Home Design & Living stepped into the home kitchens of two Louisville chefs to get the scoop about how they designed their own kitchens and how they really cook at home. They also dished about their dream kitchens and shared some culinary hints you'll want to try in your own kitchen. Jim Gerhardt Co-chef/owner of Limestone Restaurant With three children in the family, your kitchen must be a busy place. We all hang out there so it's quite hectic at times, but my wife Becky and I love it that way. The kids like to jump in and cook with us. They're fearless eaters. The kitchen, which has an open design that's perfect for our family, is primarily earth tones, with maple cabinets, heather green Formica countertops and a laminate wood floor. Lighting is provided by a bowl light, four brushed cast iron light fixtures and rope lighting above the cabinets. The appliances include an electric glass cooktop, and a GE Monogram dishwasher, microwave and wine chiller. You're in the business of cooking for other people. Do you still enjoy cooking at home? Yes! It's the perfect time for all of us to relax and have fun. And Becky and I have such a good time cooking together. Very often we'll start with a cocktail or a glass of wine. I usually make whatever entrée she wants, and she does the side dishes. Some of our favorite dishes are gumbos and stews, mussels marinara, steaks and fajitas. Cooking may mean we get out of the kitchen because we frequently grill out. Sometimes we'll grill something such as salmon, then finish it in the oven. What makes your kitchen "work" so well? What are your favorite small kitchen appliances or tools? My favorite is the coffeemaker that grinds the beans and makes wonderful coffee. The KitchenAid hand mixer is super. I also like our small juicer. Like most professional chefs and many home cooks, I think good knives are essential. I'm fortunate to have several Wüsthof knives that were a gift from my brother who worked near their factory in Germany. I suggest everyone invest in high quality knives instead of buying knockoffs. They're a waste of money. If you keep your knives in good condition they'll last 20 - 30 years. Other kitchen tools I really like are the new flexible baking pans, the Silpat pan liners, the immersion blender and the Miracle Thaw tray. We use it all the time because we're often in a hurry to fix a meal and don't have time to thaw meat in the traditional way. If the kitchen fairy granted your wish for your dream kitchen, what would it feature? Okay, it's time to divulge some of your culinary hints... At the grocery store meat counter, don't pass up the quick sale beef or lamb, although don't buy quick sale fish or chicken. Surprised? Well, as beef ages, the enzymes break down the connective tissue, causing it to become more tender. That greenish tint you see and may have thought was a bad thing is a good thing, indicating the meat has aged. So unlike at a steak house where you pay more for aged meat, you're paying less for meat on sale at the grocery store. Cover two to three dozen garlic cloves with about an inch of olive oil. Slow cook until tender and the garlic starts to brown. When they're a nut color, remove and allow the oil to cool. Put the garlic and a bit of the oil in a container and refrigerate. Use the roasted garlic for any dish to which you want to add that wonderful flavor. Then put the oil in a wine bottle with a spout and use it for just about anything, such as meats, squash and tomatoes. Always buy whole chickens and bone them. Put the bones in the freezer and use them to make chicken stock. Use anchovy paste as a spread on a roast for the last half hour of baking. When you're making something like tomato sauce, make a lot. When we make Mama's Tomato Sauce at home, we do it in double or triple batches, then freeze it. Are you a "clean as you go" chef at home, keeping everything neat and tidy as you cook? I'm pretty well organized thanks to Becky. But there's often a big pile of dishes in the sink when we're cooking. When a dinner or a party is over, we always clean up the mess before calling it a night. There's never a carryover until morning. The first time guests say, "May we help clean up?", I usually say, "No, that's okay, you don't need to help." But if they offer again, I'm quick to say, "Sure." What will a sneak peak into your pantry reveal? A variety of condiments and spices that add flavor to many types of dishes. I especially like curry paste, tamarind and turmeric. I don't use things such as onion or garlic powder, unless they're used for rubs. After spending some time in the restaurant and growing up with a dad who's a chef, they'll either love going into the business or will hate the very idea of it. Either way, I hope they're learning to appreciate good food and learning how to have fun preparing food that's not only delicious but also really healthy. Are you ever found in the cookbook section of a bookstore? Are you kidding? I can't go into a bookstore without looking at the cookbooks. I'm always drawn to cookbooks, especially those about international cuisines and new and different flavors. I find that there are fascinating ways they carry over to what we do at Limestone and what I like to cook at home. Some of my favorite cookbooks are those of Wolfgang Puck. Years ago I saw him at a cooking demonstration at Neiman Marcus where he signed one of his books for me. Then when I was with him for the 2001 Derby, I gave it to him and he signed it again. It's dog eared because I've used it so often. I also like cookbooks by Martin Yan, Ben and Karen Barker, André Soltner, and Frank Stitt. And I'm very fond of Julia Child's desserts. Where else might you be found shopping? Mary Wheatley Chef/owner of Cook with Mary You conduct cooking classes in your home. Your kitchen must be large and fabulous! What were your objectives when you and your husband designed your kitchen? The colors in the kitchen are browns and tans with a splash of black introduced by the appliances. The walls are a sand color that complements a sand color suede-like faux finish in the adjacent seating area. We selected maple cabinetry and a solid surface sandy color countertop with a tile backsplash. Tile is used throughout much of the house, so the café au lait color tile in the kitchen continues the look in the kitchen. Lighting is very important in a kitchen, so we used a combination of recessed lighting, task lighting over the stove and sink, and under counter lighting near the stove and baking area. There's a mind boggling array of kitchen appliances on the market. What did you select? A dual fuel Dacor range that has a gas cooktop and an electric oven; an Amana refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom, which I love; a Sharp Carousel microwave/convection oven because I didn't