Spacial Design Website
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www.spacialdesign.com
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Local Cooking Events & Demo's
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Standards of Excellence
530 West Francisco Blvd.
San Rafael
Food For Thought
Tuesday December 16, 2008
Join Chef Rachelle Boucher for a FREE culinary edu-tasting program
from 6:30 to 9:00pm.
Standards of Excellence
530 West Francisco Blvd
San Rafael
Every Saturday from 11:00-3:00 PM
Appliances Demos - See website calender for details.
www.standardsofexcellence.com
Dacor Showroom
871 Dubuque Ave
South San Francisco
Join the Dacor Showroom for a complimentary Dacor Dinner and Cooking Demonstartion.
Contact Charlene to reserve a space. 650.624.8283
See their website for more great classes and information and their products. www.dacor.com
Get your kids involved!
Check out this great website:
http://whatscooking.info/
They specialize in cooking classes and gifts for kids!
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Chocolate Cracked Earth
(Flourless Chocolate Cake)
Ingredients
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 stick unsalted butter*
9 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 cups heavy cream, cold
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or
in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of
simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the
sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of
the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs -
this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate
- then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture.
Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form
and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and
bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack and a toothpick
inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 20
to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan.
While the cake is cooking, whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy.
Serve at room temperature dusted with confectioners' sugar and topped with whipped cream.
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Potato Latkes
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds russet
potatoes peeled
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour (or more) or matzo meal (during Passover)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
In a food processor grate the potatoes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth
and transfer potatoes to the sieve. Set sieve over a bowl, twist
cheesecloth into a pouch, squeezing out some moisture. Let mixture
drain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour off liquid from the bowl
but leave the white potato starch that settles in the bottom of the
bowl.
To that starch add shallots, eggs, flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons of
salt and freshly ground pepper. Return drained potatoes to this mixture
and toss to combine.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking pan with paper
towels. When you are ready to eat, in a large skillet heat 1/4 inch of
oil over medium high heat until hot. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of
potato mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes a side; latkes should be
golden and crisp on both sides. Eat right away or keep warm in oven.
Serve with applesauce or sour cream or cottage cheese mixed with sour
cream.
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Christiana Cabinetry Update!
Christiana Cabinetry is proud to announce that their new finish which is HAPs, formaldehyde free and nitrocellulose free is now being used on all of their cabinetry.
The urethane-based finish is formulated without the use of harmful chemicals, so once the solvents have evaporated, there are no noxious off-gases emanating from the coating.
The low VOC finish cures well before the two week standard time-frame set for by the Kitchen Cabinetry Manufacturers' Association (KCMA) performance requirements.
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Tips for a Healthier Kitchen & Laundry
Here are some of our favorite, easy suggestions from our Green Tips
Guide to help your home get greener and healthier.
KITCHEN
After our cars, the biggest environmental footprint we leave is in the
kitchen. Here are some easy ways to make important changes:
Pump up the recycling. Only 30% of consumer packaging is actually
being recycled. So start adding all those bottles, plastics, cans,
jars, packaging and junk mail.
Scrap your scraps by
composting. If you're not composting your schlepping roughly 2/3 of a
ton of waste each year to the curb that you could be composting
instead! Grains, egg shells, baked goods, tea bags, coffee grounds,
cardboard, paper towels, perennial weeds, grass clippings, leaves and
lint from the dryer can all be composted.
Plug-in kettles use less energy than stovetop ones.
Use cloth dishtowels &napkins instead of paper ones.
Pick up a cheap set of lightweight, washable dishes -- great for picnics instead of disposable plates.
Replace
the plastic with glass or ceramics for the microwave. Even plastics
labeled microwavable should be avoided since all plastics leach
chemicals like phthalates when they are heated.
Gas stoves use less energy than electric ones.Induction is even less!
LAUNDRY
Are you using toxic stain removers or throwing away clothes because you
can't get rid of that pesky stain? Try some old-fashioned remedies
instead:
The secret with any stain is to act quickly: the more recent the
spill, the more likely you can get it out. But don't rush in with
chemical-based commercial stain removers.
Fruit/red wine: immediately cover stain with salt or soda water, and then soak in milk before washing.
Grease
on cotton: spread fabric over a bowl or other opening to allow water to
pass through it, not soak in. Then pour boiling water through it,
followed by baking soda.
Grease on fabrics other than cotton:
blot with a clean towel, dampen stain with water and rub with soap and
baking soda. Wash in hot water as per the item's washing instructions.
