Homemade Bahn-Mi

From the disparate elements in my fridge, I had almost all the ingredients for a bahn-mi, one of my favorite sandwiches ever.  A crusty roll, roast beef, cilantro, pickled carrots, hot sauce, and mayonnaise, have been living in the fridge, brought in for different reasons and at different times.  All I needed was pate, and we have a sandwich.  As suspected, a slice of pate from Whole Foods was $3.30, almost the price of a bahn-mi in Chinatown.  But now I can make multiple bahn-mis.

Bahn-mi

-toast a crusty roll

-slice crosswise and while still hot, slather some pate on one half

-on the other half, spread a schmear of mayonnaise and dashes of hot sauce

-on top of that, add some roast beef, a few sprigs of cilantro, and some pickled carrots

-top with the pate half

Since there are so many flavors going on, it pays to be generous with the ingredients.  I’m sure that other meats can be substituted like slices of roast turkey, something fairly plain to contrast the pate.  Cucumbers could be a good addition or substitute to carrots to provide a refreshing crunch.

Two days after making bean salad, I have to admit, it was kind of a bust.  Maybe it’s the absence of garlic or onions to which it would act as a foil to the more aromatic cilantro and lemon.  Maybe instead of lemon, lime would have been better.  In short, the salad tastes like 7Up.  Since then, I’ve added hot sauce which gives it a piquant spiciness to cover up the uncola taste.

A Plan of Action

Nothing’s been done since my electrical epiphany, but I am on a course of improvement.  The book case is only attached to the wall by way of two screws on the top shelf, not difficult, certainly not as hard as the paper towel holder.  It was only a matter of moving all the books and  unscrewing it.  I couldn’t move it because it is so massive, but I am relieved to know that it won’t fall apart like my Ikea Expedit when I tried to move it.

I’ve decided to get the Ikea oven after all.  For $1300 more, I couldn’t really justify DeLonghi being that much better of a brand, a company that specializes in toaster ovens and espresso makers.  And I actually think the Ikea is cuter.  AM Royal was disappointed in my cancellation, but were nice enough to try to find me an alternative, only a GE and a Frigidaire, and they were both unfortunate looking.  

In true Ikea ill-logic, I could order the oven over the phone and it would be delivered in 2-3 weeks; or I can trek to the store, order it there, and have it in 2-3 days.  It all has to do with the delivery warehouse centers.  One would think that it would come from the closest warehouse to delivery point - but that would make too much sense and not waste enough of one’s time.  I know what I’m doing this weekend.

The cabinets are ready, but the kitchen is not.  A majority of the work is supposed to be done today - rewiring and tiling - so installation next week is very possible.  I’ll believe it when I see it. 

Sad

I’d really like to have a kitchen.  I’d really like to prepare food the way that I like it.  I’d really like to wash my dishes in a sizable sink.  I’d really like to have my food and dishes and stuff in one place.  All in good time, I suppose, but right now, it’s a drag to feed myself.

Eating out all the time is not a good option for my wallet, or my waistline.  I like my sandwiches fine, but that too can be fattening, or monotonous.  Sometimes I just want a salad.  Even though a salad doesn’t require much cooking, it’s an effort to put together when there’s no space and the cutting board doesn’t fit in the bathroom sink.  My black bean salad wasn’t as good as it usually is due to not being able to mince the jalapeno and cilantro as well as I would like given my teeny backup cutting board and paring knife.  It’s time to go back to sandwiches. 

Black Bean Salad

-drain and rinse 1 - 15 oz. can black beans

-mince 1 jalapeno pepper and 1/3 cup cilantro

-toss with 1T olive oil and juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and pepper to taste

Minced scallions or garlic would add spicy piquantness.  Chopped roasted red bell pepper or tomato would give color and contrast.  All welcome additions if on hand in a working kitchen.  

I Can Dream…

I spent three hours this weekend rearranging my furniture in preparation for the imminent raping, I mean, rewiring of my apartment.  The table moved to the window for a change, the bookshelf/pantry is now in the living room, and a the small lazy susan table that I’ve been using as a desk serves as an intermediary kitchen counter.  It almost makes the kitchen area spacious.  This configuration would allow for a full size fridge, or at least the supermodel of fridges, the Liebherr CS1350 -no ice maker.  The kitchen could afford more room, if the pantry was outside.  And a possible island/counter where the wall is.  I’ve seen other units in my building, on my line, that have renovated as such - 1) the kitchen was extended into the living area along the wall, but the apartment was extended as well, into a combo with the apartment next door, turning my apartment into a kitchen/dining room/office; 2) an island separated the hall from the kitchen, and 3) the coat closet next to the kitchen was knocked out to make it bigger.  Those who know me, know that 3) is not an option.  I may have The Littlest Kitchen, but I also have The Largest Wardrobe.

 

This dream bubble popped when I expressed this idea to a friend who said, “Ugh, you wouldn’t want your fridge in the middle of your apartment”.  He’s right, and I have a plan, a good plan to follow.

The Electric Problem

Maybe not so much of a problem a my own ignorance.  I did not realize that in order to add a new line of electricity that they will have to cut open the wall to lay the lines to the fuse box.  All the way to the fuse box.  The problem is that my fuse box is behind a fixed bookcase.  So fixed, that in order to get to the fuse box, there was a cut out in back, should I need to access it.  Now the whole thing needs to come out, hopefully without being destroyed.  It breaks my heart.

