula

No More Peninsula

Dining, Desk and Open Hallway

Dining, Desk and Open Hallway

Wall Removed, Micro/Oven Area

Wall Removed, Micro/Oven Area

gut 5

Open Hallway Looking to Kitchen

Dining and Desk: Notice Open Wall

Dining and Desk: Notice Open Wall

gut 10

Removed Wall Opens Up Kitchen

gut 9

Larger Kitchen Perspective

gut 8

Clearing Way for New

 

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My Kitchen Re-do! Before the Demo

Posted on October 8, 2014 by nina in the kitchen
photo 1

Before Kitchen

old kitchen3

Old Kitchen Micro & Frig

Old Kitchen Sink & Granite Table

Old Kitchen Sink & Granite Table

Old Kitchen Peninsula & Dining Area with Desk

Old Kitchen Peninsula & Dining Area with Desk

This is the original kitchen built with the house in 1986. The only change we made was to paint the walls to match the blue Formica countertops. It used to have an Impressionistic like floral wallpaper. After peeling that off I vowed to never wallpaper again.

The cabinets are built by the Midland Michigan based Owens Cabinets. They maintained their modern European look with style and resilience. Our new cabinets will also be made by Owens and designed by Bridget Owens.

Notice there is a funky built in glass-like cutting board which I never liked. I only use wood cutting boards. Anything else seems to damage the knives.

The flooring is sheet vinyl and is ready to say good bye.

The garbage can is always right in the middle of everything. Unsightly and soon to be gone.

We bought a French style bistro table from Pier One many years ago. It has a granite like top and a black iron frame. We’ll find a use for this in our sunroom for our plants.

The desk area has become my own work station in recent years as I acquired my own laptop. It will be developed more with the new kitchen.

We bought the solid oak 48 inch round table and chairs at the Midland Antique Fair when we first moved here. We may keep the table and have it refinished and stained a dark gray. An alternative is to buy a new gray table that is made to look old and distressed. Does that make sense?

The 3 solid wood counter height chairs were a gift from my neighbor Theresa Zainea. We have loved these and will use them as the basic style of our new chairs.

Ten years ago we bought an electric smooth top range and Euro style fan. Both of these are Sears Kenmore and have been great.  The small side oven is not a functional size though. We are switching to gas and will have a more powerful fan. This fan looks good, but did not do the job.

The updates will continue as our project moves on. Daryl Griggs is our builder and he is estimating 5 weeks. 🙂

 

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No Bake Nutella Bites

Posted on August 31, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Sweets. Eats. And Crafts's avatar

photo 3

Whoever made Nutella is a genius, it’s one of the most delicious chocolaty spreads I’ve ever had and I’ve been eating it since I was a kid.  I remember before this became the popular food to eat, my Dad brought a jar back from Europe and we would spread it all over our croissants for breakfast. He was a bit of a health freak, so I inhaled it before he could change his mind and realize we were eating dessert for breakfast. These little desserts are like tiny bites of Nutella heaven. They make a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. Hope you enjoy!

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Feta and Pistachio with Black Pepper: A Turkish Meze

Posted on August 6, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Turkish Style Feta and Pistachio Meze

Turkish Style Feta and Pistachio Meze

Cheese at the Fethiye Market

Cheese at the Fethiye Market

Sliced Cucumbers Separate These Mezes

Sliced Cucumbers Separate These Mezes

This creamy spread for bread is another meze I discovered in Istanbul. It’s a quick dinner party appetizer too. I never saw the word feta in Turkey; only cheese. Feta means slice, so feta is probably our interpretation. Their “feta like” cheese is always white, but creamier and less tart. When I developed this recipe I added yogurt to a nice quality Bulgarian feta from our local cheese and wine shop, Eastman Party Store. Eastman’s has made the world of difference in our lives in Midland, Michigan. It has more international flair than any other local shop!
I’ve also made this with the Presidents brand feta which was great too!

You can make this as thin and creamy as you like. A spoonful maintains it’s shape, but it can definitely be spread on a slice of French like baguette. Add more yogurt if you like. Have fun with this new combination of ingredients! Use all 4 teaspoons of the black pepper! It’s the key in this recipe!

As it sits in the frig it may dry out a bit. Add more yogurt to keep it spreadable. It stores well up to a week. 

  
In a small bowl combine with a spoon until well blended.

