Welcome to the kitchen of Schnitzel and the Trout

Penny at "Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen" presented a challenge, a Kitchen Reveal.   I knew I would not be opening my cupboards, because, actually, that is on my BIG list for the new year.  Organize.  My daughters know I can be very neat but what is in drawers and cupboards is another topic.

Above you see the west end of the kitchen.  I like the glass top range.  Gas is something you don't find in Florida, and the ability to keep this range clean is such an added bonus to me.  My olive oils and vinegars to the left of the stove and I have a counter garage where I keep the toaster, blender, small food processor.  I love this feature a lot.  

Not my choice of refrigerator, but it came with the house.  A French door refrig would be only a dream to wish for.  On the right you see my messy cookbook shelf.  Most of our recipes are in the blue folder on the top right shelf.  They are copied off the Internet from blogs like yours and used often.   I keep a running list of what is in the freezer on the refrigerator front, so that nothing gets lost and forgotten.

The four plates on the wall are very special to me.  They are hand prints and foot prints of our four grandchildren with their names and date of birth.  These cannot be replaced  and mean so much.  Besides, it is a gentle reminder that a birthday is coming up!!!





The center of my counter is a bit lower than the rest.  It is actually for kneading bread and rolling pie crusts...a more comfortable position for working.  I have my coffeemaker and my Kitchenaid and a basket of onions and shallots and potatoes sitting there all the time. 

My kitchen is open and a sit-at counter on the other side is in the dining room/living room area.  I love my tile floor.  A lot of south windows make the whole area very bright.  It is a comfortable home and very conducive to cooking.  Since the Trout and I both cook together, it works out great for us. 

Come on over.  We'll make room at the table.  And thanks for stopping by.

I Can't Believe I am Doing This

I do not do those "MeMe" type lists even though I enjoy reading those compiled by others.  However, Lena from TALES FROM FROSTBITE FALLS challenged me and so, after some careful thinking, I can't believe I am doing this.

FIVE THINGS I JUST DON'T GET

1.  Justin Bieber...he's annoying
2.  Taylor Swift...ditto
3.  Grouchy people
4.  Compulsive shoppers
5.  Rap music

FIVE THINGS, OTHER THAN MONEY, I WISH I HAD MORE OF

1.  Desire to exercise
2.  Desire to sew
3.  Desire to write
4.  Family get-togethers
5.  Old friend get-togethers

LEAST FAVORITE WORDS OR PHRASES

1. The "F" word, especially from women
2.  "Whatever"
3.  "Ain't"
4.  Mixing up "your" and "you're"
5.  "Awesome" totally not used correctly

FIVE FAMOUS PEOPLE I'VE SPOKEN WITH IN PERSON

1.  Stan Musial
2.  Larry Sherry
3.  Leo Durocher
4.  Johnny Padres
5.  David Stockman - Budget Director under Reagan
It's a baseball thing!!  The Trout beats me on this though.  He talked to Leon Redbone in a restaurant, Jack Benny in the caddyshack at the Broadmore Hotel and the Everly brothers in a men's bathroom!!  :-)

FIVE THINGS I DO NEARLY EVERY DAY THAT I DON'T ENJOY

1.  Dusting
2.  Cleaning the bathroom
3.  Vacuuming
4.  Cleaning
5.  Cleaning
It's a cleaning thing!!!

FIVE THINGS I WISH I HAD THE CHANCE TO DO MORE OFTEN

1.  Travel
2.  Spend time at a spa
3.  Knitting classes
4.  I want to see the Nutcracker
5.  I want to go to the opera

FIVE MOVIE, TV OR LITERARY QUOTES

1.  "The lower the latitude, the better the attitude"  Jimmy Buffet
2.  " If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.  Let him step to the music that he hears, however measured or far away."  Thoreau
3.  "I want what she's having!"  from When Harry Met Sally
 4.  "Simplify, simplify."  Thoreau
5.  "We write to taste life twice, once in the moment and once in retrospection."  Anais Nin

FIVE THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE THAT ACTUALLY SOUND LIKE LIES

1.  Stayed in an Air Force General's home for the weekend.
2.  Threw up for nine months during a pregnancy.
3.  Took ballroom dancing lessons from an instructor named Mrs. Hardup
4.  Played Suzuki violin at a concert with my daughter
5.  In 50 years of driving, I have never gotten a ticket.

Enough said.  This little test has taxed my memory.  Let's just let it pass.  Yes, Lena, I was up for your challenge and I did it!!!

It's that time again.....

in France when it seems like all French people and millions throughout the world eagerly await the release of this year's BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU.  It only takes 5-6 weeks from the picking date to shipment all over the world of this light, fruity red wine best drunk chilled as an aperitif!  To sell any of the year's bottling before the the designated day in November is a high crime in France!!

Beaujolais is produced in southern Burgundy from the Gamay grape, akin to Pinot Noir!  There are over 9,000 growers of Beaujolais who produce over 150 million bottles each year of Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Village and Beaujolais Cru or the "1st growths!"

This year, I bought 4 different  2009 Crus from one of my favorite wine stores, GARY'S in Wayne, NJ who offers a good selection of fine wine at good prices and great service.  The 2009  Beaujolais vintage is supposed to rival the great Bordeaux 2009 vintage although not as glamorous but of greater value for every day drinking!!  There are 9 "Growths" that must meet strict standards such as minimum alcohol levels of 10% which helps assure a measure of durability and longevity over the simpler bottlings!

These 9 Crus come from the villages of Saint- Amour, Julienas, Chenas, Moulin-A-Vent, (the supposedly "King" of Beaujolais for its richness and fullness over other Crus), Fleurie, Chiroubles,(the "Cinderella" of the Crus), Morgon, (longer lasting than most Crus), Brouilly and Cotes de Brouilly.  I am following the great book by Alexis Lichine "Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France."

I sort of followed the ratings and advice of David Schildknecht of the WINE ADVOCATE magazine when buying 2 of each of the above Crus in the photo.

The Fleurie was rated a 93 while the others came in at a 91 rating each.  Each can be drunk now but should even get better in 4-5 years. I intend to have 1 of each this next year and lay down the others as advised by David.  Aging can definitely improve most reds over time!

Last night, we had a bottle of the Cote de Brouilly.  David described this wine as "blueberry and juniper berry combine for intense aromatics and bright palate persistence with black pepper, juniper, salt and tart berry skin combining for an invigorating pungency that along with crushed stone and pencil lead mineral undertones serves as a superb foil for the sheer intensity of this wine's blue fruits.  The finishing interaction of fruit and mineral here is worthy of a Reisling, and this will prove deliciously versatile for at least the 3-4 years."

I can't be this poetic but Schnitzel and I really enjoyed this bottling as very bright, juicy, and great berry fruit flavors that went very well alone and with our Mushroom Burger!  Way to go our French Beaujolais vintner friends!!!

TROUT