Blood:
think In Cold Blood. Soak in cold water immediately. If stain persists,
mix cornstarch with either talcum powder or cornmeal in water and apply
mixture directly to stain. Allow to dry and brush away.
Coffee/chocolate: mix egg yolk with lukewarm water and rub on stain.
Lipstick: rub with cold cream or shortening and wash with washing soda (sodium carbonate).
Ink: soak stain in milk or remove with hydrogen peroxide.
Rust:
saturate with sour milk (adding 2 tsp of vinegar to a cup of milk makes
it sour) or lemon juice and rub with salt. Place in direct sunlight
until dry, then wash.
Gum: rub with ice. Gum will flake off.
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December 2008 Issue 3
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"THE DESIGN DISH"
Keeping you updated with the latest and greatest information in Kitchen & Bath Design!
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Hello Friends,
Happy Holidays to you!
Our December Newsletter is filled with all sorts of goodies we hope you will find useful!
We wish you and yours a Healthy and Joyful Holiday season.
Susan & Jenn
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Holiday Gift Guide
Fun Sustainable Items for the Kitchen!Wood Salt & Pepper Shakers
Handmade in Brooklyn, NY
Materials:
Salt shaker is made from reclaimed poplar wood, treated with a low-VOC
milk paint. Pepper shaker is made from reclaimed walnut wood. Both
feature a natural cork stopper.
Dimensions:
3.75 - 4.5" tall
About:
Fun forms for serving up the spices, the colors of this lovingly handmade set are designed to complement any decor.
Spice Block
Handmade Brooklyn, NY
Materials:
100% reclaimed mahogany (wood scraps from a factory that makes custom windows), food-safe walnut oil/beeswax finish
Dimensions:
9" long x 3" wide x 2" tall
About:
The Spice Block is an elegant way to display and serve salt and pepper, or any other spices you may wish to bring to the table.
Cork Tray
Handmade by Urbana Design, San Francisco, CA
Materials:
Poplar plywood, "engineered wood veneer" (also made of poplar), pure
cork, epoxy glue, wood glue, low-VOC water-based polyurethane. (Poplar
is a fast-growing hardwood.)
Dimensions
18.25" long x 14" wide x 2.625" tall
About:
Designed and developed for Branch, this is a more
sustainable version of Urbana Design's beautiful tray. We love the way
the cork top creates a non-skid surface.
All products can be found on www.branchhome.com
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Getting Into InductionInduction cooking is not some radical new technology, it has been used around the world both by professionals and homeowners.
Put simply, an induction cooker (what on a gas stove would be called a burner) is a powerful high-frequency electromagnetic element that generates electronics in the "element" under the cooking surface.
When a magnetic piece of material (such as your favorite cast iron skillet) is placed in the magnetic field that the element is generating, the field transfers ("induces") energy into that metal. That transferred energy causes the cast iron skillet - to become hot.
By controlling the strength of the electromagnetic field we can control the amount of heat being generated to the skillet and we can change it instantaneously.
The downsides are few and materials like aluminum, copper, and pyrex are not usable on an induction cooker.
Several years ago my mom remodeled her Kitchen and was "talked into" without really knowing anything about induction cooktops. Although it looked cool and modern, which was the look she was going for - it really didn't have the cooking control she wanted. Fast forward twelve years and as we know technology advances - so did induction cooking and it has changed for the better! Induction cooking is much faster than gas or electric (boiling water
in as little as three minutes) and safer because no open flame is
involved. Though it's gaining traction in the U.S. market, many
homeowners are reluctant to get rid of their old electric or gas
cooktop completely.
Here are a few models to look at:
Fagor
This 12-inch model with two burners from Fagor can
be installed next to your current cooktop, allowing you to try the new
technology without giving up what you're used to.
Miele
Miele has long produced induction cooktops in Europe and recently
introduced two models to the United States: a four-zone, 31-inch model
and a five-zone, 36-inch model. Stand-out features include Power
Boosters, which pull maximum power to one zone for faster cooking, and
a stop and go function, which reduces the power level of all zones to a
simmer so a user can leave the cooktop unattended (to answer the phone,
for example). A memory program remembers settings for up to five meals,
and a timer can be set to turn off a zone after a specified amount of
time.
