Bertazzoni Rules

I just heard that the baby Bertazzoni oven will be delivered this coming Friday. I am so excited to receive this little jewel. It has an infrared broiling system and a convection feature. It's going to bake our bread!
Meanwhile, we've started to empty the kitchen cupboards and cull. Some will go to the garage sale and some will go to both kids. Each is getting boxes of extra stuff I've accumulated over the years. Some Blue Willow china and some baking dishes and bowls. The hutch is empty and has a new home. The bowl cupboard is next. Need many more boxes. Are you not envying me now? This is the bad part. I'll be excited to repack the kitchen when it's done. So much depends on other people and their schedules.
Arguing over what stays and what goes hasn't been fun with hubby. He's back to work, so I'll cull in peace this week.

Kitchen sinks

The plot thickened when I realized that one can only put a top-mounted sink over Formica. Do not, do not believe any sink manufacturer who will insist that their sink can be flush mounted with Formica or any other laminate countertop. The installers just won't do it. Water getting near the under stuff they use will ruin it. So I have an apron front sink base cabinet that will be repurposed when we create a buffet across the big room the kitchen is part of. I have to find a positive in this whole mess. I've spent days researching sinks. I wanted a one bowl stainless steel deep sink and I finally found one. It's made by Elkay and I found the best bargain dealing with the Ira Woods people online. No shipping charges. Yippee! I'd send a photo for all to peruse but I didn't save one from the web site. It's a big one made for a 36" base cabinet. The other part I haven't mentioned is that when we bought the Kitchen Craft cabinets, the lot came with a regular sink cabinet, so I own two sink base cabinets. So this lovely sink has a home. This has taken way too much time for my own good.

Steel

I have just ordered a 33" stainless steel sink, 10" deep, one big tub along with a faucet that stand quite tall to slosh around the sink. Both should be so awesome once installed. I've checked on having a pendant light above the island and found one. It'll be the first think seen upon entering this kitchen, so, of course, it needs to make a statement. It's not stainless steel. There's plenty of that in this kitchen. It'll be warmed by the cherry wood cabinets, the red stove, and the dijon mustard paint on the walls. So we're adding metals to wherever we want them.
My current oven is not baking anything very well. Thank goodness its days are numbered. Tried to do a birthday cake for my daughter last weekend. It sunk in the middle despite being cooked at a higher heat and longer. Nothing is coming out of this oven except bread baked at 450º. Weird, huh?
Next purchase is a countertop. Have the stuff picked out. Trying to buy it is become a challenge that shouldn't exist. It's Formica's 180 FX. It looks exactly like granite. When we went to buy it on sale. The salesman would only discuss granite. I don't want granite. It's high maintenance. Even though he mentioned it has a 15 year seal. My understanding from contractors is that the more you cook, the more you clean, the seal wears away in a very short period of time leaving you with an unsealed countertop which still = high maintenance.

Recipe: The best vinaigrette

Hi everyone,
In between reading about the kitchen redo adventure, I'll include some real good stuff you can make in your kitchen. I was never taught how to cook. Everything I've learned was from either cookbooks, other women, and just the hard way by making mistakes.And then came along the Food Network. Whew! Have I learned a thing or two from the fantastic chefs who reside there.
One thing I've learned from just doing is a fantastic vinaigrette. You must begin with the best tasting extra virgin olive oil you can find. The darker the color of the oil, the fruitier its taste. Wine vinegars are usually in the recipe but I have discovered some wonderful balsamic vinegars, both regular and white, which make great vinaigrettes. The recipe is two parts oil, one part vinegar. Throw in sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, some garlic, finely minced and fresh herbs to your liking. Just plain extra virgin olive oil and your favorite vinegar is all you need. Anything added is pure heaven. Go tasting. See what you find and make your own statement.

Cabinets and demolishing

More cabinets were ordered after finding a contractor who had a whole set for sale. We needed to complete the order to fit my kitchen. Creating a larger U over the G that I currently have we had to increase some cabinets. And, boy! do I want drawers. So my larger cabinets will all have drawers. We're also putting in an island. The west wall is going bye=bye and we'll have an extra 6" of floor space. Enough to put in a 3' x 5' island which will be covered with 14 gauge stainless steel counter top. The west wall will also house my "baking center" along with a pantry.
It's a wonderful feeling to see a kitchen stripped of its inards and be able to recreate without changing the roof line. I have a limited budget.
Demolition is scheduled towards the end of this month. We'll have to set up a portable kitchen outside. The refrigerator is going into the garage where it will stay until it dies. It's being replaced by a counter depth style refridge. Walls will come down, new sheet rock, partial new ceiling, then painting. Yippee!

Seeing red

Have you ever wanted to own a Ferrari? A bright red Ferrari? I bought the Bertazzoni 36" dual fuel range not just because its burner configuration is perfect, powerful and yet it can actually simmer, its oven with its true European convection system, its stout build, but I could actually have it in red. Yes! Red. I've always wanted to walk into my kitchen on a gray, rainy day (which happens way too often here) and feel the warmth. I've also picked a Dijon mustard yellow for the walls. The cabinets are a natural cherry, adding more red to the room. It's a dream come true playing with these colors. The stove is actually painted in a plant that does the Ferrari. If only they'd send the car instead of the stove! Actually, right now, I'd take the stove.

The whole works!

Looking west

Looking east

Welcome to my project-a new kitchen

I am about to remodel my kitchen. I have posted pictures of the old kitchen and let you know about the plans for the new kitchen. I already have in my garage half of the cabinets and the new Bertazzoni stove, it's backplash in stainless steel and it's hood. Also in stainless steel. Soon, the garage will have a new box, a Bertazzoni 24" wall oven which will sit under a countertop. It's just for bread making.
Sounds silly huh? An oven just for bread. I do some serious bread baking here.
Decisions are still wandering out there on countertop material and flooring. My tendencies are to use Wilsonart countertop that resembles granite and tile for the floors. I live where it rains all the time. Two small grandsons live here and three wienerdogs. All run outside and drag in dirt or mud and who knows what else! My kitchen is the first room you walk into. It's a country kitchen which means we eat in the same room. It's presently a G-shape and it will be a U-shape when we're done.
Any comments?