GET STEAMED... OR HOW I WENT TO GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI AND FELL IN LOVE WITH AN OVEN

“Steaming is great because of its speed and minimal impact on [the] flavor and texture of food. The method is particularly appropriate with ingredients that bring a delicate flavor. Fresh vegetables are perfectly suited to steam cooking, as they have subtle, delicious flavors that are lost to more aggressive heat. Poultry, pork, and many kinds of seafood are also beautiful matches with this form of cooking.” FamilyEducation.com

“Steam ovens, (often called ‘combi ovens,’ because they cook with a combination of steam and dry heat), are a chef’s secret weapon.” Food and Wine Magazine


Last week, at Viking Range Company’s designer open house program, I had some of the best stir-fried rice and cheesecake I’ve ever enjoyed – prepared in its Steam/Convect Oven™, (shown above right). Now I seriously want one! This baby:

* Steams
* Roasts
* Bakes
* Browns
* Reheats

It even multi-tasks! The Steam/Convect Oven can cook two dishes on two separate settings at the same time to get dinner on the table faster. How perfect is that for busy homeowners?

Here’s a 10-second video Viking has prepared to show the S/O in operation.


OTHER RESOURCES

Many major manufacturers make combination steam ovens. Here are a few links for your convenience:

Gaggenau
Kitchen Aid
Kuppersbusch
Miele

The Gaggenau offers the unique feature of a side-opening door, which is ideal for wheelchair users. I have not had the opportunity to evaluate or use any of these competing combination-steam ovens on the market, so I can’t comment on them with any authority.

If you decide that this is an appliance that would enhance your kitchen – as I have – then compare and contrast. When I start shopping for my own Casa de Goldberg combi-steam oven, these are the Viking benchmarks I’ll be using:

* Doesn’t need to be plumbed for less expensive installation and easier maintenance.
* Multi-tasks for cook’s convenience and faster cooking time.
* Alerts owner to run self-clean (de-scale) function so I don’t have to worry about it.

Here are a few related considerations for adding a combi-steam oven to your kitchen:

* Will it replace an existing second oven?
* If so, does it need or come with a trim kit?
* Do you need a new cabinet to accommodate an added appliance?
* Do you have a licensed electrician to run the wiring and install it?
* What is the most convenient location in your kitchen for this new appliance, based on your cooking plans for it?
* Where can it be safely installed?
* Do you have trusted local appliance and remodeling experts to guide you?


BLOG BONUS

Here, compliments of Viking Product Training Manager and hostess extraordinaire Dorothy Gates, is the recipe for the best cheesecake on the planet:

CHEESECAKE

Crust:

3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Using a [Viking] Food Processor, combine ingredients until blended.

Press into a spring form pan, pressing halfway up the sides of the pan.

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups sour cream

Using a [Viking] Stand Mixer, cream cheese and sugar until smooth on medium speed.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth, scraping down bowl from time to time.

Mix in vanilla and sour cream until combined.

Pour into spring form pan.

Place rack at level 1 and level 3.

Preheat oven using Truconvec™ cooking, 300°F.

Bake until center is set but not firm, at 300°F, 1 hour 10 minutes.

Let set in oven for 10 minutes with door open.

Cool completely before removing from pan.

Enjoy!


FINAL THOUGHTS

This is my second entry in a Gold Notes holiday entertaining series. Last week, I focused on wine storage. I haven't decided on next week's topic yet. (If you have a request, don't hesitate to let me know.) I also shared some holiday entertaining tips with my Tampa Tribune Flair Magazine readers this month. Click to page 41 to read this story, which includes tips from an appliance pro, caterer/cafe owner and wine expert.

TOP KITCHEN PRODUCTS FROM KBIS 2008

Every year, the leading companies in the kitchen and bath industry gather for the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, the largest gathering of manufacturers, dealers and designers in North America. This year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association, which produces KBIS, decided to feature official bloggers to cover the show as it occurred. I was one of those bloggers. My beat was "luxury products."

This posting extends beyond the luxury market, though, to products that could benefit any of our kitchens. Here are those I feel are the most helpful, and fill the greatest need.

