[Michael aka Mac]

It’s funny you mentioned this cause when I saw this pic in the other thread I thought you had combined the plain brown lentils and put the green split peas on top! Wow what a difference in color.

I thought the exact same thing too, especially since it was on the bottom not top. I have never seen chlorophyll degradation happen so fast.

 

[Michael aka Mac]

Never really thought about it until now, but I have nothing stored on my counters in the open. Everything is inside a cabinet or the pantry with the door closed, that is used often. Not judging, just thought it was interesting.

Yea I am the same way, there is no food on countertops at all, all of my foods like Grits, flour, rice, quinoa, oats, dried peas are all in either a turned off mini fridge or in those Huge Coffee cans. As I mentioned I live in Queens, NY and well, rodents can be an issue here, so anything that a rodent would want to eat are sealed away from both them, and the light of day.

With regard to bread, lol I have them hanging in thick plastic bags, from the ceiling in my kitchen using carabiners attached to a flower pot holding Hook

I do love what you have done there Shawn, I just don't have the counterspace to do that. My Counterspace is filled with a huge variety of small Appliances 360° around my kitchen.

 

[Michael aka Mac]

I was going through our oft used staples that are air "tight" and gone through fairly fast.

So ok, after writing my previous post I thought to myself, "Hey Mac, you were going to do this combining stuff into large containers and put them up high over the kitchen countertops"

So I trekked into the kitchen, pulled down this 1 large round container, and Holy ****, I found My Quaker Grits that I have been looking for a few months now.

Note to self, stop trying to organize after drinking Wine.

Thx for posting this thread Shawn, I am having Grits tonight and for Thx giving now. (it expires this month anyhow)

 

[Michael aka Mac]

Thankfully, most of our appliances fit on some shelves I put in. And others fit in cupboards that are not suitable for sound food storage. Like my 12 quart roaster is above my oven. Water bath canner, griddle, waffle iron and more are below.
Dehydrator, steamer, food saver are on shelves.
Air fryer, pressure canner and insta pot are in an under counter nook.

The only appliances we have out on the counter are the toaster, microwave, food processor and Kitchen Aid mixer. Oh, coffee pot and ice maker.
Large pestle and mortar, are also on a counter.

[email protected]#$%^ Shawn, are you in my home, in my kitchen, reading off all the small appliances I own , roflmao. We seem to have all the same Small appliances, with the exception of a waffle maker, ( health food nut, & waffles, pancakes, & French toast are on the axed food list).

I love my Instant Pot as in summer time my kitchen can hit temperatures in the upward of 97° F, prior to turning on the stove, so instead of using one of my Presto Pressure cookers which between my old stove that puts out a god forsaken crap load of BTU's, & the pressure cooker, it could bring the Temp up to the 100°'s .

Shawn, do you also have Slow Cookers, or just the Instant Pot, as I noticed that although the Instant Pot somewhat has a slow cook feature, it isn't a true slow cooker.

If you don't already have one, I strongly advice you to get an Immersion Handheld Blender. I own 3 different types, inc. a G.E. stainless steel Immersion blender that you can use even when the food is boiling.

Also I never met someone that also had a portable Icemaker, much faster than the built in Refrigerator ones imo. Seems the only additional items that I have that you didn't mention (though u may own), are 2 different sized Crock Pots, a Bread maker, a microwave/convection oven/air fryer combo unit, Coffee grinder, Immersion Blenders, Food Choppers, Veggie Spiralizer, Espresso Maker & a food grade Blowtorch.

Shawn if you spend anywhere as much time in the kitchen as I do, may I strongly suggest getting those thick antifatigue floor mats placed in front of the stove, sink, & your Prep area.

My kitchen is kind of Zen, I have small Japanese tabletop Water Fountains and a Bonsai plant on the kitchen window sill shelf, Bamboo table covers, and an Amazon Echo Dot & a Bose Wave Radio in the kitchen , with a Flat Screen Tv with ROKU in the pantry facing the Kitchen, to further make the cooking experience more enjoyable on every level.

 

[Michael aka Mac]

I have a Vitamix, toaster, waffle maker (which I rarely use), Takoyaki pan (Japanese version, used for octopus balls traditionally), Obanyaki pan (Japanese filled pancake pan which I fill with veggies and meats), Tamagoyaki pan (Japanese omelettes), small crockpot, spice grinder, pestle and mortar, sushi making stuff, meat press and probably a couple things I've forgotten. Because our kitchen lacks space, I have to have these things in cupboards wherever I can find space.

Would you happen to be Japanese?

If not, we are kindred souls, a good portion of my home is influenced by Japan, including numerous Woks, pans, water fountains, Cutlery, steamers, Cleavers, plating (bowls, plates, fondue plates, dipping trays, bento boxes, sushi boats, handmade chopsticks inside a handmade wooden elaborate box, Utensils, and what have you. A lot of bamboo at my home, Artwork, Hanging clothing (kendo uniforms, smoking jackets, etc.

