Category: In the Kitchen

Vintage in the Kitchen

Working at a cooking retailer, and selling vintage kitchen items on Etsy, I seem to have kitchen wares on the brain at all times (just ask any of my family members!), so I’ve decided to share a bit on the blog. I’m pulling together some kitchen-related gift registry tips for next week, but I don’t want to overlook the specialness of bringing something vintage or antique into the kitchen for a sweet and eclectic look.

Plus, this little project gave me an excuse to get out some of my Etsy shop items and try them out staged together in harmony… To be honest I love the look of all these pieces together!

Vintage in the Kitchen

Vintage lovers, did you know you can create a gift registry on Etsy, in addition to the old standard big-box stores? I highly recommend it–using vintage items is so eco-friendly! What’s the second “R,” after all? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! While new things are always nice, like a brand new set of pots and pans, for example, you can register for some kitchen standards like a cast-iron dutch oven, which has not changed in design or manufacturing process for decades. Other things are fun, too like kitchen canisters or ice cream dishes.

Vintage in the Kitchen

The thing about iconic brands like Pyrex is that they have been around for ages for a reason–their glass is durable and high-quality! These canisters are up for sale in my Etsy shop but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t covet them for my own kitchen.

Vintage in the Kitchen

Vintage in the Kitchen

Le Creuset cast iron wares, or Pyrex and Corning casserole dishes are all-stars for a reason when it comes to pretty designs and functionality. Getting your paws on one can be as easy as raiding your mother’s kitchen (which is what I did), combing through the shelves at Goodwill, or let someone do the hunting and cleaning for you–grab it on Etsy. Remember that Etsy purchases directly affect someone’s income–a fact I know from experience! I am just a casual seller but when I get a little extra cash from one of my sales it can make my whole week! Some people spend all their time and energy on their shop and in fact make it a full-time job. What a dream! Small-business at its finest.

Vintage in the Kitchen

And just so this post doesn’t totally sound like an advertisement for my shop in particular, here are some amazing Etsy sellers I’ve been stalking for a while:

Object of Beauty – Mid-century/Danish items

Franc & Francis – Global vintage home items

YASTK – Global inspired pillows and textiles

Recipe: Cheater’s Ceviche

Until recently, I had no idea what ceviche was. Then I had some that changed my life!

That last bit was a bit dramatic, but ceviche has quickly become one of my favorite things to order at San Diego eateries. What is it? It’s kind of… a fish dip? That really doesn’t sound appetizing, does it. But picture: A strong tortilla chip heaping with refreshing lime-drenched fish, corn, tomato, and cilantro. Sounds better, doesn’t it?

So, after googling around for a few recipes I learned the secret: The fish (usually a firm, white variety) goes into the mixture raw, and while marinating, the lime and lemon juices “cook” it –the fish gets firm and turns opaque instead of translucent… sounds cooked to me, right?

Not quite brave enough to do it the “real” way, we cooked up a bunch of shrimp we had hanging around in our freezer and made up a batch of cheater’s ceviche.

Ingredients

  • Shrimp or other seafood (I don’t know how much… two cups?)
  • Corn (1 can)
  • Tomato (one tomato, seeds removed)
  • Onion (1/3)
  • Cilantro (as much as you like)
  • Lemon Juice (1/3 cup)
  • Lime Juice (1/3 cup)
  • A dash each of: salt, pepper, cayenne
  • Protip: Add avocado, or at least have some slices ready when you serve this–for an earthy balance to the sharp citrus.

Ceviche

I cooked my shrimp with a little bit of garlic and oil, let cool, and carefully cut them into thirds–this dish will be chunky but it’s good to have pieces all relatively the same size. Then I diced my onions and let them chill in a bowl of cool water to remove some of the sharpness (drain the water after a few minutes). I Finely minced the cilantro and seeded and diced the tomato. I squeezed two lemons and five (I think?) limes in order to get the appropriate amount of juice. You should do yourself a favor and buy bottles of lemon and lime juice.

Ceviche

Mix everything together in some kind of vessel (it doesn’t matter what, really), cover, and let chill in the refrigerator at least an hour (ours was overnight). I stirred ours up occasionally.

To be honest, since the lemons were easier to squeeze than the limes, I erred on the side of lemon juice and my first foray into this dish was very tart. Note to self! Using the appropriate amount of lime juice is very important! Additionally, I feel that the addition of avocado would have toned down the tartness and been an incredibly delicious addition.

Ceviche

As I said in the beginning, this is usually served in small portions with chips, but we had this over greens for dinner. Healthy! I love finding fresh and interesting recipes that will be made more often as weather continues to warm up.

A Little of This, A Little of That

Today is devoted to rearranging the apartment to accommodate our new couch and new dining table. Then I head off to work this afternoon! The place certainly isn’t ready for a big reveal yet… it’s still crazytown in here, so instead I rounded up a few links I thought you’d enjoy.

Married To A...

First, I was so pleased to do another guest post for Alyssa at All Things Beautiful. As part of her “Married to A…” series, I wrote about when I discovered I was married to a sports fanatic and how I adapted myself to it. In writing it, I realized how far I’ve come! Now I really embrace a variety of sports. I’m so excited for March Madness to get going!

Second… is it weird to say I’ve been waiting for a proper home tour of blogger Jordan Ferney’s apartment for AGES? Basically, when she moved back from France and into a 500 square foot apartment in San Francisco I was desperate to know HOW they made it work (for a family of four!!) and see what it looked like. My patience finally paid off! Click the link to see the tour over at A Cup of Jo.

Etsy Treasury

Third, I have really gotten into learning more and more about kitchenware, past and future. My job at SLT keeps me up to date on the newest kitchen products, and shopping thrift stores and estate sales, and browsing Etsy has proved to be a fun way to look into the past. I would love my kitchen to be filled with rustic, warm pieces, comforting mid-century pieces, and the newest technology in cookware. Building my dream kitchen is a journey I’m enjoying! Last night I curated an Etsy treasury filled with old-school kitchen equipment.

Other treasuries I’ve loved: Get Fit, Rain Rain, and Figgjo Flint Norway. I recently discovered vintage Figgjo and now I’m hooked! Dare I say I like their patterns more than Pyrex?

Lastly, I had a conversation yesterday with a couple friends about instagram, twitter, and micro-blogging. Yes, micro-blogging is a real thing! I peeking into my favorite bloggers’ everyday lives. Do you follow me? @myfriendstaci on both sites.

Have a great Wednesday, all!