really have room for two ovens; and a Maytag dishwasher. Although it's outside, our CharGriller, a really great grill that functions in four ways, is kind of our "second kitchen". It's a gas grill, charcoal grill, smoker and stove top burner all in one. We've had several guests that were so impressed with it that they had to have one. Without a doubt, organization...everything from what's in your pantry to storage of cooking utensils and spices. Because I think organization is so critical, I worked with a professional organizer, Melanie Stokes, of Intuitive Living. She helped me determine what I really used and what I was hanging on to for little or no reason. We eliminated duplicates of utensils and gadgets. She taught me to put like things in like areas and to place things I used only occasionally out of the way or even discard them. We added an in-drawer knife block. I like it because it's safe and doesn't take up valuable counter space. And we've completely reorganized the spice cabinet. I previously had a zillion spices but often couldn't find what I needed when I needed it. The answer was putting all my spices into small stackable tins that are alphabetized. They take up about a quarter of the space they once did. The new arrangement saves lots of time and headaches. Everything I need for baking is together and all the wooden spoons and whisks are on the countertop so I don't have to fumble through a drawer to find them. All that mess under the sink? I learned that the products I used only once a week or once a month don't have to be so close at hand. Not only is the kitchen now well organized, but it looks good, not at all cluttered. As a result, I feel good about working in the kitchen. I collect platters because I need many shapes and sizes when I entertain and when I demonstrate in cooking classes how to plate individual recipes. I used to have the platters stacked between towels or paper. Now they're on a shelf, with each platter in its own place. You and your guests love your kitchen, but do you have a dream kitchen? What are some of your favorite kitchen tools? Definitely my pizza peel, or pizza shovel. I don't know how people get along without one. Also a quart and a half stainless steel bowl, a slender whisk that I use constantly, a really cool cutting board that doesn't slide around, and, oh yes, my herb snips. Every good cook has a well stocked pantry. What's in yours? Lots of different grains and an assortment of canned beans. If you're in a hurry, dry beans just aren't going to work. I always have several pastas and risotto. Better Than Bouillon is a must-have ingredient. It's available in several flavors, including lobster, mushroom, chicken and vegetable. One jar equates to nineteen cans of broth. Reconstitute it with water and it's fabulous. I always have the ingredients for a vinaigrette and my refrigerator is full of vegetables for a salad. And I have a drawer full of cheeses. Do you have any secrets for throwing a great party? What are your favorite cookbooks?
The seating around the peninsula makes the kitchen an informal gathering place. We love to have people over so it needs to be an area where people like to congregate, whether they're watching me cook or enjoying each other's company.
I have a ready answer for that, just in case. In fact, we have plans to redesign our kitchen. We want to slightly reconfigure the space, add a pantry, and create a cooking island with seating on one side. My wish list includes a panel door refrigerator, six burner gas range, holding drawer, convection/microwave, and a pot rack. And if the kitchen fairy wants to make me really happy, an induction cooktop would do the trick.
Since kids enjoy cooking with you, do you see them as future chefs?
I can't seem to resist Campbell's Gourmet Cottage and Bed, Bath and Beyond. There's always something new for the kitchen that tempts me. I don't think I've ever walked out empty handed.
Surprisingly, my kitchen is not terribly large, but it is functional and very inviting. People tell me they feel very much at home in it. I don't think it's necessary to have a large kitchen to cook often and well. It's much more about careful planning, having a basic understanding of techniques and, most of all, being comfortable in your kitchen. Oh yes, and you really must use fresh ingredients!
We wanted the kitchen to reflect the design of the other rooms of the house because the rooms flow together. The overall design is perfect for entertaining. We created the kitchen to be open with a separate seating area for up to 12 people, and designed it to look out over the yard. Having a view and being able to look out over the yard is wonderful.
What's one of the most important keys to a well functioning kitchen?
Sure. It would feature another oven, sink and refrigerator. I'd never give up my gas cooktop but I would like an alternative. I'm close to investing in a separate induction unit that I can place where I need it and can have a separate work station for it. I'd also like to have a pot filler over the stove.
Do you have any words of wisdom that will make cooking easier and more fun for the home cook?
Make more pasta than what you'll use in one dinner and put it in a zip lock bag. When you're ready to use it, make some sauce in a sauté pan, add the pasta and you have dinner in only a few minutes. Also, start making soups all year round. Create a repertoire of five or six 30 minute soups. And remember that soups are even better as leftovers. Learn to make pan sauces so that you can make a chicken or fish dish with a great sauce in one pan. Instead of making a separate shopping list, simply highlight the ingredients in recipes from a magazine or copied from a cookbook. I do that with recipes I've developed. It saves time and is especially helpful when you're planning a party.
We entertain a couple of times a week. I've decided it's impossible to keep guests out of the kitchen. Most people are intrigued by what goes on in the kitchen, so I invite them in and make them feel part of everything. I enjoy having guests get involved and, frankly, it takes the stress off of me. Even if they're not experienced cooks they can stand at the stove and stir a pot or can chop vegetables. Some of the best parties we've had have been thrown together at the last minute. Guests asked, "What can we do?" Believe me, I found plenty for them to do and they enjoyed every minute of it.
The Joy of Cooking, The Cake Bible, The Produce Bible, and a book I highly recommend to students, John Ash Cooking One-on-One. Although it's not a cookbook, I'm crazy about What to Drink with What You Eat. It's a terrific and fun book that matches food with beverages and beverages with food. It even suggests what to drink with Oreo cookies or what food to couple with a really good root beer.