 

[Michael aka Mac]

ANY HOW, I love Japanese everything in the Kitchen, in the Pantry, decorative inhabitance, and the Bedroom, and no I Do not Mean that .. I love Bamboo plain and simple I love Japanese workmanship

 

[Michael aka Mac]

AHHH SHAWN I SEE YOUR GREAT MISTAKE IN PREPPING....

You Did not buy in Bulk TOBASCO sauce....

You have a great kitchen setup Shawn, and we here in Queens, NY are envious of your guys space and ability to store "Preps" where you all live, But there is NO Excuse not to have Tabasco Sauce, Hell, It was even inside the M.R.E.'s, yea very small bottle, but Tabasco .

I Hope you and your entire family have a wonderfully rememberable holiday ,season, um with hot sauce

God Bless

 

[Michael aka Mac]

Taste is of course subjective , that being said IMHO Tabasco is "OK" but many hot sauces are "just better" including some of my home made fermented hot sauces.

I like the Green Tabasco sauce, but with regard to favorite Hot Sauces, that would have to be Grace's Scotch Bonnet Sauce, and then my own sauces.

I have never had fermented Hot Sauce and I am now completely curious. I have had numerous Asian Fermented Cuisines, but never in the form of Hot Sauce, do tell...

 

[Michael aka Mac]

I now have 5 feet of unused counter. Hmmm.

You didn't show the other side of your kitchen so I may be mistaken on this comment, But I do not see a cutting board, knife block, or Utensil rack, all worthy items for one's kitchen countertop.

I tried to balance functionality & aesthetics whiling having an eclectic taste in scenery.

Realize I live alone, and at most only use 2 of the 4 burners, as something will always be cooking at same time in convection toaster oven, Instant Pot, air fryer or slow cooker, so for functionality's sake, the back area of the stove has been turned to counter space. I find this setup to be very convenient for a solo cook. There are 2 knife blocks in this photo 2nd one is in between the GE Immersion Blender and the GE S.S. Coffee maker (3rd knife block is on the other side of the sink, while rest of Cutlery are in drawers). Above the stoves are only a few of my most used Pots & pans, 12 piece Mixing bowls, Bamboo steamers, and most commonly used Utensils hanging from Pot rack. My large pots and Large Woks are above the kitchen cabinets, and rest of pots and pans etc. are in the below cabinets and in the pots n pans storage area in oven cabinets.

I read in one of my Ex's college nutritional books that standing up while eating is good to prevent indigestion, acid reflux, and heartburn (although truth be told I eat standing up due to my back), so I have a Japanese plate setting set there for my Meals, but when preparing my meals, I remove the plate setting & put it on the folding counter behind me as under the plate setting is a hard plastic cutting board of which I place that wooden cutting board near sink on it for all my Food prep, except for meats where I place a soft plastic cutting board for sanitary reasons.

Behind this photo

Top going left to right: Pitcher filled with variety of Utensils, Kitchen Aid Glass Blender. WH Immersion Blender, Krups Juicer, Brass Zippo Lighter, GE 12 cup Food Processor w/accessory package

Bottom going left to right: W.H. mini Food Chopper, Mr Coffee Coffee Grinder, Digital Food Scale, GE Food Chopper (in a bag), Citrus Juicer.

Under this folding table holding my small appliances

Above photo is an unplugged Mini Frig where I store all my flour, Grits, Quinoa, Couscous, Rice types, microwave popcorn, pretty much anything sunlight could ruin or that a mouse/rat would want their fury paws on. & to the right of that is a 6 draw rolling cabinet filled to the brim with additional Cutlery, Kitchen specialty Utensils, silverware, Eggs slicers, variety of peelers, and what nots whosawhatsits and doohickeys.

In the adjacent room are multitier racks where the rest of my small appliances are kept. Pretty much every Small Appliance that you can think of with the exception of a Sous Vide (boring way to cook)

BTW Shawn, those are the antifatigue matts that I was suggesting in a previous post.

 

[Michael aka Mac]

I am actually Jewish. I was born with a foodie-polyglotting palet. Its just that with food allergies, my own take on Japanese just is divine to the taste buds. Plus I love the creativity in the cooking that the Japanese do. I especially love rice ramen dishes with a bit of partially cooked egg.

Jewish, Japanese, why split hairs... I am actually part Jewish on my father's side, so have had my fair share of Jewish cuisine, thus why I prefer Japanese food lol. Also an Udon noodle fan too. I think you would have enjoyed a Japanese store that we USE to have here in NY, it was filled with Japanese cookware, bakeware, utensils, plate settings, racks, bamboo this & that, pretty much everything one could thing of but made in Japan. Man I miss having that store around, nothing like it ever emerged since.

Heading back to the OP, that store even had Japanese style window shades to keep the light out of the kitchen.