The GE Monogram
Sophisticated Styling - Stainless metallic models have a reflective metallic finish that captures light and colors inside the kitchen
3,700-Watt, 11" Element - The most powerful induction element in the industry, provides instantaneous heat across 19 different cooking settings
Digital Controls - Embedded in the cooktop offer added style and convenience
Digital Pan-Sensing Technology - Detects the presence of cookware with magnetic properties, a requirement for induction cooking
Pan Size Sensor - Automatically adjusts the heating element to the size of the pan
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New Product Options
Renaissance 36" Single Wall Oven
The 14th century Renaissance
was a rebirth of all things classically beautiful and artistic. The
same is true for the new Dacor Renaissance Wall Ovens. Still timeless in
their design, but now with even more advanced features inside for
impeccable performance. All to inspire your artistic side and your
inner chef.
http://www.dacor.com/
Turbo Chef Ovens
Gale-Force Cooking
TurboChef's in-wall Speedcook oven lives up to its name, cooking a
12-pound turkey in 42 minutes, a rack of lamb in five, and a sweet
potato soufflé in four. Perfect for the fast-paced foodie, the oven
cooks 15 times faster than a traditional model, thanks to its 50-amp
draw and a blower that recirculates heated air at 60 mph. (And yet that
soufflé stays in its pan.) The bottom oven is a conventional convection
cooker.
http://turbochef.com/
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A New Kitchen Requires New Cookbooks!
Isn't it too bad Christmas and Hanukkah come after Thanksgiving?
Cookbooks make great gifts, but we need them in advance. I headed to the Library to take a test drive before deciding which ones really worked for me.
No kitchen should be without a few
cookbooks of simply prepared, traditional foods, whether that is the Joy of Cooking or The Silver Spoon.
The cookbooks I use most, in my kitchen, are, Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Vegetables (this is great since i have a Gaggenau Countertop Steamer - which I love!)
Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Book is a staple. How to Cook Everything,
is out in a new edition, just in time for the winter cooking blitz. Also look for his Vegetarian version too.
Once you have done a Kitchen Remodel - you will find that the new ranges and ovens have a "convection cooking" option. I have used this book in helping to take away the mystery of convection - "The Simple Art of Convection Cooking" by Caprial & John Pense.
These books work because they show the basics but also give tips for
expanding recipes. And though they suit those who like to shop based on
a recipe, they also work well when you need recipes that work with
certain ingredients.
Here are a few other books I'm curious about:
Deborah Madison wrote Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets. Alice Waters wrote Chez Panisse Fruit (and is filled with gorgeous prints). The Victory Garden Cookbook is apparently filled with recipes based on the home garden year.
On eatlocalchallenge.com, I came across mention of The River Cottage Meat Book
by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Hugh's book sounds promising
(although I'm not sure pigeon is on your problem recipe list), and is
part of a series focused on farm-based eating.
After this brief introduction, you will be able
to continue hunting for your perfect cookbook by searching the web for
"local food" and "eat local cookbooks." Sites that may prove helpful
include Locavores, reader lists on Amazon (I quickly found a Budding Locavore list and a Seasonal list), and eatlocalchallenge.com.
Besides our list, look in libraries and bookstores for specific local cookbooks. Your farmers market or community supported agriculture farm
should have recipes to recommend, if not entire cookbooks. Or you may
have some locally famous chef-authors who focus on area foods. Whatever you choose whether it be a gift or a gift to you.
Happy Cooking!
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Spacial Design Before & After Featured Kitchen of the Month!
We received these "before" pictures of our clients' Jenn & Tylor Hagerman's Kitchen, along with her gracious testimonial. It was a pleasure working with their family! Thank you to Bill Shideler and Zee Skyvara of ShidelerSkyvara Construction for their great work! Also, thanks to our wonderful photographer Lisa Farrer for the beautiful "after" shots.
Before: After: Before: After:
Hi Susan,
I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know our kitchen design worked beautifully and just as we intended for Thanksgiving. This was our first big indoor cooking party since the kitchen was complete and, unprompted, all our guests commented on how well it worked. We had 15 people here with four of us working and the rest socializing and eating appetizers from the island. We were all able to be in the kitchen together comfortably.
It made for a great party. We are thrilled with it.
Thanks again for doing an amazing job!
Jenn Hagerman
RESOURCES:
Shideler Skyvara Construction
www.ShidelerSkyvara.com
Lisa Farrer Photography
www.lisafarrerphoto.com
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Special Offer
We appreciate all of your wonderful referrals to
family and friends and now we want to give back to you. By referring a friend to
Spacial Design... we would like to offer you a gift! That means for any referral that leads
to a retained Kitchen or Bath client OR a kitchen cabinetry sale, we
will send you a $200.00 gift certificate to your favorite restaurant, Spa or
retail store.
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Warmly,
Susan
Susan Lund
Spacial Design |
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