Written by:  Brian Buchanan

Le Creuset Dutch Oven

Dutch oven

1) a metal shield for roasting before an open fire

2) a brick oven in which cooking is done by the preheated walls

3)  a : a cast-iron kettle with a tight cover that is used for baking in an open fire            b : a heavy pot with a tight-fitting domed cover

After undertaking and completing a major renovation on our home, and no longer having a desire to pick up a hammer or saw, or for that matter, even see one.   Watching any type of renovating television show that aired on HGTV or DIY became torturous. I needed to escape the reality of renovation; enter, Food Network. 

Cooking shows were the prescription the chef ordered.  Watching these shows not only relieved me of the pain from the renovation, but they actually taught me how to cook. Prior to this, I could hardly boil water. A few years later, as a Christmas gift, I received a Le Creuset Dutch oven. It quickly became one of my favorite pieces of cookware. 

 I can use it to sear a roast on the cooktop,

slow cook the roast with veggies in the oven,

then take it directly to the table top for serving.

The versatile Le Creuset is also extremely durable. Just ask the owners of this one, being one of their few belongings to survive a fire.

Le Creuset comes in a variety of colors with names like Flame, Cherry, Caribbean, Kiwi, Dijon, Black Onyx and Cassis.  With names like these, who would want to hide them inside a cabinet, even though we custom design our cabinets to store your Dutch oven? 

I, like many cooks, choose to display my Le Creuset out in the open.  And why not?  They can add a pop of contrasting color or easily blend in with their surroundings. 

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is my favorite Food Network star. Watching her, she taught me to cook my first “major” meal, pot roast. Ina also recommends Le Creuset, and as she would say, “how bad can that be?”

Ina Garten's Company Pot Roast

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

Good olive oil

2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy

2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree

1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 branches fresh thyme

2 branches fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

Worth Repeating 

Written by Laurie Lehrich

Visual Rhythm is one of the most powerful principles of effective architecture and design.  It has been described as a timed movement through space.  It strengthens a concept, gives weight to a design, and I find that there is something reassuring and solid about a predictable pattern or detail.

One can achieve rhythm in several ways: through repetition, linear rhythm, alternation, and gradation.  I see these methods employed daily in architecture,  kitchen design, and interiors.

This is one of my favorite New England photos that illustrates how soothing a repetitive design can be.  This fence may be found in Bennington, VT.

Another effective use of rhythm in the tile pattern, the wine shelves, and the even in the wood grain. 

 I have no idea what this is; I liked it because it reminded me of a similar project way back in college.  Fun times. 

Another method for creating rhythm is by way of alternation. M.C. Escher was a master at this technique.

Gradation Rhythm in wood slats created as a room divider.

Two lovely examples of linear rhythm. 

Written by:  Mai Miyata

bake·ware 

Function: Noun

1) dishes used for baking and serving food

Bakeware has evolved over time and many people own ceramic and metal pieces, as well as silicone molds. Personally I’m not a fan of the silicone products but everyone has their own preferences. 

Written by:  Mary Kathryn Timoney

RE-INVENT YOUR NEST

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I wrote about “stay-cations”. While it seems that little may have changed in the past year, I’m inspired by the enthusiasm that is starting to show itself.  People are getting tired of being in a funk about “the economy”, and ready to move on and get energized again. 

Rather than starting from scratch, as we may have done in the past, people are anxious to re-invent their spaces and bring new life to their surrounds.  Why, even the Beijing Olympic National Stadium is getting re-invented!

The famous Beijing Olympic National Stadium…

Beijing Olympic National Stadium “Bird’sNest” to be Converted to Shopping Center

Here are a few neat twists on birds’ nests.  I hope they invoke in you a sense of beauty, whimsy, and creativity (okay, a few are a little scary, but creative never-the-less). Most of all, may they inspire you to find a new twist to breathe some life into your nest, as these homeowners did with their 10 year old kitchen by Design Galleria.

Lady Gaga’s bird’s nest head…

(a little scary)

Birds’ nest cradle?

 (a little scarier)

Birds’ Nest Chandelier…

Bird’s Nest Chairs…

“The Birds’ Nest” at the Swedish Treehotel… 

The Bird's Nest was designed by Inredningsgruppen

Inside the bird's nest is enough space for a couple and two children. This room, for example, is offered for 3,800 Swedish Crowns ($512 USD) per night and includes breakfast. 

Written by:  Diane Baumeister

Everything but the kitchen sink…

Kitchen Sink

Function:  Noun 

1)  a sink in a kitchen                  

2) plumbing fixture consisting of a water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe.

What you are about see is not your grandmother’s kitchen sink.

Sink by Franke

Here’s the whimsical one I mentioned, it is made by Elkay…party on!

But not all sinks today are made of stainless steel. Some are stone and ceramic as well. 

Written by:  Melody Hentschel

wet bar 

Frunction:  Noun

1) A small bar or counter for making alcoholic drinks that is equipped with a sink and running water

At Design Galleria we take great pride in designing beautiful and functional spaces for all areas of the home (not just kitchens and baths).  The wet bar is another area in the home that we typically focus on.

