Speak Up

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Battes Kitchen Photo Tour

A chefwife commented on the Angus beef chart in my kitchen so I thought I'd give you a little tour of my kitchen and all of the things the chefs and I have got hanging out in there. 

I wrote about my husband's addiction to plastic wrap a while ago, but it bears repeating. This chef-and most I know- are mesmerized by plastic wrap in large quantities. Behind this 3000 square feet of boxed plastic wrap is an even large box of aluminum foil. 


This is MY most favorite part of the kitchen. My mom has had so many vintage bread boxes over the years that I've caught on to her love of bread containers. She bought me this one last year. Thanks, mom. 

Oh, the Boos Block. You know I wanted to buy a cutting board for-e-ver, but Erik only wanted a certain kind. The glass ones are "dangerous", the plastic ones are "cheap" and finally we bought this one...it was only like 40 bucks and I'm pretty sure it supposed to last about 350 years. 


We went to The Container Store in last January after my mom bought us a gift certificate last year for Christmas. Erik picked out these clever little containers that hold spices and are magnetic. The only thing is, Erik doesn't cook with dry herbs or spices! He won't buy fresh herbs because they are too much money at the grocery store but he says dried herbs are poor quality. Well then what are we doing with magnetic spice holders?! But now we keep wine corks in them, so it's all worked out. Also you'll see in this shot two leaves my sister sent me from Texas and a cigar someone gave Erik at Perry St.



This coconut man collection started back in California when a gymnast I was coaching and working with went to Florida and bought me the pirate coconut man in the middle. Then we bought one on the left in the Carribbean. THe one on the right- I have no idea where that came from, but I think it's also a piggy bank. 


This beef chart was drawn free-hand by my very own husband on this awesome HUGE, framed chalkboard from HomeGoods. He was inspired to draw the bovine based on a postcard from BLT Prime. He spent all day on it and I think it came out very...accurate. 

Below you'll see a tiny chef that I bought for Erik from a street vendor in London back in 02. He's a little rusty now, but I bought it when Erik was in culinary school so it brings me back to a much different time in our lives. 


Erik's mom gave us this wine holder and I love him! He's so sophisticated with his mustache and toque. 


Last Christmas my aunt Caralee have me this nutcracker chef. I guess when people know you're married to a chef they give you all kinds of chef related items. Oh, I forgot to take a picture of my kitchen towels that my mom bought for me. They've got an outline of a chef on them in black thread. 


This pressure cooker had made many a meal since we bought it. It's not like the kind my grandma used to use-its electric. All you do is put some beans, meat, salt and pepper in this bad boy and out comes a meal! 


I hope you enjoyed this walk through my kitchen. I had a fine time writing this; I seemed to have forgotten about most of the things in the kitchen. There are so many more things with sentimental value in here than I thought. 

DCW_NYC
-Hilary-

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this post! I have to find a nutcracker chef - it will look, uh, perfect in our kitchen.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love this post, chefwife! You are such a cutie pie. I'd take you on a walk in our kitchen but my chef is the neat-freak type. Nothing but absolutely clear counters and spotless, carefully selected items out on display for aesthetic purposes (ex Espresso machine. Cambodian made bamboo salt holder. Vintage wine bottle gift box with a picture of a chef on it containing nothing.) Maybe I will take you on a tour of our kitchen drawers, where everything is taken out of when we need to use it, only to be promptly put back after we're done.