My Dream Kitchen

I'm on vacation, so why not update my blog with a little wishful thinking? If money were no object and I didn't have to give a damn about cleaning it and maintaining it, my dream kitchen would be like this.....

I love the look of professional equipment. I''d have a big honkin' stainless steel professional range. Lots of BTUs. Lots of grates. Gas as my fuel option of choice. A couple ovens. A wok station like I saw on an episode of "Ultimate Kitchens". The featured kitchen was with a guy who'd bough Ken Hom's old house, and the wok station had a special burner to hold the wok, running water around the base, to catch any food that spilled out of the wok during vigorous stir-frying, and a hot water faucet right there to clean out the wok whenever you needed to or when you were done. It was waaay cool. I'd probably pass on the Peking Duck oven, though, since I can't imagine making Peking duck at home. Not when there are Chinatowns all over the country that are lousy with Peking duck shops and restaurants. I'd have a wine cooler. I'd have a baking station, with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer in a cupboard that could be pulled out whenever I needed it. There'd be a marble countertop there, and storage for all my baking pans and baking equipment. Built in bins to hold flour and sugar. I'd have a wood-fired oven to make pizzas and for ambiance. A great big refrigerator with all the bells and whistles and a freezer. A walk-in pantry. An island with a prep sink or two and a cooktop for when I wasn't in the mood to fire up Big Bertha's BTUs. I want plenty of seating at that island, because I don't mind having people in my kitchen while I cook and it would be nice to have a place to sit and have breakfast when I didn't feel like setting a table. A warming drawer, to keep plates and bread or dinner rolls warm. I want a deep fryer in the counter, like Emeril has on his set, and if there isn't a grill on the range (which there surely should be!), then I want an indoor grill with good ventilation in there somewhere. A professional dishwasher. I want my pots and pans and knives on display. With all those honkin' stainless steel appliances, I want lots of windows and lots of light and a cozy little seating area with a fireplace that's suitable for snuggling up with a hot cuppa tea and good book in a comfy chair. I knew someone who had something like that once, and I loved the idea. I think I want rich, warm southwestern colors. A copper hood over the range. Mission style cabinetry in some warm, rosy wood. I want easy access to a wide outdoor veranda or screened in room with a table, so I can eat outside. My friend Scott in North Carolina had french doors that opened onto a wide porch with a roof, and I loved that idea, too. Besides, it will be close to my outdoor kitchen. Which I think I'd copy right from Rick Bayless' outdoor kitchen that I saw on a PBS show once. My dream kitchen would be warm and tranquil and invite you in so that we could do some SERIOUS cookin'.