In her debut cookbook, my guest this week Jennifer Schaertl tackles the myths about gourmet cooking (you don’t need expensive cutlery and a gazillion ingredients!) and shows you how to make delectable meals despite the lack of counter space. Everything from appetizers and salads to soups and one-pot wonders to side dishes and entrees, and of course, dessert is included along with Jennifer’s tried-and-true advice for working with limited space, appliances, cookware, and ingredients all on a limited budget.
More than 130 Crappy Little Kitchen (CLK) recipes await you inside, plus:
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Why a CLK can actually be an asset, not a liability
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The must-haves for every CLK pantry
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Crappy Kitchen Saboteurs: Pointless items that eat up small spaces
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How to enhance the functionality of your CLK space—emphasizing the surprising attributes of working in a small kitchen, plus space-saving ideas that help expand space and utility, allowing for the creation of the most complex dishes
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How to double or triple the function of utensils to eliminate clutter and superfluous tools (toss your ungainly meat mallet and use your sauté pan as an effective meat tenderizer)
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Swap It Skills: Replacing hard-to-find, gourmet ingredients with everyday items without sacrificing taste
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How to cohabitate in Crappy Little Kitchens—Jennifer tells readers how to share the tight space and avoid Crappy Little Casualties with chef-proven techniques she learned working in busy and cramped restaurant kitchens. Ways to create beautiful plating presentations with secretly guarded tricks of the trade
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Chefology: culinary terms and ‘did you know this crap’ facts to awe guests and increase one’s culinary knowledge in fun and inspiring ways
Jennifer Schaertl studied culinary arts at El Centro in Dallas, where she received a technical education about cooking, food style, and preparation, as well as Old World knowledge about recipes and techniques. Jennifer’s first job inside a professional Crappy Little Kitchen (CLK) was actually that of a dishwasher, where she eventually worked her way up to sous chef. Since that humble beginning Jennifer has worked as a chef in four Dallas 4-star restaurants, all the while creating and documenting her own recipes both for her restaurant menus and her family gatherings. A native of Texas, Jennifer Schaertl now lives in Dallas working as an Executive Chef at the North Central Surgical Center. She has already completed the pilot episode of the television series Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens. To view this episode and join her monthly mailing list “The Crappy Little Newsletter,” visit www.crappylittlekitchens.com. From here you can also see her latest press, and get recipes, and CLK tips.
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: From the Benziger Family…
2006 Signaterra Three Blocks
A Bordeaux blend comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon (64%) > and Merlot (34%) from the Sonoma Valley AVA. Carefully sourced from three specific blocks in three specific vineyards (Gordenker, Stone Farm and Sunny Slope), the 2006 Three Blocks is produced with certified organic grapes. This wine offers rich aromas of dark chocolate and cigar that give way to layered flavors of currant, plum and coffee. The wine has a firm mid-palate and round, soft tannins which we think you will enjoy.
