Got a Tiny Kitchen? Five Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Space

So here's the thing: Bryan and I live in an L.A. apartment. It's a small four-plex from the 1950's, and as many apartment-dwellers know, furniture tends to get pushed too close together, styles get mismatched and my kitchen is, well... BEYOND TINY. So friends and family who read this blog and come over to our place for the first time ask me, "How in the world do you get so much done in THAT kitchen??" First of all, thanks for insulting my kitchen (I'm kidding), but second of all, I do have a few spacial secrets. I hope you find them helpful!

Here's my kitchen. A culinary wonderland, it is not.

If I literally turn around from the photo above, I'm face-to-face with my range and refrigerator.

I guess I have a Napoleon complex when it comes to my kitchen; I try to imagine it's one of those gigantic, state-of-the-art, kitchens with cabinets, pantries, islands and room to spare. It's not anywhere near that, of course. In actuality, it's about 4' x 11', fitting a range/oven, refrigerator, trash can, counter/sink, dishwasher and under-counter cabinets. So that basically leaves about 25 square feet of working space. Well, I thought about it and realized I've got five tips for working in a tiny kitchen, where barely one person fits comfortably, much less two. For those of you making the best out of a similar (read: tiny kitchen) situation, are these similar to your cooking short-cuts? I'd love to know.

TIP #1: THE TRASH BOWL

I do a TON of chopping, slicing, mincing, dicing and overall prep work for meals. It's all done on one BOOS cutting board that basically takes up the entire top of my counter. In order to keep vegetable and fruit scraps out of the "real" food – think tops and bottoms of eggplant, garlic and onion skin, herb stems, bell pepper cores/seeds – I keep a designated "trash" bowl just to the left of my workspace. Any time I have something to discard, I just put it in my bowl. This saves me many awkward trips to the actual trash can, hands full of scraps that our little pup Charlie is just waiting for me to drop. When the bowl gets full, I dump it in the trash can and start again. It keeps me organized, makes the cutting board an "ingredients-only" space and makes throwing away all the trash at once a breeze.

My "Trash Bowl" from last night's dinner

TIP #2: REVERSE GROCERY LIST

Everyone I know keeps a "grocery list" full of items they're running out of that they need to replenish on their next trip to the supermarket. Well, when you're working in a tiny kitchen with a narrow, side-by-side refrigerator/freezer that forces you to push items deep in its recesses (only to inevitably be forgotten and rot), you risk losing wonderful ingredients and a boatload of wasted money. My solution? I flipped the grocery list on its head, creating a "reverse grocery list" of items that I ALREADY HAVE but risk forgetting about. We have a magnetic chalk board on the front of our refrigerator and every time we come home from the grocery store, I write the items we've just bought. As we go through them, I cross them out. That way when it comes to meal time, I know what we have, what my possibilities are, and make sure nothing goes to waste.

My "Reverse Grocery" List

TIP #3: ORGANIZE "LIKE-MINDED" INGREDIENTS

I have more ingredients for more kinds of foods than I can count. Italian olive oils, truffle pastes, pasta sauces, canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and pastas. Asian vinegars, Sriracha sauce, udon and soba noodles and sesame oils. Over 30 types of seasonings and specialty salts. Not to mention the baking ingredients and decorations...melting chocolates, sprinkles, sanding sugar, and the essentials: flour, baking powder, sugar, etc. The problem is, where the heck am I supposed to fit all this stuff? I ended up buying on-sale boxes of different sizes that fit in my tiny cabinets and on top of my refrigerator. I filled them with like-minded ingredients, so I now have Asian-, Italian-, spice- and baking-specific containers. I simply grab the box and everything I need is there. No digging around in cabinets or risking knocking over 20 jars of spices. It's all there, in one easy grab.

