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August 25, 2015
New Cooking Solutions from AGA
AGA Integrated Dual Fuel Module Combined with AGA Total Control or Dual Control RangeWe've recently introduced readers to the AGA Total Control Range, a unique cooking appliance from Europe with 3 cast iron ovens, and 2 giant cooking hobs that support pots and pans of all sizes. Click on the link below to connect to our previous blog on this product: EXPLORE AGA Now, AGA has rolled out an additional Dual Fuel Module with two ovens and a gas top that can be integrated with their 3 oven AGA Total Control Range above or their AGA Dual Control Range. It's the Best Of Both Worlds.Here's how AGA describes this add-on opportunity to configure a range the way you want it: AGA Integrated Dual Fuel Module The newly released AGA Integrated Dual Fuel Module is designed for those who love the many benefits of their cast iron AGA range and wish to incorporate gas top conventional cooking. This integrated solution attaches to any 3-oven AGA Total Control or 3-oven AGA Dual Control. Want the ultimate AGA? Use the AGA Integrated Module to create a 7-oven cooking experience. Think of the opportunities. Connect an AGA 3 oven Range to the AGA Integrated module to create the 5 oven range above with 2 giant cooking hobs on top along with 4 gas burners (natural or L.P. gas). OR Connect an AGA 5 oven range to the integrated model to -
August 23, 2015
Choosing a new luxury range
3 Reasons to upgrade your rangeIf you're shopping for a new range (stove), at some point your sales associate will need to know whether you want a "standard" range such as those provided by the big name household appliance companies GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire (Electrolux), if you'd rather narrow your selection to luxury ranges for example, Wolf, Viking, or Thermador. You might even want something in between, maybe KitchenAid, Bertazonni, or Bosch. While budget is always important, there are other considerations when moving up from standard model ranges to more deluxe brands and models. Here are three common situations: 1. New luxury homeSo, you're moving into a new neighborhood with custom homes, and a luxury kitchen is de rigueur. Let your sales associate know that you'd like to confine your search for ranges to the more premium brands. 2. Upgrade or Kitchen RemodelIf you are doing a complete remodel of your kitchen, this would be a good time to consider elevating your appliance selections, especially when it comes to cooking appliances. Here's where the Goldilocks rule comes into play. You want appliances that are right for your future home - not too basic, not too luxurious, but just right. Consider, the eventual resale value of your house. If your neighborhood has greatly appreciated over the years, your new kitchen needs to be be able to capture that growth in value with appliances that meet the expectations of a more exclusive buyer. 3. Gourmet ChefWhile it's important to have appliances that -
August 20, 2015
Roast Chicken Dinner from WOLF Appliances at UAKC
Reclaim the Kitchen with Wolf Ranges and Ovens Two days ago we gave you the recipe for the Roast Chicken pictured below (click on the link Roast Chicken for the recipe). Today we're adding the recipe for the Potatoes and Asparagus (thanks to Sub-Zero/Wolf). Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Asparagus Potatoes and Asparagus For the potatoes:1½ pounds small Yukon gold potatoes1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, chopped1 tablespoon olive oilKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper For the asparagus:1 pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed Wash and dry the potatoes and then quarter them with a small paring knife. Place the quartered potatoes in a medium sized work bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Pour the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this will ease clean up and keep the potatoes from sticking to the pan). Without preheating, place the chicken and potatoes into the oven. Select the convection mode and set the temperature to 375°F. Set a timer for one hour. After one hour, remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and place the pans on a heatproof surface. Use a thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Tent the chicken and potatoes with foil and allow to rest. Prepare the asparagus by steaming. Steam the asparagus until the desired doneness is achieved. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut the chicken into quarters and serve alongside the potatoes and asparagus NEW REFINEMENTS, STILL UNMISTAKABLY WOLF Long before there were "pro look" -
August 17, 2015
Roasted Chicken in a New Wolf Oven