8 ounces whole milk feta, cut into tiny squares

6 oz or about 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

4 teaspoons black pepper 

1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt

Add more yogurt for a creamier consistency. Spread on Naan, a Middle Eastern flatbread

All the ingredients you’ll need. Notice the bag of shelled pistachios!

   
Feta sliced into 1/4 inch cubes 

 
Roughly chopped pistachios

   
The feta and pistachios 

 
A brand of yogurt very close to the Turkish yogurt in Istanbul 

   
The nutrition label of the whole milk Greek yogurt. 14 grams of fat is about a tablespoon per cup

  

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Roasted Red Pepper and Tahini Meze

Posted on July 31, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Roasted Red Pepper with Tahini, Garlic and Parsley

Roasted Red Pepper with Tahini, Garlic and Parsley

I spent 3 magnificent weeks in Turkey and Greece this summer and want to share some of the delicious mezes with you. These are small plates of foods eaten before or instead of the main dish. Similar to the Spanish style tapas, mezes are served on small plates which can be shared or eaten in any number, hot or cold.

The Roasted Red Pepper with Tahini is surprising and very tasty. Tahini is ground sesame seeds and usually is a small ingredient when making hummus, but in this meze it is more predominant. You can add these ingredients to your own taste, but here is my interpretation.

In a small bowl place:

2 cups roasted red peppers, diced (bottled and preserved in water or fresh made)

In an even smaller bowl combine:

1/2 cup tahini

1 clove garlic, minced (not too much)

1/2 cup minced flat leafed parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Add the tahini mix to the peppers and serve at room temperature. Make ahead if you need.

You can eat this plain or place it on French style bread. The Turkish bread is called Naan.  It is an oval shaped bread similar to pita or a tortilla. When it is freshly made it is presented at the table puffy and full of air. It soon collapses and can be torn to eat with your food. I am not enclosing the Naan recipe here, but someday I will try it! Here are some pics though 🙂

You can buy Naan at many grocery store delis. 

Puffy Naan, straight from the very hot oven

Puffy Naan, straight from the very hot oven

Naan ready to eat!

Naan ready to eat!

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Il Flotante, Floating Islands

Posted on June 10, 2014 by nina in the kitchen
Floating Island, A Classic French Dessert Adaption

Floating Island, A Classic French Dessert Adaption

Two years ago in Paris, I first tasted Il Flotante at an adorable little bistro in Saint Germain called la Coupe Chou, which means chopped cabbage. It is a term of endearment, something like ” my little cabbage” or “my little muffin” 🙂 Anyway, this recipe is from Food and Wine Magazine and the link is below. As you will read, the classic meringue is poached, but this one is baked. It looks like a giant marshmallow and tastes like the meringue of a lemon meringue pie.

This was our dessert for dinner club. Rose Thill prepared it beautifully and used whole milk instead of the classic heavy cream to save us a lot of calories. The fresh vanilla bean seeds made it delish! It was also very beautiful! Rose added the raspberries for color. Bon Apetit!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/floating-islands

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Corn Frittata with Romano Cheese

Posted on May 30, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Corn Frittata

Corn Frittata

This is nice for breakfast, brunch or lunch. The size of the skillet determines how high the frittata is when served. If you want larger serving pieces, use a smaller skillet. I used a 10 inch stainless skillet. I would use an 8 inch skillet for a thicker serving wedge, but I would not use a larger skillet than 10 inch.

As long as your skillet is HOT before you add the oil or butter, it will not stick too much. If you want to be sure, use a nonstick skillet.

Corn Frittata in a 10 inch Stainless Sautepan

Corn Frittata in a 10 inch Stainless Sautepan

This recipe is taken from Cooking Light 2014. I have changed very little to this recipe. Although I did not add the parsley.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (2 ears)

1/3 cup diced shallots or onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/4-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (a delish addition)

1/4 cup lowfat milk

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons butter

1 ounce pecorino Romano cheese grated (1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, optional

  • Preheat broiler.
  • Heat an 8 or 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add oil and swirl to coat.
  • Add corn and shallots; stir and sauté 3 minutes.
  • Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and smoked paprika.
  • Saute 1 minute and remove from heat.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, remaining salt and pepper and milk.
  • Add corn mixture to eggs and stir.
  • Wipe out skillet with paper towel.
  • Return pan to medium heat and add butter and swirl to melt.
  • Add egg mixture to pan. Cook 1 minute without stirring.
  • Gently slide pan back and forth to keep eggs from sticking.
  • Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 4 minutes.
  • Sprinkle cheese over eggs.
  • Place under the broiler to finish cooking 1-2 minutes until eggs are just set and cheese melts.
  • Sprinkle with parsley.