My "Spice" Box

TIP #4: GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR SPACE

I have a soft spot for really cute kitchen towels. Considering I don't have room in our apartment, much less kitchen, to buy any new equipment, I tend to buy lots of kitchen towels. Problem was, we didn't have anywhere to put them. Several attempts to hang them over the sink were thwarted by an inevitable slip to the floor or into the sink, where they would either get dirty or drenched. Not an ideal situation when it comes to the items drying your newly-cleaned utensils, pots and pans. So Bryan had the brilliant idea to use a few (3M brand, in case you're wondering) adhesive hooks and stick them to the tile behind our sink. He grabbed a few clothesline clips that we had lying around, hung our towels over the hooks and secured them with the clips. They look so cute and definitely add a little bit of personality to the kitchen. Not to mention, we haven't had a towel fall in the sink or on the floor since.

Use your walls for creative organization, or in our case, kitchen towels!

TIP #5: WALL-MOUNTED MAGNETIC KNIFE RACK

This has seriously changed my life. Did you know that knife blocks are like the Titanic of bacteria vessels? Think about it; the slots never get clean, sit exposed to the kitchen elements – water, fire, dust and God knows what else – and are a breeding ground for bacteria. Everything you thought was good about a knife block, well, it isn't. This is where a magnetic knife rack comes in. I didn't have a lot (or any, really) of counter space to lose to a knife block, so I ordered an 18" magnetic knife rack, used a power drill to screw it into the wall (don't worry, it's really secure) and added all my knives. I just turn around, grab a knife and after it's been cleaned and dried, I stick it back on the rack. It looks pretty bad-ass and makes me feel just a tiny bit more professional in my kitchen.

My magnetic knife rack

TIP #6: HAVE AN ADORABLE PUP AS YOUR SOUS-CHEF

It's just an added bonus. :)

Here's my sous-chef, Charlie, keeping a close eye on a baking cake.

PardonMyCrumbs in the LA Times!

Last week my S'Mores Summertime Pie was posted as part of KCRW's Pie-A-Day Project. If you've got the time – and equipment – to try it out, I promise you won't be disappointed! It's such a fun pie to make and even more delicious to eat. As if that wasn't exciting enough, my S'Mores Pie was even featured this morning in LA Times' Daily Dish section! Check it out below:

S'mores Pie: The Perfect Summertime Dessert!

I don't know who first invented the S'more, but I'd really like to kiss them. Or, considering my husband might not approve, just give them a really big hug. Just think about S'mores for a second. There's nothing better -- especially during a summer campfire, outdoor BBQ or even as an impromptu stove-top dessert -- than the combination of a perfectly-roasted marshmallow and melted square of chocolate, squished between two crispy graham crackers. For kids, S'mores are the perfect excuse to get messy with their food. For adults, S'mores are the perfect excuse to act like a kid again. It's the ultimate win-win dessert.

Photo courtesy of CampWisconsin.com

Making the perfect S'more is an art form, and everyone has their own technique. You know it's true. Once you get that soft, jet-puffed marshmallow in your hands and secure it to the roasting skewer, it gets personal. Do you go for the scorching method, roasting your marshmallow in a blaze of carmellized-sugar glory? Or are you the perfectionist, constantly turning your marshmallow rotisserie-style until it's the perfect shade of toasty brown? Do you break the chocolate into pieces, making sure you get some in every bite? Or do you even get that far, instead abandoning the sandwich and popping the roasted marshmallow straight from the skewer?

Whatever your technique, the result is the same for kids and adults alike: a sticky, satisfied, chocolate-toothed grin. Especially for me. Which is exactly why I took the signature S'more and turned it into a pie for the Pie-a-Day Project. It's got a crushed graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache center and brûléed marshmallow topping. Just consider it the S'more for grown-ups. But don't worry, you can still lick your fingers.

S'mores: The Pie Version!

S’Mores Summertime Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (12-15 graham crackers)
• 8 tablespoons melted butter
• 7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste (I use Nielsen-Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste)

1. To make the crust, break up the cinnamon graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the crackers are finely ground. If you don't have a food processor, you can put the graham crackers into a large Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or the back of a large spoon. Place the butter in a separate bowl and heat until melted through, either in the microwave or in a small pan. Pour the melted butter into the graham cracker crumbs and mix until the crumbs have completely absorbed the butter (the consistency will be like wet sand). Next, butter a 9-inch pie pan and firmly press the graham cracker crumbs against the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure it is an even layer. Hint: the bottom of a measuring cup is great for smoothing out the crust and pushing it up against the sides of the pan. Place the pie pan in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes (if you're in a rush for time, 15 minutes in the freezer works well, too).