Reclaim the Kitchen with Wolf OTHERS DO OUR COOKING FOR US. Did you know in 1900 we ate 98% of our meals in our homes? Today, it’s less than 50%. We spend hours watching cooking shows but a mere 31 minutes a day preparing meals ourselves. There is a solution, though. Reclaiming your kitchen is easy. Just cook. Here's a recipe from Wolf for delicious roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and asparugus. The roasted chicken recipe and preparation are below. Access the recipe for the roasted potatoes and asparagus from reclaimthekitchen.com: ROASTED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS: For the chicken:1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)1 small bunch fresh thyme sprigs1 tablespoon olive oilKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper DESCRIPTION: Serving four people, this meal is easy to bring together. By using a method called "spatchcocking," as well as not needing to preheat the oven, you can put a great dinner on the table in about an hour.PREPARATION: First spatchcock the chicken. This is a simple and effective way of roasting a chicken in less time than a whole chicken traditionally takes. To prepare the chicken, place it on a cutting board breast side down with the thighs towards you. Beginning at the thigh end, use a pair of kitchen shears and cut along one side of the backbone. Turn the chicken around, so the thighs are away from you and cut along the other side of the backbone. The backbone can be discarded or saved for making stock. Flip the chicken over and -
August 09, 2015
Necessities for Drinks and Entertaining
Stocking the Liquor CabinetDo you have the ingredients for a Manhattan?A few nights ago my wife decided she wanted a Manhattan. Well, let's see. Bourbon Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Bitters, Orange Peel, and a Maraschino Cherry. We had the Bourbon and Sweet Vermouth (my wife had planned ahead). Alas, we had everything in stock except for the Bitters, the Orange Peel, and the Cherry. FAIL.This made me think about what a well-stocked bar should consist of (within reason). Here's my list: Vodka - My friends seem to like Grey Goose, but by all means choose your favorite. Gin - My brand is Bombay Sapphire, but I hear Tanquery 10 is great also. Blended Whiskey - my wife likes Seagrams. Bourbon - Jim Beam, or choose your favorite poison. Scotch - I gave up Scotch years ago. As I recall, I usually drank JB or Dewars. Tequila - I'm not a tequila drinker, buy my buddies seem to prefer Patron. White Rum - Brand isn't important to me. Rum and Coke drinkers don't seem to care.So, I think that does it for the basics in liquor. These are just for basics. Personally, I'd add an after dinner liquor such as a single malt scotch, and a sweet liqueur such as Amaretto or Kahlua.Here's what you need to add to make mixed drinks: Tonic water Club Soda Cola 7-up bitters grenadine bloody mary mix triple secEven though this is a "basic" list, it may seem a bit daunting. Start with your favorites...that you -
June 17, 2015
2015 Pacific Coast Builder Conference
Largest Builder Trade Show in the Western U.S.PCBC 2015ATTN: Builders, Contractors, and members of the Building IndustryThis year the PCBC (formerly known as the Pacific Coast Builders Conference) is being held in San Diego. Here's the writeup from the California Building Industry Asssociation:Each year, CBIA presents PCBC, the largest regional builders' show in the nation. Held annually in San Francisco or San Diego, PCBC features an extensive display of product innovations from hundreds of the industry's leading manufacturers and suppliers and a full educational conference with topical keynotes, seminars and workshops in fields ranging from business strategies to marketing to product design to applied technology.This trade show has been in existence since 1959. Here are the dates, times, and location of the 2015 PCBC:Dates: June 24th and June 25th, 2015Time: 9:30AM - 5:00PMLocation: San Diego Convention CenterHere are some of the Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center brands that will be exhibiting: Air King Electrolux GE Appliances Monogram Whirlpool KitchenAid Jenn-Air Toto Geberit InsinkeratorAppliance Product Award Winner at PCBCParade of Product WinnersWhat PCBC calls the POP winners for 2015 includes Whirlpool® for their NEW Heat Pump Dryer:Whirlpool® HybridCare™ Heat Pump DryerCompared to typical dryers that use large amounts of energy in the form of venting hot, moist air, the ventless 7.3 cu. ft. Whirlpool® HybridCare™ Heat Pump Dryer regenerates energy during the drying cycle using a refrigeration system to dry and recycle the same air. The technology reduces energy consumption, using up to 73 percent less energy with the Eco Dry -
June 10, 2015
New Bosch Compact Major Appliances
Bosch launches new line of appliances for small spaces We've written before about the challenges of a tiny kitchen (see below), but whether you live in a cottage, a small condo, or a compact add-on unit, you've got choices in supplying your living space with appliances. Click on the link below: Smaller Appliances for Smaller Kitchens Bosch is launching a new line of compact kitchen and laundry appliances designed for space deprived living units. Their offering includes: Laundry Appliances:Compact Front-Load WasherCompact Condenser Dryer (no venting required) Kitchen Apppliances:24" Electric Cooktop24" Gas Cooktop24" Electric Oven18" Dishwasher24" Refrigerator/Freezer These Bosch appliances may be small in size, but they come fully-equipped with the same popular features you'd expect to find on Bosch's German engineered full-sized appliances. In fact, you might say that the European heritage of Bosch gives them a distinct advantage in the small-sized appliance category, since standard sized European appliances are 60 (mm) = approximately 24" wide. In the laundry category, Bosch's washer and dryer can be installed as a stacked pair freeing up additional space. Dryers often present a challenge because they need to be vented out. However, the Bosch compact dryer has a condensation dry system that is designed for ventless operation. Scheduled for July 2015 availability, Bosch will be offering 3 different models to choose from. In kitchen appliances, the Bosch dishwasher is a fully featured dishwasher, but comes in at only 18" wide, 6" slimmer than standard dishwashers. The 24" wall oven will fit underneath the cooktop, -