I guess I thought that the electric fairy would magically be able to connect the new circuits.  Not so.  But in order to have enough juice in the kitchen, not one but two lines need to be laid down, especially since my oven needs to be electric, not gas.  I have to be 200% safe with this, and if it means more time effort and money, so be it.

When I got news of this, it was right before I was heading out to see Cai Guo-Qiang at the Guggenheim.  An oddly appropriate exhibit to see in my state of mind, the gunpowder “paintings” and installations eased my pain a bit.  Prevailing in the work was the idea of in destruction there is creation.  Cai’s elaborate pieces whose laborious preparations take enormous time and effort, is gone in seconds, leaving behind a whole new being.  Granted that my kitchen can’t be compared to art, but seeing transformation on such a grand scale, gives me new hope.

This Week’s Progress

Running at a good clip, the cement has been laid down and cracks filled, the shelves have been taken down and filled, and a new line has been put in. All improvements, but I’m still not ready for installation next week. The tiles haven’t been put down, the electricity isn’t done, I don’t even have an oven yet, and my beloved cabinet could use some more TLC. I’m not bothered. I’d rather have it done right and slowly, than shoddily and on time.

I have managed to get that pesky screw out of the cabinet, all it took was the right tool, a heavy duty plier/pincher thing. It came out in seconds.

The Oven Situation

Up until now, I did not know the difference between a wall oven and an undercounter oven, I pretty much thought that they were one in the same. That is until I called Euro Chef, the American distributor of DeLonghi appliances. A friend had told me that she wanted to have the same set up as I was doing, but couldn’t due to code. In my query, I found out that the DeLonghi was not meant to be an undercounter and that in order for it to comlpy to the national gas code, it has to be 22″ off the floor. Freak out - I already purchased the oven, now I can’t use it? The purchase can be undone, it hasn’t even been shipped to me, but it’s finally time to do homework.

1) Is it really that bad?
Trawling through the internet, I come to find that Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of Apartment Therapy has the same combo as I do, set in the way that I want to. Now, if this guru of renovation has this, how bad can it be? I e-mailed him and have yet to find out. On one website, a similar question was posed, and the response was that probably nothing would happen, but it would void the warranty and should something happen, it would probably void one’s insurance. That would be bad.

2) The alternatives
Making sure that I’ve checked the “technical details”, that the oven is “undercounter installable”, I think I looked at every wall oven on the web. Most are completely out of my price range, or downright ugly, and not much comes in 24″. So it came down to three:
-Fisher & Paykel - the top of my price limit, but a reputable brand
-Fagor - never heard of the brand, could be hard to get
-Ikea - do I dare?
I gave the choices to my architect and he whole heartedly chose the Ikea. He thought it was the best looking of the three and pointed out that it was made by Whirlpool. Having seen it this weekend, it was neither flimsy or sad.

More recon on the web revealed that all Whirlpool ovens are not perfect. One door shattered, one door got stuck while in use, one control panel melted. Is this better than the inappropriate DeLonghi?

It occurred to me that DeLonghi also makes an electric range - for almost twice as much money - could this work for me? The instruction manual shows undercounter installation, but can I put the cooktop above it? I’ll have to talk to a real person…

450 ft. of Ikea

I confess that the past four weekends have not been spent fruitfully working on home improvements, but going on joy trips to Ikea. Most of my needs were addressed in the first round, but how could I resist all the subsequent ventures? I definitely didn’t need anything when we last went, a spontaneous trip after a Newark airport drop off. But, I discovered that I liked their small kitchen set up for a small apartment. A kitchen nook with an island, it manages to squeeze in a full size refrigerator into less than 50 square feet. The island offers up a good amount of counter space, along with a 24″ cooktop and oven and a set of drawers. The sink was a little claustrophobic and small for me, but it still manages to maximize the counter by installing a rail system for a dish drying rack. I didn’t notice until later that the rack is actually nailed into a piece of MDF that hugs the refrigerator, reminding me of my future panel for the un-broom closet, not bothersome at all. A nice layout, but where is all the food and cookware and dishes supposed to be stored? In the floor to ceiling wardrobe cabinets that one barely notices upon entering. Can I move in during renovation?

Renewed Cabinet Interest

I had completely lost interest in the “vintage” cabinet for over a month. I had pretty much written it off as my painter’s problem, whenever that time comes. Besides, I weekends were for having fun with my friends. But as two of my friends left for the long haul to LA, it was back to me and my cabinet.

Without the old cabinets in the way, I was able to get a new perspective and position on the gunky undersides. The corner cat was able to sand off some of the edges and flat areas well, but I still needed Rock Miracle for the corners. I used up what little that I had left, realizing that I also need a sharper scraper since my plastic scrapers has been dulled down and mucked up.

The big accomplishment was removing the offending towel holder. With a hammer, two screwdrivers, scissors, pliers and the mantra, “lefty loosey, righty tighty”, I was able to take out the body and one of the screws. Unfortunately, one screw is way stuck in there. I may need the many strength of the opposite sex to get it out, or leave it there.

Picking Up Speed

I thought that I would have to live with my moonscaped kitchen for another couple of weeks, so imagine my surprise to find smooth cement partially laid down. The electricity looks untouched from yesterday, but all it needs is the outlet since the box and line are in. It’s really happening.

The only thing standing between me and real progress is tile glue. For almost two weeks, I have not had a chance to go out and buy it. I refuse to go to Home Dystopia, which admittedly have good after work hours. I have to make it a priority to go to my beloved local hardware store this weekend. Along with updating my architect and cabinet maker, getting a basket for my sink, and maybe working on that cabinet. I’ve almost forgotten what Rock Miracle smells like.