Dana Blankenhorn

Mini-Kitchen

About 25 years ago, we re-did our kitchen.

Technology is now making that re-do look obsolete.

Kitchens are still being built as ours was. They’re energy hogs. There’s a big oven, a four-burner cooktop, and a dishwasher standard. These are built into the walls and counters. They take up a lot of space.

Meanwhile, there are a host of new mini-appliances that can replace all that. It’s going to be a hot niche this Christmas. We’re talking about air fryers, sous vide devices, “Instant Pot” devices and grill-griddle-air fryers. Plus, there are those ubiquitous Keurig machines and multi-purpose microwaves.

Two things are happening. One is that counterspace is now at a premium. So is shelf space for that matter. The other is that people are saving both money and energy. An electric oven like my Dacor can cost $3,000. All the devices I’ve mentioned above cost $1,000, total. They also use a lot less electricity.

The Veggies are In at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum

It took me nearly four days in Heidelberg to figure out that the Heidelberg Laureate Forum is  mostly vegetarian.

Americans find sticking to vegetables difficult. Our best friend in Atlanta became a vegetarian a half-century ago. He can’t go back. He lives in abject fear of chicken stock chefs throw into vegetable dishes without thought. 

The food offered the Laureates, the young researchers, and their guests is frankly delicious. There is some meat. Just not a lot, and hardly any in food served at the event itself. During the welcome dinner, as we had our main course, a waiter offered small bites of cooked chicken breast to those who felt they needed it. I took one but felt guilty about it. 

Ruth Wetzlar  is proving there is nothing to fear. She’s the general manager  for the forum. I spoke with her on a boat that was taking us up the Neckar River, surrounded by plates of sweet rolls, savory spreads piped onto bread and sweetened polenta cut into rhombohedrons, which are rectangles with attitude.

She explained that during the forum’s first year “we thought it would be enough to have half of it meat and half vegetarian.” They found that while vegetarians spurned the meat, omnivores ate everything. She first turned toward vegetarian and then “we decided to go vegan,” she said, serving not just vegetarian dishes as a default but seeking those without milk or egg products. 

“It’s not very hard, and it’s surprising to me how yummy it is,” she said. 

She’s right.