THERMADOR'S RECIRCULATING DOWNDRAFT

The first is Thermador's recirculating unit for its downdraft ventilation system. While downdrafts and recirculating models are less powerful than a conventional hood vented outdoors, this is a good solution for condo kitchens with island cooktops where outside venting isn't an option. I had one of those projects earlier this year and was delighted to find this solution at the show. Sister company, Bosch, is also offering a recirculating unit for its downdrafts. They're expected to be available by the end of August 2008.


MIELE RETRACTABLE HOOD

Here's another innovation in cooking ventilation systems from Miele. This one elevates when not in use. It is ideal for open plan kitchens with killer views, that would be partially obstructed by a standard hood. Shown here: Model DA424 is scheduled for October or November 2008 release.



COUNTERTOP-MOUNTED POT FILLER

These are not a new introduction, but nonetheless merit a mention as they've more than proved their value, and showed up at most of the fixture companies' booths. They are ideal for an island-based cooktop or range, where a wall-mounted pot-filler won't work. Shown: Hansgrohe's Talis S Pot Filler, Deck-Mounted.

VIKING'S INDUCTION RANGE

Just about every appliance manufacturer was showing an induction cooktop at KBIS. Viking was the only one I spotted with an induction range in the works. This is ideal for homeowners who want to replace appliances, not cabinets. The new induction range, expected at the end of this year or early 2009, can fit in the same spot as a 30-inch gas or electric range, and save you money on your utility bills. For more induction advantages, please see my earlier posting on this topic. If you'd like a sneak peak at the KBIS-displayed range prototype, you can click here at my KBIS Blog - Day One entry and scroll down three snapshots to see the photograph I took at the Viking booth.


KUPPERBUSCH'S INDUCTION WOK

While on the subject of induction cooking which, by now, you know I heartily endorse, this induction wok from German manufacturer, Kuppersbusch, is a great kitchen addition for those who enjoy stir-fry.



GE PROFILE'S SINGLE/DOUBLE WALL OVEN

If you'd love to have a double oven, but have a space-challenged kitchen, you'll love this innovation from GE Profile. It allows you to cook in two ovens while only using the space requirements of one. The larger, lower oven can accommodate a 22-pound turkey, while the upper one cooks side dishes. This is the perfect holiday helper, and is expected to debut October 2008.

DISHWASHER INNOVATIONS

Asko introduced two dishwasher innovations: a third rack for low-profile items like bowls and a special rack for extra glasses. Electrolux added a light to the interior of their dishwasher, which is handy if you drop something in the bottom after a late-night snack attack.


FISHER & PAYKEL'S COOLDRAWER

Fisher & Paykel, the folks who energized the dishwasher category with their double drawer model several years ago, have come up with something new, unique and very convenient. It’s a refrigerator. It’s a freezer. You set the temperature for your current need, then change it in the future if those needs changed. This versatile, single drawer-based appliance can live in your cooking zone under a cooktop, so no more carrying a slab of ribs across the kitchen. I can see this chiller also working well in a catering kitchen, a Kosher kitchen, (which frowns on dairy fraternizing with meat), a wheelchair-user’s kitchen, given its upper drawer placement, and my next kitchen, too.



MIELE'S REMOTEVISION TECHNOLOGY REFRIGERATORS

Imagine if your refrigerator alerted you if one of its doors was left open, (or if there was a malfunction threatening your perishables). You don't have to imagine any longer. Miele's new RemoteVision technology will do that for you. It won't tell you which son or daughter left the fridge open, but at least you'll know to phone home and get someone to close it! Shown below: One of Miele's refrigerator/freezer models with RemoteVision -- KF 1901 SF.

COMING SOON

Look for an upcoming "Top Bathroom Products from KBIS 2008" posting.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you're interested in more information about any of these appliances not furnished here or on the company's web sites, please let me know. I may be able to get your questions answered through my manufacturers' contacts.

Also, if you live in the Tampa, Florida area, feel free to contact me to run some local comparison pricing for you. I do long-distance consulting on appliance planning, too, but not price comparisons out of area. Feel free to contact me at (813) 810-0467 or jamie@jgkitchens.com.

