Inspiring Kitchen, Author at InspiringKitchen.com - Page 30 of 32

Aug 25
1

An Interview with Inspiring Kitchen

Posted by | Blogging, Cookware, Foods, Housewares, Housewares Show, Knives, PR, Press, Trade Show, Wedding | 8 Comments

Wow, Inspiring Kitchen’s first interview!

Inspiring Kitchen was created as a means to share knowledge about housewares products, kitchen design, recipes, cooking tips, bridal registry advice and favorite finds. My goal is to showcase what we should have in our kitchens based on the type of cooking we like to do. Ways to use cookware beyond the obvious like what is written in the Le Creuset Dutch oven post and making bread. What knives you need in your kitchen by blade shape. And the latest trends found at the industry conferences: National Restaurant Association and International Housewares Shows. If you are looking for gifts related to your kitchen, cooking and entertaining, I hope you will take a look at what Inspiring Kitchen suggests like we did for Mother’s and Father’s Day. … Read more

Aug 04
0

Summer Drinks: Zoku Slush & Ice Mold

Posted by | Drinks, Summer Beverages | 54 Comments

Summer is the time for icy cold beverages whether you are lounging at the pool, on your patio or in your home.  Leave it to the Zoku company to create inventive products that not only work but also help me to present my drinks in memorable ways. There are two products I am going to share with you today. Both can be used for adult’s or kid’s drinks. 

Remember slushes from when you were a kid? Usually they were made of sugary, colorful ingredients that just made you smile when you saw them. Well, Zoku has designed a way to make slushes of your own creation in your own home.… Read more

Jul 31
0

Cool Technology Design in New Chicago Restaurant

Posted by | Design, Restaurant Opening, Technology | 23 Comments

Checking out a new restaurant is a great part of my work. While I am not in the restaurant business directly, the products I work with are a necessary part of what is used to give diners a memorable experience. In this case, it is the decor that caught my attention first. Technology in almost any sense can be helpful, entertaining, a communication source, business tool and on and on. So, when I was invited to a new restaurant for their pre-opening service and saw how they used technology as a piece of art, I thought I would share it with you.… Read more

Jul 28
0

WoodWick Candles

Posted by | Candle, Home Decor, Home Design | 26 Comments

I admit it. I love candles. I burn them all year long. My search for the candle with the best scent, least amount of black smoke, good burn time and fair price is a mission I thoroughly enjoy.

candle burning(27)

So, when I found WoodWick brand of candles at my local Hallmark store, I was intrigued. What is unique about this brand is that the wick which is wood (thus the name) crackles when it burns giving the impression you are sitting in front of a roaring, albeit small, fire. Lovely. 

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I happen to be a fan of vanilla candles. (Vanilla Bean Woodwick Jar Candle – 10oz.… Read more

Jul 23
0

New Store: Kitchen & Bath Remodel

Posted by | Appliances, Home Design, Housewares, Kitchen Design, Laundry Room, Outdoor Cooking, Remodel | 16 Comments

My house is in a constant state of remodel. How about yours? Every time I am flipping through a magazine that has beautiful kitchen photos, my wish list for my own kitchen gets bigger. As someone who love to cook, appreciates quality products and enjoys entertaining, a fully functioning (and of course, elegantly designed) kitchen is a must. Appliances are key from a cooking perspective. 

 Pirch kitchen Miele coffee heaven Pirch

So what a great surprise to be in Chicago’s Oak Brook mall and discover a store called Pirch that actually showcases full kitchen and bathroom vignettes for us to look at, touch, and envision the whole display in our homes.… Read more

Jul 16
2

New Press: Crain’s Chicago Business

Posted by | Press | 9 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

Exciting press news for Inspiring Kitchen! Crain’s Chicago Business has welcomed us to the neighborhood:

 

Crains Business Logo

 

Other new businesses we heard about this week:

Chicagoan Julie Gordon’s new venture Inspiring Kitchen helps homeowners choose the kitchen items that are best for their cooking and entertaining style. “I have 14 years of experience in the housewares industry,” Ms. Gordon says. “So many customers were asking for my knowledge. People love to cook and entertain but are not always sure of the tools to use to make their experience better”. . . .

 

New Business Starting in Chicago

 

Thanks, Crain’s Chicago Business, for recognizing our efforts to help homeowners enjoy cooking and entertaining all that much more by having the best suited kitchen items for their style.… Read more

Jul 12
0

Marinated Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Pesto and Mozzarella

Posted by | All-Clad, Grilling, healthy eating, Housewares, Le Creuset, Lodge, Recipes, Sandwich, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weber Grill | 19 Comments

I love to grill. Vegetables. Yes, there it is. Not gourmet but so delicious! One of my favorite sandwiches is super easy and very customizable as you can see from comments on Inspiring Kitchen’s Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/inspiringkitchen). What works so well with this dish is being able to have friends over and everyone gets to make their own personalized sandwich varying with the choice of filling. What I will typically do is have a platter of all different kinds of vegetables (colored peppers, onions, zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, fennel,  etc), sauces, spreads (salsa, pesto, sun dried garlic paste – yum!), cheeses and even meat for those who want it.… Read more

Jul 10
0

Summertime and Sangria

Posted by | Cocktails, Foods, healthy eating, Party, Recipes | 15 Comments

Don’t you just love this time of year when the sun is out, grass is green, fresh ingredients are plentiful and everyone is enjoying the opportunity to spend time together outside? Well, living in the Midwest means I take advantage of any chance to do what I love to do: entertain friends with delicious dishes and even better, cocktails outside on the deck. Thanks to Beso Del Sol, I was able to introduce their new Sangria to my friends.

 

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My goal was to make a dinner that had a fresh, healthy and summery twist to it but wouldn’t take the whole evening to make.… Read more

Jun 30
0

Grocery Store Adventures

Posted by | Cookbook, Ethnic foods, Grocery Stores, Spices | 3 Comments

If you are reading this blog, chances are you like to cook or have someone in your life that does. Today’s conversation is about ways to learn about all the cooking resources your city has to offer beyond visiting restaurants and reading cookbooks.

One of the more unique things that I have done in my free time is take advantage of all the diverse, ethnic grocery stores in my city. A couple years ago, my friend and I decided to go exploring these stores to learn about the food items available to us that fall outside the realm of our typical groceries.… Read more

Jun 11
0

Vegetarian Option The Meat Alternative

Posted by | healthy eating, Party food, Vegetarian | 5 Comments

Aren’t we all trying to find ways to eat healthier these days? Adjusting our meals to increase the “good-for-you” ingredients while subtracting those that are high in saturated fat and calories. As someone who enjoys vegetarian options, I am always on the look-out for new products that will be protein focused. Most of what I have seen in the grocery store aisles is soy based meat alternatives. Well, I am happy to share that I have recently had the opportunity to learn about a UK company called Quorn, that gives meat free options a whole new category.

USA_New_Jalapeno_and_Three_Cheese_Stuffed_Chik_n_Cutlets-150x150Packaging-grounds-250x250-new-150x150Quorn_USA_Classic_Burgers_240g_MPS1065_2-150x150

I am fortunate to be a part of a tight group of Chicago based bloggers called the Chicago Blogger Network who invited me to this special event.… Read more