I use cinnamon graham crackers from Trader Joe's.

Crumble graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until graham crackers are finely ground.

Melt butter and combine with crushed graham cracker crumbs.

Mix butter and crumbs until the consistency is like wet sand.

Spread evenly in a pie dish and chill for 20-30 minutes.

2. While the crust chills, make the chocolate filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the chocolate chips in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it is scalded (but not boiling). Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let it stand for 1-2 minutes. Using a metal whisk, combine the cream and chocolate together until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth. Add the salt and one egg into the chocolate mixture and whisk to fully combine. The mixture should be thick, similar to pudding. Remove the crust from the refrigerator or freezer. Pour in the chocolate mixture and spread to edges of crust. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is mostly set but a little wobbly in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Place chocolate pieces in a bowl.

Pour scalded cream over chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes.

Whisk until chocolate mixture is silky smooth.

Add salt and one egg. Whisk until combined. Pour chocolate mixture into cooled pie crust.

Bake until mixture is set but still wobbly in the middle.

3. While the pie is cooling, start the marshmallow topping. Combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a double boiler over medium-high heat. Whisk frequently, checking the temperature with a candy thermometer until it reaches 160 degrees (the mixture should be opaque and starting to thicken). Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix at low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed as the mixture thickens. Beat until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Add the vanilla paste and mix for another 10-15 seconds, until it is just combined.

Put egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a double boiler. Whisk until is reaches 160 degrees.

When marshmallow reaches 160 degrees, transfer to mixing bowl and whip until light and fluffy (I forgot to take a photo of the finished marshmallow, sorry!)

4. It's time to add the marshmallow topping. Put the marshmallow mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Starting in the center of the pie and moving outwards, pipe one to two-inch tall stars, pulling the piping tip straight up and gradually decreasing the pressure as it pulls away from the pie. Repeat until entire pie surface is covered with marshmallow stars.

Pipe marshmallow onto cooled chocolate layer.

To brûlée the marshmallow, I prefer to use a culinary propane torch, available at most hardware or cooking stores. Carefully ignite the torch and slowly move the flame back and forth over the top of the marshmallow until it starts to look "toasted." If you don't have a culinary torch, you can brûlée the topping in the broiler of your oven. Just cover the crust with foil (to prevent it form burning) and broil it for 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on the pie so it doesn't go from brûléed to burned.

Watch the marshmallow topping as it brûlées in the broiler. It can go from brûléed to burned in an instant!

5. Serve and enjoy! Helpful hint: when serving, dip a sharp knife in hot water and then cut through the pie. The heat helps the knife easily cut through the marshmallow.

Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut beautiful pieces of pie. Or just dig in with a fork; it's your choice!

This s'mores pie won't last long!

KCRW's Pie-A-Day Project: Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Last week I was invited to participate in KCRW's Pie-a-Day Project, part of the station's Good Food Blog. All summer long, Evan Kleiman – host of KCRW's Piecast and curator of the Pie-a-Day Project – will be posting her pie baking adventures and has asked other bakers, food bloggers (that's where I come in) and chefs to share a personal pie recipe and resulting baking exploits. Super exciting, right? Well, I took some time to seriously weigh my "pie" options. Should I risk being predictable and make a summer fruit pie? Or should I take an interpretive approach and make a pie that's not actually a tried-and-true "pie," like a pot pie? After combing through a ton of my favorite recipes, I decided to try two drastically different recipes – a Curry Chicken Pot Pie and a S'mores pie – and ask a few friends to judge.

