Our kitchen is not quite done, but we couldn't wait to have our "new kitchen" party. My sons wanted to have party food and one of them suggested that everyone pick a dish from a different country. So we had our theme! I made Greek lemon soup and a yogurt-spinach dip (served with pita bread - recipe from a Persian cookbook). My husband made pork and veggie egg rolls and my 13-year old made shrimp quesadillas. My 11-year old made profiteroles, a bit tricky, but the pastry cream turned out pretty good and he doused them in chocolate. We had Spanish sparkling wine and Italian sodas.

You would NOT BELIEVE the mess. The kitchen certainly wasn't "new" anymore.

What a great thread! What are you planning?
Maureen

Our kitchen isn't done yet, but we have been living here since October. We had my mom over for a couple of weeks, and had full dinners most nights when DH was home (my personal chef heh heh) Our first real big meal was for a party I was having for 12 ladies (bunco). We had white king salmon with lemon caper sauce, prime tenderloin, king crab, cesear salad, hungarian chicken paprikash, various appetizers, lots of wine, and lots of fun :)

We moved in to the new house on Christmas eve 2008. So the first meal I cooked was Christmas dinner for 13 people. We had Turkey and ham with all the trimmings. I guess technically it was the 2nd meal, since my kids and their spouses came over christmas morning and we made a big 'ol breakfast. the kitchen got a good workout that day!

Dh made homemade pasta with our kitchenaid mixer that had been packed up for the last 7 years! We lived in NYC before the house and never had room for it. It was quite a meal!!

I haven't even thought that far ahead. What are you planning, Danielle?

Our "new" kitchen is not done yet, but we have been using the range since the day before Thanksgiving. The oven in the stove in our "old" kitchen broke in November. We bought our range off of craigslist, and got the gas hooked up the day before hosting Thanksgiving dinner for about 30 people. My mom brought the turkey, so I didn't have to stress about that. The first thing I baked was my Grandmother's recipe for butterhorn rolls.

Sauteed calves' liver with caramelized onions. It was a dish that had stressed me out in my old kitchen because of the inefficient layout and lame downdraft range. In the new kitchen, nothing but ahhh. And clean-up was a breeze.

I heated up soup.

I had a two-month hiatus in the middle of my reno while I was waiting for the replacement cabinets to come in. It was November/December, freezing cold in NYC, and all I wanted was soup. My temporary kitchen situation was pathetic (I wasn't expecting to really need one) - I had my old fridge plugged into a corner of the living room. That was it. No microwave, no way to heat up *anything*. I didn't want to buy a small microwave because I wouldn't need it afterward (I was going to have an OTR one in the kitchen), but I finally went ahead and bought the toaster oven I was planning on. I ate lots of grilled cheese sandwiches in late December.

When the kitchen was finally done in January, I bought several cans of soup! I think the first one I ate was some sort of tomato pasta. Delicious. Don't remember if I had a grilled cheese sandwich with it - I might have been sick of them by then.

I no longer feel such an intense craving for soup (now that I can have it whenever I want :-)), but I still have a few cans left in the pantry. I like knowing they're there.

It was such a momentous occasion that my husband took photos. Here I am making stuffed green peppers.

{{!gwi}}

Jodi-

I'm not sure what I'm making-- that's part of the reason I started this thread. My inlaws are also coming, so I need to come up with menu for when they are here.

In our last kitchen, our first meal was roasted pork shoulder w/ grapes and rosemary... I did roasted potatoes too.

haha jodi, that's awesome. ;-)

By the time I move in to our house with our new kitchen (it's being totally remodeled) it will be grilling season so I'll be outside. LOL My stove supposedly has a killer broiler, so maybe I'll try some nice steaks, boil up some lobsters and have surf and turf. :-)

great pic Jodi. I love your backsplash :)

In my last home, I made corn bread, chili, and peanut butter cookies.

In my next kitchen redo, I think I'll christen the kitchen with a pancake party.

jodi,
i love that picture too-- & it's the first time I noticed that little shelf behind your range. great idea.

AND she knows how to prep - she's got her glass of wine standing ready!

Well, the #1 thing I miss most right now is fresh, home-baked bread. So that will probably be what I make to christen the oven. My family and friends are clamoring for chocolate chip cookies, too. (Modestly, I must say I make the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted, and the people in my life agree!)

Then, I want to make fried potatoes. Not because they're my favorite, but because I haven't made them for two months and think they'll be a good thing to try out the range hood. Oh, and I want to sautee a bunch of onions, too. Not sure what I'll use them for. Maybe just to top a steak.

Finally, I want to make a big pan of stir-fry, to try out the highs on the new cooktop.

The first meal was eggs, ham and cinnamon rolls (from a can) on Christmas morning.

