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Come behind the scenes at Simmer + Sauce for a #KitchenTour and see Andrea's Californian kitchen.
My favorite thing about my kitchen is my double Viking convection ovens, I use both often.
Tell us about your kitchen?
My kitchen is not huge, but is a very good size and has an open, spacious feel layout-wise. My kitchen is connected to my family room, a breakfast nook, and area where my desk is and winds directly into my formal dining room. The kitchen is the hearty of our home and where we gather the most.
What have you done to make your kitchen cosy, functional, beautiful or inspiring?
My kitchen was given a "facelift" about three years ago to give it a more contemporary modern look. All the countertops and backsplash were replaced with a neutral, but extremely durable quartzite stone. The walls, cabinets and ceiling for refinished/repainted white. The floors were stripped down and restrained to a lighter color and a matte finish. I also upgraded to the Subzero refrigerator I had been wanting for years.
How do you keep organized while cooking?
I am a very organized person by nature, but after many years of working in a professional kitchen, I become even more so in the kitchen. The trick is to "clean as you go" and always prep everything before you begin cooking. I cook in my kitchen the same way I would in a professional one.
Any tips & tricks for organising your pantry, fridge and ingredients?
I am a huge fan of containers, bins, jars, you name it. In the refrigerator or in the pantry, I group like things together: "cheeses", "milks", "grains", "chocolates" and "spices". Everything has it's place so I can always find what I'm looking for. My kids have their own area in the panty so they don't mess my stuff up.
Do you do a lot of cooking and what are your favourite dishes to make?
As a former professional chef, turned food blogger, I cook constantly. I enjoy cooking and baking all types of things and tend to gravitate towards seasonal dishes and whatever it is I (or my family) israving.
Where do you turn for new recipe ideas?
I get recipe ideas and inspiration from everywhere. Eating out, reading, suggestions from friends. Sometimes simply seeing something at the farmers market or grocery store can inspire me to develop a new recipe.
Do you plan out your recipes for the week or do you like to be spontaneous?
I will typically loosely plan a couple of meals for the week in my head, but that can vary a good amount. If I'm developing or testing recipes, I plan that out a bit more. A lot depends on what my free time looks like in a given week. There are days we sit down down to dinner and I have created multiple different recipes that day and our meal is somewhat random, like Christmas and Easter foods in July.
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make this your dream kitchen?
My 3 wishes for a "dream kitchen" would be: (1) 2 dishwashers instead of just one. (2) a massive walk-in-pantry. (3) a Viking 60" professional range and hood not in the center island.
Whose kitchen would you love to explore? Send us a message!
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