kitchen

My Neighbor’s Awesome Space Age Oven

August 17, 2013 by arfoodie

Just wanted to share a quick awesome thing I found this past week.

I live in an older neighborhood in North Little Rock, with many residents who were the original owners of the homes built in the 1940s. We recently visited our elderly next door neighbor’s home for the first time (we had always visited outside before), and I squealed when I saw this beauty in the kitchen.

Apparently she never cooked much, so this Frigidaire Flair built-in that was added around 1960 still looks brand new.

I mean, how awesome is this?

When we purchased our house next door, it still had the original 1940s green metal cabinets, including a sink/garbage disposal/dishwasher single unit that still worked. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make the cabinets and combo unit work for our kitchen needs, but it all went to good homes. Oh, how I wish I had photos! :::kicking self:::

Samantha Stephens on the set of “Bewitched,” next to the jet-age Fridigaire Flair used on the set.

What kind of awesome (or awful) vintage kitchen wares did your house have when you bought it? Do/did you use them?

Let me know in the comments below!

Kitchy Kitchen Antique Shopping

August 13, 2012 by arfoodie

I really, really wanted this bowl, but I really, really don’t need another one!

My hubby and I have always had this thing for junk shops, antique stores and estate sales.

Since kids have come along, our budget and willingness to drag them along have not been as forthcoming. But, occasionally, we’ll venture out and take a gander at the very latest in the fairly old. This weekend, we did, in search of a desk for my work area in the kitchen.

Of course, I tend to gravitate toward kitchen stuff. Old bowls are my favorite. Next in line are clunky, rough wooden tables and gaudily-colored relics of our culture’s culinary past.

We found plenty of this and more at our recent trip to Galaxy Furniture in the Argenta area of North Little Rock on Main Street. (I always wondered why they don’t change the name…it certainly doesn’t convey the funky awesomeness found inside.)

We didn’t find the desk I was looking for, except for one tiny beauty that was already sold. But we enjoyed all the foodie fabulosity of times past. Check them out!

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A Foodie in Charleston, Part 1

July 14, 2011 by arfoodie

Our tour guide from Culinary Tours of Charleston/Bulldog Tours, Hoon Calhoun, kept us in line on the meandering cobblestone streets of downtown Charleston.

My family and I recently returned from a vacation in Charleston, South Carolina. Let me summarize: This is a foodie town.

Of course, there’s plenty else to do (we went to three different beaches, and I still managed to get home whiter than when I left). But if you love food, especially the history, technique, local ingredients and passion behind it, Charleston is your kind of town.

I was only there just short of a week and didn’t experience all it had to offer, but I wanted to share some highlights, especially from a behind-the-scenes kitchen tour I took. The “chef’s kitchen” tour is presented by Culinary Tours of Charleston, a division of Bulldog Tours. Tasting tours are available daily, but this specialty tour is only given once a week, on Friday mornings.

I had to go alone, as we had no childcare options that day. This was fine with our two kids; they were happy with Daddy’s arrangements to wear swimsuits and frolic in a couple public fountains made for such enjoyment while I completed my 2 1/2 hour tour.

Our tour began with coffee, cheese grits (yom) and a light, orange-zest laced cinnamon roll at Barbara Jean’s, while our tour guide, Hoon Calhoun, regaled us with the historical basis for Charleston food culture.

Of course, much of this culture revolves around its origins as an early British colony (read: [King] Charles’ Town) and its subsequent agriculture-based, slave-fueled plantation lifestyle. During these times, elaborate meals showcased the region’s bountiful resources of vegetables, rice, and seafood in concert not seen elsewhere in the world.

These meals were often made by talented slave cooks, who were frequently traded from household to household in order to learn new skills. “We should not forget,” Calhoun said, “that the food culture here rests squarely on the shoulders of the slaves who worked here.”

Upon the official end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation, Charleston’s food landscape changed. Busy working women, former slaves and owners alike, now found themselves in the fields all day rather than cooking. This was the beginning of modern Southern high-fat, quick-cooking methods, as well as peasant-style stews and other items that could cook all day.

Calhoun noted that today’s Charleston marks a return to the earlier form of cookery: fresh, refined and celebratory of all the region has to offer.

An interesting note: Why does Charleston no longer wear its former crown as rice capital of the region? Calhoun said that ships from China would come to Charleston for its coveted rice. The answer also lies in the end of slavery. Heavy machinery replaced slave labor, and the silty soil of the region could not support the equipment. Rice production moved to states with sturdier soils, including Arkansas.

With this knowledge in hand, our group moved on to tour the kitchens, taste the food, and visit with the chefs who are keeping Charleston’s food culture one of the most dynamic in the world.

Keep reading!