June 03, 2015
LA's Dwell on Design: 2015
Dwell Wraps Up Dwell on Design: 2015 10th Anniversary for Nation's Biggest Design Show Dwell on Design recently wowed visitors wit new designs, materials and products for homes at this year's recently concluded DWELL show at the LA Convention Center. We've previous blogs promoting the show and highlighting favorite products and brands (click on link below): DWELL 2015 Here are three of our favorite exhibits from Dwell on Design: 2015: Monogram House What is the Monogram House? It's an 825 sq ft modular home built by Method Homes in Seattle, WA. The unit is custom variation on the Method Homes Elemental 1 model designed by Chris Pardo Design: Elemental Architecture. It's custom-fitted it with Monogram’s latest luxury appliances, and along with the design and other features, it is a superb display of modern design. If you missed the Monogram House at Dwell in LA. The house will be on display in Phoenix on June 20 and 21st. ShapeCrete with Fu-Tung Chen We know Fu-Tung Chen from his famous concrete countertops and sinks, and his work designing some of Zephyr Hoods luxury models. See our website link for Zephyr hoods or call or visit one of our showrooms (locations and phone # at the bottom of this page).Ask for the Cheng Collection. ZEPHYR at UAKC Miele Appliances Wow Again Whether it's the exclusive Miele Color - Truffle Brown or their new Miele no-handle dishwasher that has been named Knock2Open, Miele's innovation is practical and sensible. The new color is stunning and -
May 21, 2015
2015 Memorial Day Events in Los Angeles Area
Memorial Day Weekend 2015 Weather Southern California might experience a small amount of rain on the region Friday, possibly affecting road conditions for thousands of people traveling over the Memorial Day weekend. What does all this mean? Leave a few minutes early. Fiesta Hermosa Hermosa Beach (credit: HBCHAMBER.net) Memorial Day weekend in Hermosa Beach means the chance to savor Fiesta Hermosa. This three-day festival has been around since 1972, growing into what the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce says is "the largest arts & crafts fair in Southern California." Along with works by painters, photographers, ceramicists and all other mediums, this outdoor gathering is big on music. Two stages offer tribute bands covering all kinds of top tunes, from rock and roll to country to zydeco and then some. For the little ones, a kiddie carnival providing a petting zoo with pony rides and a rock climbing wall will be all the rage www.fiestahermosa.net Main Street Memorial Day Weekend Block Party Santa Monica (credit: istockphoto.com) Date: May 24, 2015 This year, Santa Monica’s Main Street is throwing a Memorial Day Weekend block party you won’t want to miss. From 3pm to 2am, enjoy Santa Monica’s biggest and best party where venues will be offering food specials, live DJ’s, drink specials, and much more. Tickets range depending on what you get, and start at $10. Circle Barwww.ournightlife.com Topanga Days (credit: Amanda S./Yelp) Dates: May 23, 24 & 25, 2015. The 42nd Annual Topanga Days event is here and will be featured -
May 17, 2015
Kitchen Design Trends
French Kitchens vs. Open Kitchens Appliance manufacturers grind out tons of PR information about their products trying to capture our attention. It can be difficult to sift through the all the bombast and hype to find meaningful content. In a recent press release by a big appliance company describing kitchen design trends, the author conflates "European Minimalistic Design" with "open kitchen design". The pinnacle of interior design, open-concept, European-style minimalism is very trend-forward. They're two very different concepts. Open kitchen designs which have become so popular are not European at all, but an American trend. In fact, the French term "cuisines américaines" refers to a kitchen without a door. French kitchens have doors that can be closed to the rest of the residence.If a Parisian invites you to their home for dinner, you will be served in a dining area separate from the kitchen. You certainly won't get an opportunity to "help with the dishes" and your offer might be considered odd or even an insult. Typically, you'll find Parisian kitchens small and crowded with perhaps a microwave, but no room for the many countertop appliances we consider standard. The refrigerator is quite small since fresh food is purchased daily, but a washing machine is quite common in the kitchen. You'll be amazed at the incredible food that comes from a kitchen that seems to have almost no counter space at all. Of course, things are changing as American trends are spreading to Europe. Even
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