MY OLYMPIC DREAM

Did you watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games last Friday night? I was one of the billion or so viewers who tuned in and enjoyed the festivities. My favorite moment, by far, was NBA and Team China basketball star Yao Ming leading the Chinese team in the Parade of Nations with Lin Hao, a nine-year-old Chinese earthquake survivor.

That scene touched me in so many ways. For one thing, it is so rare to see a celebrity today who is willing to share the spotlight with anyone else, much less a scene-stealing child. Another was the delicious contrast between the 7’6” giant and the diminutive boy walking next to him, both cheered mightily by their countrymen and guests alike.

The third was learning of the heroism of this youngster, who went back into the collapsed building to rescue two classmates. When asked later why he did this, after managing his own escape, he responded that he was a class leader risked his own safety because that’s what he was supposed to do as a leader. Wow. Yao Ming is also a leader in this regard. Though he now lives in Houston, Texas, he has established a charitable foundation to rebuild schools in the earthquake-struck region of China to higher construction standards so that no other children have to die.

So what does this all have to do with design, the primary focus of this blog. Being a designer myself and musing at the disparity between the towering basketball player and the tiny boy by his side, I began to wonder, how would I go about designing a kitchen for Yao Ming… That is my Olympic dream!


HEIGHTS OF SUCCESS

Clearly, you can’t fill a super-sized athlete’s kitchen with standard-height cabinets – not if he likes to cook at all. (His bride of one year, Ye Li, is a 6’3” member of China’s national women’s basketball team.) I would design their kitchen in a custom line that allows me to change the cabinets’ height, and identify which, if any, cooking tasks he enjoys participating in when he’s not on the road. For some very successful people, cooking is a relaxing hobby. If Yao Ming is among that group, I’d want to be sure his ergonomics were taken into account. Ye Li may want a taller prep section, too, given her stature.

I have read that Yao Ming’s mother, who now lives in the States and owns a restaurant in Houston, loves to cook old-fashioned Chinese food for her son. If Yao and his wife still enjoy having her cook for them in their home on a regular basis, as she did regularly when he was a bachelor, a section of the kitchen could be zoned for Mama Yao. Though she’s a retired basketball player herself and restaurateur, I would plan a table-height space in her section with some roll-under seating. That will let this hard worker get off her feet for a while as she preps her special dishes.


HEALTHY LIVING

Health is always a big concern for professional athletes. I would plan on construction materials for Yao Ming’s kitchen that would contribute to his well-being. For example, I’d probably specify Breathe Easy cabinetry, which is made from formaldehyde-free plywood with no- and low-VOC finishes. I’d recommend quartz countertops for an easy-maintenance, non-porous countertop. (I've blogged about both of these recently in a healthy kitchen posting.)

I would also suggest a softer floor than the typical stone or wood celebrity kitchen. NBA knees and feet already take a pounding on the court. They don’t need to do so at home. Cork or Marmoleum Click would be my health-based recommendations, as both are anti-allergenic and anti-mold. Rubber is another great option. While none of these really sound like they could meet a celebrity home’s style quotient, I promise you that I can deliver the aesthetic points, too.

A top-notch ventilation system must also be factored into this remodel, so that all the Yao chow, (my foodie husband’s pun, not mine, I swear), cooking gases escape outside. You can’t account for air quality in Houston or Beijing, but at least indoor air quality in this Houstonian home will be top-notch. I hear good breathing is quite helpful in sports.


HEAVY METAL

There are a few appliance categories that could particularly benefit this household. Since Yao and his wife both have professional athletes’ heavy travel schedules, Miele’s new refrigerators with RemoteVision – introduced at this year’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show – are among those I’d suggest to this couple . The technology communicates any temperature malfunction or open fridge doors, (which could be really helpful if you’re on a long road trip), back to its manufacturer. The manufacturer then alerts a homeowner contact to alert them about trouble at home.

Given the customized height of this kitchen’s cabinets to accommodate the basketball players, a cooktop and wall ovens will work better than a range for the Yaos. I’m partial to induction cooking, as I’ve blogged about before. It’s more energy efficient and safer to use than a standard gas or electric cooktop, (especially for aging eyes and young hands, if the Yaos start a family in this home). Best of all, it offers the same cooking performance as professional gas burners without the need for gas flame or fuel.

