Cabinet install!

Chickens-

So you've read about our kitchen design process HERE.  And you've read about our decision to pull the trigger on Poggenpohl cabinets HERE.

So now, this has happened:

The truck arrived!

Staging the cabinets in front of the house.

Boxes of joy!

Just some of the 63 boxes that arrived!

Starting on the baking nook.  The open holes on the back wall are for the oven and warming drawer,
the space above gets finished out with vertical shelving for baking trays.

The other side of the baking nook, the L hole will get a dishwasher,
the right will get an undercounter wine fridge, and the center gets a prep sink.

Looking at the other side of the kitchen from the baking nook.

Inside the peninsula section.  The hole on the back wall gets the other dishwasher.

The sink wall.

The other side of the U, the rangetop will set into that open section on the left,
the right side gets the second wall oven and warming drawer.

This is part of the island, it will get the same countertop as the rest of the kitchen.
There will be a second section of the island that has the butcherblock.

A bird's eye view!

The cabinets are so gorgeous I cannot even tell you.  At least once a day I wander upstairs to fondle them.  Poggenpohl exceeded all expectations.  Marcy came to check in on the delivery and install, to make sure all was smooth.  We were so impressed with how they handled everything.  The delivery was white glove, so even though we were delivering to the second floor (actually a flight and a half once you count the stoop), there was no extra charge to bring all 63 boxes in!  And unpacking one unit, we found this...

Little love note from quality control!

Apparently the front panel of this drawer did not pass muster at the final pre-packing inspection, so they removed it, taped on this little note saying that they would be shipping a new part, and we found the replacement piece in one of the other boxes, labeled so that we knew what it was for.  That was pretty amazing.  I knew that their customer service is such that if we had identified a problem on our own they would have been all over it, but to know that they were really inspecting so closely that they were doing everything possible to ensure we WOULDN'T find anything wrong was pretty cool.

Now that all the cabinets are in, we got to measure for countertops...and when I say that those are as gamechanging as the cabinets, believe it!  More on those in the next post.

And as it is the holiday season, it is not too late to get personalized copies of my books for friends and family.  If you send a copy of your receipt to staceyballisinfo (at) gmail (dot) com, along with a mailing address, I will send a personalized signed bookplate for you to insert into the book for happy gifting.  Or you can call Suzy and her team at The Book Cellar  and they will have me pop in to sign the books, and they can wrap them and send them out.

And as always, a quick and easy digital gift is Big Delicious Life,  all you need is the email address for the recipient!

Since it is Hanukah, I thought I would give you my foolproof and delicious latke recipe!  These lacy fried potato pancakes are a great dish to have in your arsenal around the holidays, especially since they freeze beautifully!  I often make little ones and top with smoked salmon or smoked trout or creme fraiche and caviar for cocktail parties.  They are easier to make and more fun than hashed browns for your next brunch.  And no grated knuckles!

Latkes

Serves 8

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 beaten eggs

1 t salt

2-4 T flour

peanut or canola oil for frying

Put half of the potatoes into a blender or food processor with half the onions.  Blend or pulse just until you hear the last potato hit the blade, pour into bowl.  Repeat with other half of potatoes and onions.  Mix eggs with salt and add to potato mixture, add enough flour to thicken slightly, every potato has a different moisture level, you want the batter to still be pourable.  Heat ¼ inch of oil in large 12” skillet (nonstick is great if you have one), and fry by tablespoonfuls until crisp and deep golden brown on both sides.  Hold in a single layer on a rack over a sheet tray in a 200-degree oven till it is time to serve.

Serve hot with applesauce and sour cream for traditional hanukah celebrations, or room temp with savory toppings for New Year's Eve!   

Once cooked and cooled, you can freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, and once frozen, put into a freezer bag for storage.  Reheat desired number on a greased rack over a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven FROM FROZEN for about15-25 minutes, depending on size.  

Yours in Good Taste,

The Polymath