The next day I made granola bread (trailrunner's recipe that I had vowed to make as soon as I had a functional oven), applesauce, udon soup, chicken stock and probably a few other things:

Ooo...fun thread! My first meal will involve high-heat searing of the outside of a roast. That's all I know so far. I haven't been able to sear a roast without setting off the smoke alarm in my house for ages (broken fan). I can't wait!

I agree with donka. After demolishing our kitchen 3 years ago, I've had to make-do with a hotplate, microwave and a toaster oven. I think our first meal is going to be pot roast w/ gravy, mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes, and roasted broccoli. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of the keyboard...

I've no idea what the first will be, but it turns out the last real meal in the old kitchen is going to be sit down dinner for 22. Soup to nuts. With everything but the most basic supplies already packed!! (No, I did not plan on this...)

plllog - oh dear! I've had trouble cooking meals for 2 with most of my stuff packed up. I can't imagine 22!! I can't imagine 22 even *with* all my stuff...I'd be calling it a pot luck and ta da! Heh

homemade pizza! We did not have our final sign off yet, but I used the ovens anyway (I had to test to make sure they were hooked back up properly). Tested the dishwasher hookup too...

First real meal after moving everything back in was Pasta Primavera.

pb I don't think I ever saw the pic of the granola bread...looks great !! If you start with my great recipe for the peanut butter granola you can't go wrong.

jodi: in the back of your pic ,are those spice jars? They look so pretty and I would love to know what kind they are.

I had a working kitchen for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006. We had started in the Spring. The first thing I did was bake my Challah and DH made a wonderful Chinese stirfry to test the gas high heat and the 1400 cfm hood . Both worked like a charm and still do. Just had a perfectly grilled steak on the Caldera using our Lodge Logic grill plate. Can't smell anything anywhere in the house and believe me DH had it cranked up and the hood was on low. I am so pleased with every single thing in my kitchen. A nice feeling. c

Yes, a glass of wine is a must when I cook. Gives me "something" to do that I enjoy because I surely don't enjoy cooking. :-)

Trailrunner, the spice rack came from Olde Thompson. See link below.

Jodi-

Here is a link that might be useful: Olde Thompson spice rack

We are not done yet but I have a stove and sink back. I asked DS and DH what they missed most and they both requested my old standbuy spagetti! I guess even a simple pasta tastes great after weeks of eating out of a microwave. LOL!

Our kitchen is only in the thinking-stage, but when we do it, when it's ready to go, there are only a couple of things everyone is going to want...Crawfish Etouffee or Chicken Gumbo with Deer Sausage. ;)

Susan

trailrunner - You did see it the first time around, I think. Remember I asked about adding more granola? Nevermind, it's all good. That batch was made with store-bought granola (a fairly healthy one though). I have all the ingredients to make your granola but with Mom's illness and everything else I barely have time to do basic cleaning let alone anything else (we spend pretty much every evening and most of the weekend there).

I will be making spaghetti bolognese topped with two hard-boiled eggs, sliced up... more than I can ever eat =)

Great thread! I have actually been day dreaming about this because I miss cooking so much without my kitchen! I'm probably going to make something really strong smelling like Indian Butter Chicken with Pappadums, because now that I'll *finally* have a range hood, I'll enjoy not smelling the fumes from the oil for days! I can't wait. Love this thread!

Funny everyone's mentioning their hoods-- It is one of the things I'm most excited about-- it will be great to have a fresh smelling house after I cook!

This thread is heartening, because we've been without a kitchen for 2 months now. I can't complain too much because the appliances are now working, but it's not exactly fun to chop in my pantry, roll out or knead dough in my dining room and run through the kitchen to the stove quickly, hoping my food doesn't get dust on it.

So, I don't know what my first meal will be- but I really want it to involve lots of chopping. I'd like to make bread too so I can knead right in the kitchen, I'll be living a dream- ahhh just what I need, a little hope, thanks for starting the thread Danielle!

PB I am so forgetful, I DO remember now the conversation we had about the granola. I wish you all the best with your Mom. I know how stressful that can be. We had Momma here in our home from Aug.2002 till she passed in April 2005. I wish I was closer I sure would have something baked for you.

Jodi thank you I love the look of it and your kitchen is wonderful. c

Before I started planning disposables for family dinner, and cooking and freezing at my mother's house, I did have a plan... (Donka, thanks for the sympathy!) My new kitchen is going to be initiated with an open house style party. Lots of hors d'oeuvre (borekes, especially, from the new convection oven), salads (steamed vegetable salad from the new steam oven), roasts, and breads and cakes.

What I'm really looking forward to, besides reliable ovens, is capacity. The ability to put on a real spread. The dinner for 22 is usually just family dinner, and if I hadn't packed the stock pot, carving knife, roaster and company dishes I wouldn't be stressing. But fifty? I'm really looking forward to being able to cook for the whole family, let alone friends too...