Kitchen Essential

A small kitchen may not have enough room for a permanent table at which a couple of people can eat breakfast or quick kitchen meals, but it may have a wall to which a fold-down table could be attached.

Such a table can also provide extra workspace when needed as well as a place for family and friends to sit and keep the cook company while meals are being prepared. Folding chairs, some kind of cosy lighting arrangement and a spot for a small television on a facing wall could make previously dead space the most popular spot in the house. Continue Reading »

The most informal arrangement, the eat-in kitchen can fit into almost any shaped room as long as it’s not too small.

A great benefit of this layout is that the cook need never feel left out from what’s going on at the table. On the down side of things it is impossible to close the door on kitchen mess. Continue Reading »

When you have spent both time and money choosing tableware that is suited to your lifestyle, it is important that you know how to keep these things looking as good as new. This is full of useful tips for cleaning, storing and removing stains from all your tableware.

TABLE SURFACES AND CHAIRS

Wood

With the exception of whitewood, all wooden furniture has been given a final surface treatment by the manufacturer. That is why it is important to know what the material is when you buy and, if possible, obtain advice on how to care for it. If the original finish is to keep its looks, it needs a certain amount of regular attention. Continue Reading »

Shrimps can either be cold smoked whole or as peeled meats. For the former method, the shrimps should have the heads removed and are then washed and drained for 30 minutes. They are then brined for 30 - 60 minutes (according to preference) in 40% brine (1 lb 3 oz salt to 1 gallon water), then boiled in the brine or in plain water, again according to taste, for 30 minutes. The shrimps are then allowed to air dry on racks for 2 hours.

Smoking

The shrimps are then placed in the kiln and smoking is carried out for 1 - 1¹/2 hours at a temperature of 80^° F. The yield of smoked meats after shelling is approximately 36% of the whole raw shrimp weight. Continue Reading »

Notes on measurement

Two ordinary mercury-in-glass thermometers are required with a range of about 50-100° F. They must be inserted through holes in the wall of the kiln a few inches apart so that the bulbs project well into the smoke stream. One of the thermometers (the ‘wet bulb‘) has a muslin bag or sleeve tied round the bottom inch or two of the stem, so that it completely surrounds the mercury bulb.

Before a reading is taken, this bag is moistened by dipping in clean water, preferably distilled water, and after putting back in position, the reading of the thermometer is taken when it is steady after about half a minute. The ordinary temperature of the dry bulb should be read on the other thermometer at the same time as that of the wet bulb. The smoke should not pass over the wet bulb immediately before the dry bulb in case the air gets cooled by evaporation before affecting the dry bulb. Continue Reading »

The idea of the kitchen as the heart of the home dates back to the dayswhen kitchens were power houses of service and industry and had a staff to run them! Fitted furniture and neat appliances mean they now have all sorts of other benefits to offer — and are much more fun to decorate.

Practicality should be uppermost in your kitchen planning. Even if you’re not a keen cook, or want a rustic, unfitted look,you will still need unobstructed access to cooker, fridge, sink, work tops and storage. And the kitchen is usually the room that has to accommodate all the general paraphernalia for which there’s no room elsewhere, from cleaning equipment to spare light bulbs and fuses. Colour and decoration will make it a pleasant place to work, but the most important thing is that it suits the way you live. This tells you how to plan a new kitchen — and how to update an old one at a fraction of the cost! Continue Reading »

Serving

As long as there is sufficient work surface beside the hob, the oven or the free-standing cooker on which to put plates and serving dishes, there should be few problems.

Within the serving area there should be convenient storage for oven gloves, serving spoons, plates and serving dishes.

Dishwashing

This is often a part of the preparation area. However, if the kitchen is large enough, it may be worth considering a separate dishwashing zone, close to the eating area. This zone will accommodate the waste disposal unit or a rubbish bin and, ideally, a dishwasher. Twin sinks should be large enough to hold a grill pan.

The hob should be linked by a worktop to the sink. It should also have ample work surfaces on both sides of it. Kettle, tea, coffee, cups and saucers are best kept close to the sink. Toasters should be on a work surface or shelf near to the bread. Deep drawers for bread storage are preferable to bins on the work surface. Continue Reading »

Copperware

Copper preserving pans and bowls for beating eggs are unlined. All other copper pans for cooking are usually lined with tin, nickel or silver, and should be relined when necessary.

Use wood or plastic for stirring in lined copper pans.

Tarnished copper can be cleaned with half a lemon dipped into a tablespoon of salt and vinegar. Rub hard. Then wash in hot soapy water and dry thoroughly.

Non- stick

Non-stick coatings vary in quality and the way they are applied. It is important therefore to follow the manufacturer’s own care instructions.

The following notes on the care of Tefal, where the metal is etched before the non-stick polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) is poured on to the surface, are good guide lines for all non-stick pans : Continue Reading »

Getting organized is your top priority in the kitchen. Deciding how much youwant to store and where it will be most accessible will help you eliminate kitchen clutter. Space is the most precious commodity, and the use of variable heights and split- levels can provide some ingenious and visually exciting solutions.

Plan your shelves to accommodate the various shapes and sizes of your crockery, cooking utensils and glassware. Functional flexibility is the key to effective storage. The style and appearance of your storage in the kitchen must reflect the character of the room. Continue Reading »

The busiest area in the kitchen (called the ‘work triangle’ by the experts) is around the sink,fridge and stove. Position these units close to each other, with work surfaces next to them. Doors should not interfere with the safe operation of appliances, nor should appliance doors interfere with one another.

No major traffic patterns should cross through the basic work triangle. Put tall cabinets outside the work triangle. The food preparation area should be between the sink and the stove, linked by a long work surface. The most important distance is between the sink and the hob as this is the most frequently trodden path. Continue Reading »