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

This curry chicken pot pie is AMAZING. It's got such an incredible base, full of browned Crimini and Chantrelle mushrooms, peas, carrots, celery, onion, thyme and chopped rotisserie chicken. Add in the spicy, earthy curry flavor and the richness of the puff pastry and you've got a total winner, hands down. So why didn't I choose it for the Pie-a-Day project? Simply put, it just doesn't photograph well. A taste-tester/close friend suggested I submit it and call it the "Don't Judge A Pie By Its Crust" or "A Sight For Sore Pies," but I just couldn't do it. My S'mores pie – post coming soon – was equally delicious (homemade marshmallow, anyone?) and beyond gorgeous to look at.

So instead I'm posting the pot pie recipe here, because I KNOW you'll love this. It's become a staple on my recipe circuit and has already been requested for our next dinner party. It's great for groups and freezes really well, so you can make it and wait to bake it. You can even forgo the puff pastry and serve it over rice or quinoa. Or, just forget the rice altogether and eat it with a spoon; the filling is that good. And definitely play with the recipe; if you don't like mushrooms, substitute green beans. Throw in some corn kernels. Add in spicy chipotle seasoning. Make it your own, just like I've done!

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 6 individual pot pies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh diced carrots
• 1 cup sliced mixed mushrooms (I used crimini & chanterelles)
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I used BBQ rotisserie chicken)
• 5 tablespoons butter, separated
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2-3 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 package puff pastry, thawed and unrolled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

To make the pot pie filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat one tablespoon butter and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the liquid has sweat out and they are golden brown. Set aside. Melt one more tablespoon of butter in pan and add chopped carrots and peas. Saute, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown. Remove from pan and add to mushroom mixture. Chop chicken into bite-sized chunks and add to mushroom mixture. Dice the thyme and add to mushroom mixture. Stir to combine and set aside.

Saute mushroom mixture until browned. Set aside.

Saute carrots and peas until browned. Add to mushroom mixture.

Add chopped thyme to vegetable mixture.

Add chopped chicken to vegetable & thyme mixture. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth and milk. In another saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and curry powder and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until vegetables are coated in flour and curry.

In a saucepan, heat milk and chicken broth.

In a saute pan, sweat celery and onions.

Measure 2-3 tablespoons of curry, depending on your preference. My curry powder of choice: Spice Islands Curry Powder.

Add flour and curry to vegetables.

Stir mixture until vegetables are coated.

Whisk in the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbling and becomes thick. Add parsley, salt and black pepper and stir. Add chicken & browned vegetable mixture and toss until combined. Pour into six small ramekins equally spaced on a cooking sheet.

Whisk in the hot milk mixture until thickened, then add parsley, salt and pepper.

Add chicken and vegetable mixture to pan.

Stir until it is fully combined.

Pour pot pie filling into six small ramekins separated on a cookie sheet.

Top each with a circle of puff pastry. Make sure to thaw the puff pastry for about 20-30 minutes before working with it. That way it will be easier to unroll and cut through. If puff pastry gets too doughy and warm, place back in refrigerator for a few moments until firm. Note: When working with the puff pastry, be careful when cutting the toppers. If you cut circles, make sure to press straight down with a cookie cutter or other round shape. Don't use a knife or pizza cutter as the layers of pastry will get locked together and refuse to rise.

Use a cookie cutter or sharp round shape to cut out pastry tops.

Top each ramekin with pastry round. Use the leftover pastry for decorative touches!

Whisk one egg and one tablespoon water in small bowl. Using a pastry or silicone brush, gently apply egg mixture to each pastry circle. Place sheet pan with ramekins in oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Apply egg wash to the pastry.

Cook in oven until browned and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Mark Your Calendar for July's Food & Wine Events: Keep The Gluttony Going!

For me, the past Fourth of July weekend can be described in one word: gluttonous. There were so many BBQs, picnics, pool parties and beach time filled with beer, wine, hamburgers, hot dogs, gourmet potato salads and flag cakes. Come this morning, I decided I need to log some serious gym (and detox!) time so I can aptly prep for my next round of fantastic foodie events. And ohhhh my goodness, are there some truly fabulous food and wine events coming up later this month. Personally, I'm

gearing up for three of my can't-miss favorites: The Saban Clinic's 13th Annual Extravaganza for the Senses (July 17), the 2nd LA Street Food Fest's Summer Tasting

Event (July 24) and Savor Los Angeles SWEETS! event (July 30). That means I've got eleven days to hit the gym

before heading out to sample incredible goods

(not to mention, some of my personal favorite dishes)

from LA's top restaurants, private chefs and food trucks.