 

 

 

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Roasted Asparagus and Lettuce Salad with Poached Egg

Posted on March 27, 2014 by nina in the kitchen
Roasted Asparagus and Romaine Salad with Poached Egg

Roasted Asparagus and Romaine Salad with Poached Egg

Tonight I made a light dinner in honor of the first days of Spring. The temperature this morning was 5 degrees F, but I am trying to think WARM weather. The longer days and sunshine helps.

I love poached and soft boiled eggs. The French seem to use them often as a topping on their foods. I’ve eaten them on salads, toasted breads, cooked vegetables and on quickly cooked stews at home and in Paris and Corsica! Pretend you are in France enjoying the warmth and ambiance and give this recipe a try! It’s a very quick lunch or dinner that is special enough for company! It only takes 30 minutes 🙂

The original recipe is from Cooking Light May 2013. You can find the recipe there also. Today I used romaine because I could not find arugula at the grocery store. Choose your favorite lettuce variety. The arugula is more French. I also substituted cilantro for the tarragon because I had cilantro in the house. I did not add the toasted bread. If I had not eaten two pieces of bread at lunch, I would have added the bread to this salad tonight 🙂

Serves 4

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

3 tablespoons minced shallots

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or other fresh herb ( I used cilantro today)

5-ounces baby arugula or other lettuce variety

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 large eggs

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Place asparagus on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Toss gently to coat. Arrange in a single layer. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.
  • Place in a large bowl: remaining 7 teaspoons oil,1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, shallots, lemon juice and tarragon. Whisk together.
  • Add arugula and toss. Divide salad onto 4 dinner plates.
  • Top salad with roasted asparagus.
  • Add water to a large skillet, filling 2/3 full. Bring to a boil. Add vinegar.
  • Break each egg into a custard cup and pour gently into water. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 3 minutes or to desired degree of doneness. The yolk should be runny, but the egg white should be white, not clear.
  • With a slotted spoon remove each egg and place one on each salad. Sprinkle with black pepper.
  • Voila!

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Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

Posted on March 23, 2014 by nina in the kitchen

Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

This “semi-frozen” dessert does not require an ice cream maker and is perfect for a dinner party because it serves 8-12. Or you can keep it all for yourself in the freezer! Thank you to Martha Stewart, this was a big hit at our last Dinner Club! Martha Stewart is the entertaining queen of our time. Her magazine, Martha Stewart Living and her website are inspiring sources. You can also find this recipe at MarthaStewart.com

http://www.marthastewart.com/978987/strawberry-pistachio-semifreddo

Our dinner party of 8 divided this dessert into 8 portions. Not a lick was leftover!

Thank you to Rose Thill for discovering this recipe and to Nadine Kanuch for preparing it so exquisitely!

1/2 cup unsalted roasted shelled pistachios

8 ounces strawberries, hulled (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 1/2 cup cold heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Line a 5-by-9 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides.
  • Pulse pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
  • Place strawberries and 3 tablespoons sugar in the processor
  • Puree until smooth and transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl. Stir puree, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.
  • In a medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar.
  • Beat on high until pale yellow and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer bowl to a larger bowl of ice water. Stir until mixture is very thick and cool, about 3 minutes.
  • In another large bowl beat together cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  • Whisk 1/3 of whipped cream into egg mixture, whisking until smooth.
  • Then fold egg mixture into remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula just until thoroughly blended.
  • Pour 1/2 of the cream mixture into strawberry puree. Gently fold together until thoroughly incorporated.
  • Pour strawberry cream mixture into the prepared loaf pan; smooth top.
  • Fold pistachios into remaining cream mixture. Pour evenly over strawberry cream; smooth top.
  • Fold plastic wrap over surface and freeze at least 12 hours.
  • Keep frozen until ready to serve. Invert pan onto a cutting board. Unmold semifreddo, remove plastic, and cut crosswise into 3/4 inch thick slices. Voila!

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