(Not) In Our Kitchen

We recently visited some friends for a long weekend and as thanks for a free place to stay we cooked one day. Here are some photos of their fantastic kitchen and our meal.

First course served around noon

I really liked the chalk board as a cheese plate. Having the names of all the wacky cheeses made everyone sound like they knew what they were talking about without trying to figure out which crumpled plastic label went with which cheese. It also kept the food chilled longer.

A good start

Our friends liquor supply exceeds ours so we had many cocktails during our stay. Katherine found a forgotten jar of ginger pear preserves in the refrigerator and used it to make a simple syrup to flavor the bubbly. (Cook equal parts preserves and water over medium heat until thick and smooth then strain to remove any chunks. Use about a tablespoon per glass and throw in just a dash of Cointreau.)

All this for a soup

For dinner we served Carrot and Red Bell Soup, Roast Veal Shoulder with crisp green beans, and Browned Nectarines for dessert. The menu was decided that day by what the farmers market in their neighborhood had to offer and the butcher had that was fresh. If we ever win the lottery that is how I would shop for dinner every day.

 

A fun kitchen element

Another thing we really liked about their kitchen (aside from all the natural light) was the full sized chalk board on the wall. We had thought about doing the same thing during the kitchen remodel, but decided there was not enough space after all the cabinets went in.

 

Yes the ceiling and walls are covered in used soju wrappers

Above is a photo of one of the best Korean restaurants ever. Bonus points if you know it.

Meanwhile back in our kitchen was one very unhappy dog. Mingus was waiting for us with an abscessed tooth.

He’s better now

To get a peek inside other bloggers’ kitchens hop on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly roundup. Celia, we hope we didn’t break any rules by taking In Our Kitchen on the road.