STUDIOKITCHEN

Glass As Ice

I may be preaching to the choir here but it's getting hot and cold first courses are de rigueur again.
Some items certainly require a bowl of crushed ice which creates yet another logistic element in the service of food. Thankfully we can solve that problem quickly by freezing high quality heavyweight glass votive holders. They hold temperature for a reasonable time and are quite elegant.

Lobster and Celeriac Remoulade

Tomato-Almond Gazpacho

Tomato Sorbet

Lemon Mosto Oil

Thinking Outside the Box

Plate presentation should not be limited to simply finding things and using them for what they were intended. Heavy clear glass votive candle holders from places like Crate and Barrel for example can be frozen and used to serve multiple cold fish-shellfish preparations. Simple, inexpensive and visually stunning.

Ceramic Tiles

After one of my meals at Per Se in New York City, I took a kitchen tour and noticed how clean the place was, I was thinking to myself then that one could almost eat of the walls which had these amazing beveled tiles.

I love the Japanese sushi aesthetic and wondered if it could be merged with the quality of super high end Italian ceramics. Pleasantly enough after contacting a real-estate developer friend, it turns out high quality tiles are quite a bargain, it's the installation that is expensive.

I purchased 2 cases of tiles from ISLA in Italy and merged them with my wooden serving trays.

Now it keeps the Japanese aesthetic with sleekness.

Perfect for a cheese plate among other things.

ISLA tile is Here if you are building a fancy home or just want to get clever (and cheap) with plate presentation.

Votives

Votive Candle Holders
Crate and Barrel

Freeze 24hrs
Perfect for cold seafood

Hiramasa Tartare
Tomato Sorbet
Lemon Gelee

Demitasse

I am veering slightly away from all white porcelain for catering this spring. Added these Alessi/Graves demitasses, perfect for hot or cold soups as there is no conductivity between the contents and the handle. Alessi

The best pepper mills.

These are awesome, precise, mechanically effficient and easy to use.
I am also a sucker for anything CNC milled.
Details on Buying them at at the link below.

Grind pepper

Early Start

This morning tea or coffee ?
Neither......with a little dash of Michael Graves thrown in.
Get yours here.....   Le Sactuaire.

Olive oil at the table.

Certain dishes require a few drops of olive oil as a finishing seasoning after being plated. It can certainly be done within the confines of the kitchen but the theater and romance of tableside service greatly appeals to diners.

The problem is finding a vessel elegant enough to bring to the table. The bottle of oil itself is obviously impractical, It's a commercial product, it drips and does not drizzle with finesse in most instances.

Armando Manni has gotten around that by using elegant slim ribbon wrapped bottles. Manni does not work with every dish however. Conventional wisdom would drive you to a cookware store but the answers to tabletop elegance lie elsewhere.

The AIA. American Institute of Architects.
AIA stores have the coolest objects with practical uses.
Elegance is about great design and practicality.

Find one in your city.

Menu

The MENU collection has some of the most interesting and efficient service objects, I use the pipette glasses to dispense oil's, vinegars and other liquid condiments. The bulb dispenser creates a simple airtight seal, clever, elegant and functional. These were purchased at Skandium on Marylebone High St, one of the best modern design stores.
CLICK  SKANDIUM
CLICK MENU