A pair of wall ovens, one microwave/convection and one standard-steam could be good options for the Yaos. (Many Chinese dishes are prepared by steaming, so Kuppersbusch’s Combi-Steam oven could be ideal for this couple.) If space allows, I’d mount each in separate cabinets so that both ovens could be set at ideal heights for their users.

If Mama Yao is getting her own cooking section, she might enjoy an induction wok. Kuppersbusch demonstrated one at KBIS and it really sizzled. Many restaurateurs in Europe are switching to induction, I’m told. Mrs. Yao could start that trend among her U.S. colleagues. I’d also suggest a refrigerator of her own, so that she can have her preferred ingredients close at hand in her area. Two options present themselves: One is the standard, under-counter double drawer refrigerator widely available in both stainless and panel-ready versions. A new innovation – also launched at the most recent KBIS – is Fisher & Paykel’s CoolDrawer. This unit serves as either a refrigerator or freezer, depending on the user’s preference at any given time, and can install directly under a cooktop for both super-handy convenience and compact spaces.


FENG SHUI

I don’t have professional-level training in feng shui, the Chinese system of home and room arrangement, and its principles may be important to the Yaos, both natives of China. (I would have a feng shui consultant review the plans before any final decisions were made, if this were something the Yaos desired.)

In feng shui, the kitchen is extremely important, both in terms of its placement in the home and the placement of elements within it. Quite happily, many feng shui kitchen concepts mesh well with the design principles I already practice. For example, feng shui recommends that kitchens be located at the back of the home. This is ideal for houses with outdoor living areas just beyond the back door, as it creates a great indoor-outdoor entertaining flow.

Feng shui also suggests that the cook be able to see the room’s entry while working at the range or cooktop. This ties in well with participatory cooking/entertaining, which many young professionals enjoy. Given that we’re planning a cooktop for the Yaos, it can certainly be located on an island that faces the main views of the room. (Wouldn’t it be fun to watch someone so wonderfully dexterous play in the kitchen!)


STAR CENTER

I’m a strong believer that an open plan kitchen should fit well into its home environment, just like a team member fits with his team. One of the major mistakes I steer clients away from making is creating a gorgeous new kitchen that looks completely out of place in its setting. The Yaos already own a large, fairly new home in the Houston suburbs. I haven’t seen it for myself, but feel safe presuming that it has an open floor plan, as most young houses are designed that way. I would ensure that their remodeled kitchen, should they decide to take on such a project, would work for their home, their lives and their careers.

So call me some time, Rocket Man (or Mrs. Rocket Man)! Make my Olympic dream come true.

INDUCTION RE-INTRODUCTION

Induction cooking isn't new, but it is certainly enjoying renewed attention. Deservedly so. Here are some of the benefits of this clean, green cooking machinery:

Speed Demon:
Induction heats water faster than pro-style gas burners. I got to witness that myself at the GE Monogram Designer Training earlier this year, where the induction cooktop whupped a 15,000 BTU cooktop in a race to the boil. (Don't just take the word of perky TV pitch women!)

Energy Saver:
Induction is more energy efficient than electric or gas. The PR folks at Windcrest make this point: Induction transfers 90% of the energy created to the pan while radiant cooking like gas or electric coils are capable of only 50 to 55% energy efficiency.

Safety Patrol:
Induction works through electro-magnetic energy transfer between the burner and the pot. Happily, only the pot and the burner around it get hot. As soon as the pot is removed, the burner cools down again. This flameless technology is great for families with young children and any household members with limited vision.

KBIS 2008 Induction Nuggets: A couple of very cool induction products shown at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show last April in Chicago included:

>Viking

Viking's new range with induction cooking. Right now, induction is typically available on cooktops only, so you'd need a separate single or double wall oven. This induction range is ideal for smaller kitchens, and induction is a great upgrade from electric. (FYI, it's not on their web site yet, but as an official KBIS blogger, I was allowed to bring my camera onto the show floor and took a photo of it, which I share with you here!)

>Kuppersbusch

Kuppersbusch, a 133-year-old German company not yet well known in the U.S., is offering an induction wok. At their ridiculously out-of-the-way booth at the show, they demo'ed this appliance and it's truly phenomenal. I think even Martin Yan might like this product.