Jar's Suzanne Tracht at the 2010 Gold Standard Event

Here's the thing about these events: it's one thing to see your favorite chefs creating magical dishes on TV – and really, when are they going to invent smell-o-vision?? – but it's another thing altogether when you're able to go straight up to them, separated by nothing but a table filled with plates of their masterful creations, and tell them how much you enjoy their cuisine. I've watched Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza) put the finishing touches on her famous ricotta crostini, watched Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu) slice gorgeously jewel-toned tuna sashimi and even chatted up Paul Bartolotta (Bartolotta Restaurant Group) as he topped off an irresistible hand-torn pasta dish. You can have the same experience this month with some of LA's top culinary minds, but make sure to mark your calendars and buy your tickets soon because they're going fast. Get all the details – the what, when, how much and why you should go – below.

Hope to see you at all three events!

• When: Saturday, July 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Where: Sunset Gower Studios, 1438 North Gower Street, Hollywood, CA 90028.
• How Much $$$: General Admission is $100, VIP is $225 (get early entry, valet parking and access to the exclusive VIP Lounge). Tickets available here or by calling (323) 330-1670.
• Why You Should Go: Samples from over 100 wineries and 40+ LA restaurants including BOA, Jar, Angelini Osteria, Milk, Delphine, The Palm, Takami Sushi and Robata, Upstairs 2, Susan Feniger’s STREET and Dr. Bob’s Ice Cream, etc. Complimentary massages from El Leon and Bliss Spa (for VIP ticket holders). A live cooking demonstration by Top Chef Masters contestant Suzanne Tracht (Jar). Silent auction items including a trip to the Bahamas, luxury products and entertainment memorabilia. Music by DJ Scott Silva. All proceeds benefit the Saban Free Clinic, which provides free health care, dental and social services to the most vulnerable members of the LA Community.
• Follow @SabanFC

• When: Saturday, July 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (4 p.m. to 5 p.m. if you're VIP)
• Where: The Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103.
• How Much $$$: General Admission is $45, VIP is $65 (4 p.m. entry plus access to a private VIP parking lot). Tickets available here.
• Why You Should Go: Attendance is capped at 5,000 - in a stadium that holds 90,000, no less - and all tickets will be pre-sold. You'll get samples from 60+ gourmet trucks, old-school stands, some of L.A.'s top restaurants and their chefs, including the Grilled Cheese Truck, Coolhaus Truck, Brian Hill's (of BRAVO's Private Chefs of Beverly Hills) Comfort Truck, street eats from Starry Kitchen, Scoops and Fred Eric, chef/owner of Tiara Café and Fred 52. There's also debut appearances from trucks not yet on the road like Whisk LA, The Fox Pizza Bus, The Mighty Boba Truck and The Creole Truck. Groove to live entertainment from Warpaint and The Deadly Syndrome. Check out the event's first Cook-Off Competition, judged by a panel of experts led by Top Chef Masters contestant, Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Ciudad, STREET).
• Follow @LAFoodFest

• When: Friday, July 30th from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Where: Miauhaus Studios, 1201 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles 90019.
• How Much $$$: General Admission is $35, VIP is $55 (get VIP Giftbag, Access to VIP Lounge, VIP Open Bar, Entry via VIP Entrance). Tickets available here.
• Why You Should Go: If you've got a sweet tooth, this event is for you! Sample an assortment of desserts from participants including Babycakes NYC, Frosted Cupcakery, N’ice Cream, Plaisir, Popcakes, Sweets For The Soul, XT Patisserie. Each vendor was chosen because of their emphasis on organic ingredients, alternatives to high-fructose corn syrup, vegan offerings, innovative presentation & design, and of course, fabulous taste. The event also has free champagne and paired beverages, a complimentary cheese and fruit bar, raffles, music, a photobooth and gift bags.
• Follow @savorlosangeles