I would like to focus on what you may craft in the wet bar (i.e. a cocktail).  Not only do I enjoy a great cocktail, but I love the mixology that is involved in making one.   Blending flavors of savory, sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or herbs in perfect proportions is interesting to read about, fun to watch, and even better to taste.

The presentation of a cocktail can be just as fun.  They can classic, fussy, elegant, or all three.

...and some cocktails could be a bit dangerous. 

Here are a few local places to enjoy a great cocktail.  Cheers! Salute! Prost!

http://holeman-finch.com/

http://www.pozolerestaurant.com/

http://www.iberianpigatl.com/

Written by:  Matthew Quinn

Polygonal blocks:

Kitchen Island  

Written by:  Lou Guerra 

Function:  Noun

An unattached counter in a kitchen that permits access from all sides

1)  A zone or area resembling an island

It’s often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home.  I don’t think I’ve met anyone who would disagree with that notion.  But I also think that if the kitchen is the heart of the home, the island is the beat of the heart from which all the warmth flows.

Ever since we started our blogs here at Design Galleria a few months ago, whatever the word, whomever the writer, however the tie-in to design, I find myself visualizing my own house, and how the writer’s ideas and photo depictions can transform the spaces of the little sanctuary I call home.  I can not put into words the dreams these blogs have inspired.

I’ve lived in my home for eight years, and from day one, I have fantasized about the perfect island for the center of my kitchen.  To this day, my kitchen is missing this centerpiece.  It’s missing the beat.

You probably think there is something wrong with me that I can’t find my fantasy island after eight years.  I have many personal design challenges (which is why I’m an accountant and not a designer) and I tend to over think things.  My house is older and traditional, but I tend to have modern tastes.  Getting those two things to meld well is not easy.  Here are some of the things that bounce around in my head when I think about an island for my kitchen:  I’m torn with how the side profile of the island should look as I enter into the kitchen from the dining room.  Should the island be the same height as my countertops?  Higher? Lower?  Round? Square? Some other shape? Neutral in color? Provide a splash of vibrant color? Do I have enough space to fit a few bar stools on one side?  How long is too long?  How wide is too wide? Should it have a more open base or one closed for more storage?  Will my ultimate choice add to the flow of the room or will it impede it?  

The beat of the island should be rhythmic and smooth, not clunky or bothersome.  All of these choices/decisions and all of my personal challenges will keep this fantasy and search alive for much longer. Of that, I’m sure.  But I can tell you this…when I finally find one, it will be absolutely perfect.

Written by:  Brian Buchanan

 Induction Cooktop

Induction- in·duc·tion

Function: noun 

1 a : the act or process of inducting (as into office)

 b : an initial experience : initiation 

c : the formality by which a civilian is inducted into military service

2 a (1) : inference of a generalized conclusion from particular instances — compare deduction 2a (2) : a conclusion arrived at by induction 

b : mathematical demonstration of the validity of a law concerning all the positive integers by proving that it holds for the integer 1 and that if it holds for an arbitrarily chosen positive integer k, it must hold for the integer k + 1 —called also mathematical induction

3 : a preface, prologue, or introductory scene especially of an early English play

4 a : the act of bringing forward or adducing (as facts or particulars) 

b : the act of causing or bringing on or about 

 : the process by which an electrical conductor becomes electrified when near a charged body, by which a magnetizable body becomes magnetized when in a magnetic field or in the magnetic flux set up by a magnetomotive force, or by which an electromotive force is produced in a circuit by varying the magnetic field linked with the circuit 

d : the inspiration of the fuel-air charge from the carburetor into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine 

e : the process by which the fate of embryonic cells is determined (as by the action of adjacent cells) and morphogenetic differentiation brought about

With the introduction of smart phones along came instant email, texting, status updates on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, checking in with foursquare and on and on. Our daily lives are quickly becoming a bit hectic.  Any professional organizer will tell you in order to help relieve the clutter in our lives we must eliminate the clutter in our homes.  Kitchens are no exception.  

One way to reduce kitchen clutter is the use of induction cooktops.  These sleek cooktops can help visually clean up your counter top, eliminating the need for knobs and grates, allowing a smooth surface that virtually disappears.  They are the iPads of a kitchen.  

Induction cooking is the use of high-frequency electromagnets, which generate electromagnetism energy into a pan, causing the pan to heat.  This, in turn, cooks the food.  The pan is the only thing that is heated, allowing the cooktop to remain cool.  

This photo from the St. Regis Atlanta Symphony Showhouse is the perfect example of a cooktop that virtually disappears.

Here are other photos showing the use of induction cooktops.

Written by:  Patricia Danzig

 Creativity with Food in the Kitchen:

Once upon a time, I had a wedding cake business.  I only ran the business for one summer, however,  I loved having it as the outlet for my creativity. There were so many opportunities to be creative with a medium that I love: FOOD.  There are countless ways to express yourself in the kitchen using food.  Some of them are very simple and easy and can be accomplished within minutes such as these cupcakes for a child’s birthday party: