barncatz, I saw that too but so glad you posted it! ...it's very.... spartan. LOL!

Rather than "the idea of the uniform applied to the kitchen", I'd describe it as "the idea of a 1960s Irish Home for Unwed Mothers kitchen applied to the kitchen".

I agree, barncatz! I've seen church kitchens with more personality than this one! My reaction would be, "OMG - the house didn't come with a kitchen!"

OMG barncatz, that is too funny and apt.

Different strokes......I have friends - a couple - with a small fridge (essentially a large bar fridge) and that suits them fine, because they do shop almost daily. They live about a block from a market and eat simply (not frugally) and get exactly what they feel like eating that night. When they host a dinner party, they pick up everything the day they need it, and make use of their condo balcony as an extra fridge (in the winter). If they are baking a dessert for that dinner party, they would buy just enough flour from a bulk bin at the market. It suits them. Their entire kitchen area is about 1/3 of mine (solo person), but mine suits me perfectly. I'm more apt to cook up stews and casseroles in larger quantities to freeze, and to make savory pies or have fun making my own root beer syrup.

To each his/her own.

They aren’t grinding their own artisan flour? Someone is going to revoke their flannel wearing privileges. It just seems like a skit from Portlandia that took itself seriously.

I didn't get the impression that the idea of daily shopping was central to whatever point the article was attempting to convey, buried as it was in the prose about 'Work and Life is all combined and so they have gorgeous barware and wear flannel and run (namedrop corporation here)' quoted above. But since daily shopping has been raised, I'm a fan.

“Made from white oak and steel by Matt Bear, a Berkeley designer, it is a fetish item for the device-weary, kitted out with leather pockets and knife sheaths made by a saddle maker from Marfa, Tex.; weathered, perforated zinc trays; hand-woven black ash baskets and honey-colored, finger-joined wooden boxes. Your Tupperware would be uncomfortable there.”

This, especially, reminds me of those old clothing catalogs I used to get years ago - I think it was something like J. Peterman?? The copy for those clothing items were unreal. I think Seinfeld even did some shows about that.

"I didn't get the impression that the idea of daily shopping was central to whatever point the article was attempting to convey,"

I'm sure you're right, but since shopping was mentioned in the responses......

Well, I'm a fan. When I'm peeved at my DH, I often fantasize Paris and daily shopping.

We shop every other day for fresh produce/food but we still have a full size fridge because half of it is used up by condiments. My girlfriend rarely cooked in 30 yrs but her full size fridge is full of condiments as well for all her delivered and takeout meals. She lives in Manhattan where delicious restaurants are on every block.

It was a hoot to read the article because of the snooty attitude. Unfortunately, it does reflect many people I know. Mostly millennials and many under 40, my own siblings included. Looks and perceived uniqueness are very important. They watch Keeping Up with Kardashians and Real Housewives religiously.

They also equate cost and hype with value. The more it cost, the better it is.

I have 4 kids and a husband which I think is a good thing:)

Therefore I have a regular size fridge. I have an older home, so it is not a huge fridge, but it is full of boring stuff like milk, juice and eggs.

That huge plant on the wood island/table made me laugh ...... it looks like its going to shed its leaves any minute now and create an organic mess right into the wineglasses...

and LOL on talking to pot growers....I think I know why..... Forget the kitchen, I want a photo of the basement :)

I have so many different thoughts about that article I don't think I can even corral them.

One thought, now just 2 weeks since my grotesquely suburban white marble went in. Most American kitchens don't even have marble. They have Formica. The disconnect and condescension is incredible. Just wow.

ETA: They'd better be careful. That table that scares your Tupperware off reeks of industrial, which is a lot more prominent on Pinterest than even marble.

It was a hoot to read the article because of the snooty attitude. Unfortunately, it does reflect many people I know. Mostly millennials and many under 40, my own siblings included. Looks and perceived uniqueness are very important. They watch Keeping Up with Kardashians and Real Housewives religiously.

Nah, I grew up with people like that and lived with them on the north shore of Long Island for way too long. It's not only the millennials. I'm 62 and it was prevalent in my generation too.

They also equate cost and hype with value. The more it cost, the better it is.

Yep.

Welcome to my life; I *live* among these folks. Actually, one burb over and the culture clash and class warfare is keen. I used to shop by the pallet from a food truck until Whole Foods put a stop to that (bought out the distributor and forced them to refuse deliveries within 5 miles of a WF - sound illegal to you? So did the feds, but I never heard what came of their antitrust suit). Now I shop - well, the nest is emptying out, but I used to shop every 5 days or so, now up to 7 I'd say.

But mostly what's missing from this recounting is the massive and ever-growing business stream of takeout ordered via Uber and Amazon and Market something or other and on and on. There are a dozen apps or more I'm told, all crazy-busy picking up food and running hither and yon with it. These kitchens are mostly landing pads for paper cartons. Else the tech residents take their lunch inside the walled compounds of their employer or among the camp-follower restaurants that ring the citadel gates.

Kitchens are where the plastic tops for the containers of the bought-food brought for (private or at least socially-regulated) school potlucks go.

Y'all are suggesting it's different in the interior then?

What's "shop?"
Food in the fridge? I thought it was for condiments and beer. Ok, chocolate, too. Sometimes cheese. Yes, cheese is good.

When I saw that white kitchen above, the thought that flashed through my head was that it was from a mental institution. No sharp objects.

You have to ask yourself about the people reading and loving these articles. Are they (nuts) so pretentions themselves that they can't see the writer's desire to be viewed as urbane and in-the-know? It's all a reflection of the writer, IMHO.

Someone mentioned GW kitchens being unique, etc. Yes, unless you're talking about the millionth post on white shaker kitchens. That in itself, is unique. Not thie kitchens. IMHO what stands out here is the desire to create spaces that are functional, beautiful, and fit with the posters' life styles. THAT is what's unique.

I'm just glad in 2 years I don't have to rip out my kitchen. I've been working on it for 10 this winter, so that would just plan be depressing.

If you want your own leather knife pocket, maybe to hang off an artisanal cabinet knob, Food52 can help you out but Cabelas has them too! You're welcome. Although Food52 shows them with actual food, that leather pocketed knife could open a take out container top as well.

ETA: Don't know what I was thinking. Went to the source. The March $575 knife pocket. Accept no substituions. Table sold separately.

aliris19, I think it might be different in upstate NY! Just got back from a visit to Syracuse. My DD took me to their huge Farmer's Market. What a treasure, and the vendors and shoppers were the best.

Yes, more frequent shopping is quite normal for European areas. Note the smaller fridges and ovens.

Ah, barncatz ... but FM (Farmer's Markets) are not only prevalent, but de rigeur and ubiquitous here. It must be what, 23 years ago now when I first came here I found a printout of FM in the LA area: there were 244 at that time. Mind you, the "LA area" might be bigger than northern NewEngland .... not quite, but still, it's a vast megalopolis and I never knew certainly don't remember precisely the perimeter. Nevertheless, it's an absolutely astonishing number of FM that set up shop in this 365-growing-day climate.

That said, as you might expect, these were and have continue to grow to be increasingly commercial. Some, now, feature 75% ... you got it, takeout food. "Prepared food", aka food trucks or kitchens. At unbelievable prices. Personally, if I'm going to pay that much for an entree I'd like someone to serve me on a tablecloth and pour me some water in a real glass; I don't want to sit on broken teetery plastic chairs and chase down wind-strewn napkins.

I am clearly-clearly-clearly in the minority. These FM have grown in number, size and scope. And not, to my aesthetic, in a good way. The diversity of vegetable varieties and types grown in them is if anything, lesser than at our local coop (which is also pretty poor, but never mind). The pressure on vendors to grow early-in, poor-taste varieties is tremendous and unpleasant for everyone. The conspicuous consumption represented by paying 2x-4x what you would at a brick-and-mortar store is a wild concept too.

NE FM have their issues too of course, but the conceits are different. But personally, I'd say here this vast money-gap (wealth disparity) is a icky driving factor and I do occasionally muse on how once those NE conceits really got under my skin and now all that just seems .... quaint.

I just want to see an image of the "fractal-iceberg" kitchen island!

Interesting, aliris19. I apologize. I assumed you were in the New York City area. I did laugh out loud at your LA Farmer's Market description.

ledmond10, me too! I found some photos of homes she's decorated, some as big as icebergs, but no iceberg kitchen islands, darn it.

but if you’re buying your food every day, you don’t need much. And you
need less space to store your dry goods, because you are buying small
batch flour from Sonoma.”

This does not even remotely represent my life. In fact, I'd guess perhaps 200 people across the whole country fit into the oddball mold suggested by this artist.

It's a different kind of food desert...the urban food oasis. Look: here's lots of fresh, healthy, unprocessed food! Want some? No. Sorry. You can't afford it.

@aliris wow I didn't realize you live in LA. I'm in OC so I can shop at the Asian and Mexican markets where prices are much cheaper and you get more varieties of produce.

You can also get exotic produce from the old ladies who stand outside sell food from their gardens.

The funny thing is that my siblings are part of the artisan - must be unique and hyped /vegan blah blah culture. They will pay thru the nose for things that are marked "artisan" and "organic" even though it's filled with chemicals and deemed my homemade food from fresh produce as ghetto.

My sister insists on eating only gluten free food because she has "celiac disease" - self diagnosed recently after I asked if they knew what gluten was. However, she then chug down pitchers of beer when she goes out.

People are so willing to pay for hype that they get conned easily. A popular artisan bean to bar chocolate maker got outed for buying commercial candy bars then melting them down and repackaging them as hand made bars that cost $10 a bar. They did this for years and only got caught because a blogger couldn't figure out how they could have produce so much for distribution when it's supposedly hand made in small batches so he had the bars tested. The owners are two hipster guys who traded on the hipster culture.

A popular artisan bean to bar chocolate maker got outed for buying commercial candy bars then melting them down and repackaging them as hand made bars that cost $10 a bar.

$10 a bar! That should have been a tip-off right there. It's $40 or $50 a bar from our local artisanal chocolatier.

(BTW, when did artisan come to mean artist instead of worker? When I was young your plumber and drywall guy were artisans, not the local tapestry weaver or froufy baker.)

Beachem - that chocolate story is just wild; ppl are wild and wacky. And the vegan-crowd, of which I'm sort of a member kinda I guess, are our own sort of "special". (I'm wanting stuff to be grown ecologically properly, and also I suppose I pay for the regulatory process that results in "organic" understanding all the while the political wiles that have made this often a less 'natural' kind of growing than what you can find at eclectic, ethnic, small-time real markets. Sigh. It's all so complicated).

Anyway, yeah, that designer works in my 'hood. And if you can figure out an address I'll just go snap a pic of the iceberg.

Also, I can't really imagine that anyone really reads that drivvel anyway. I think it's just sort of an infomercial?

Umm, why do you need an herb garden if you don't actually cook?

Yes, often kitchen's are used for entertaining- hence more 'open concept' designs but "...the kitchen has to look like furniture" is certainly an interesting statement.

Umm, why do you need an herb garden if you don't actually cook?

In one of J. B. Priestley's stories he mentions the male vocal chorus in a music hall standing at the back of the stage making movements that implied that they could dance if they wanted to. I suppose it's more or less the same principle.

"Umm, why do you need an herb garden if you don't actually cook?"

They do make a room smell lovely :)

The article is over the top but it is speaking to a specific demographic that may not do much cooking. So the kitchen is primarily, and possibly only, a show space. If that's the case, why not have two islands that resemble icebergs in the middle? It can bring you back to your last visit to Greenland!!!! I was somewhat surprised they did not include a photo of said icebergs. Plus, I have seen quite a few islands here on GW that should be called continents and raise similar questions about function. If you can't reach the middle....

That photo of the work uniform as kitchen is so sparse. That said, the individual materials all look superb, its just the combo that is off and makes it look like something you would see in the heavily stylized Harry Potter movies.

I happen to live nearish to the store that was mentioned, March. When I first heard about it, I really wanted to visit because it sounded cool. Then I made the trek across the Bay and was rather disappointed. Like the article, it is targeting the Goop audience that does a lot less cooking then their well appointed kitchens suggest. The products are form over function in many instances and the prices are often eye-watering. I think few people here would find value in the work table that is mentioned. The price is staggering, and you have to buy each outrageously priced piece separately in an ala carte fashion (so you buy the table and the leather accessories are sold separately). I would guess that a lot of people blow an entire low-end remodel budget on just the price of the work table with no leather.

I tend to eat mostly fresh foods (not packaged) and because there are only two of us, we often don't stock up. Typically I am at the grocery store at least 2x per week and I appreciate being able to grab cilantro when I want it so that I know it is fresh.

I have a larger than average family. Actually making it through a bunch of cilantro before it goes bad (which takes a month how I store it) is a matter that requires telling my friends:

"I actually RAN OUT of cilantro this week! I had to use some dried!"

"No! What did you make? Must have been a lot of Mexican food!"

"Mexican, Vietnamese, AND Indian. Turned out most of my recipes for the last two weeks had cilantro. I didn't realize it until I needed half a cup and only had a third left."

"I don't think I've actually ever run out...."

What fascinating lives we lead.

If it ain't bad, it's fresh. :)

Hey Milly - so how do you store that cilantro then? After so so many years cooking this should not be an open question for me, but still it is. I have so never gotten refrigerator management down. Plus - entrepreneur alert - seems to me that ought to be a market in making refridges configured differently for different cooking/lie styles. My fridge is *filled* with veggies and greens and they never fit into the too-small and too-few drawers, it's a real chaotic mess in there.

Years ago I saw a TV special on cooking in the Mediterranean and it was pointed out no one *had* refrigerators, they just kept bunches of greens and vegetables in a bucket of water if necessary. I tried that but I thin you have to be Mediterranean...?

Milley Rey, fess up! I too want to know how you manage to keep cut cilantro for a month! : - )

I've an herb garden outside I can't seem to live without, and my parsley dies every year, mid-summer. I can't keep parsley alive that long in my fridge!

ETA: they just kept bunches of greens and vegetables in a bucket of water if necessary Oh gosh, my current un-reno'd kitchen is bad enough as is, without buckets sitting about!

I think I found the iceberg kitchen island!

That is not what I pictured at all for the iceberg kitchen island.

Nor I, cawaps. That looks like some of the giant acrylic tubs that exist now, with a lid on it. Not glacial at all. How disappointing!

@2manydiversions. Yikes that just looks wrong. It doesn't look interesting or harmonious with the kitchen. An invisible floating island would make a statement and still blend with the kitchen.

@alirus, I keep my herbs in an herb saver in the fridge. Basically it's a water container that holds your herbs upright. It does keep for over a month. I bought them on clearance and they turned out to be actually useful. I use them for parsley, cilantro and chives. My basil and rosemary are living and in tiny pots.

I'm at physical therapy right now but will post a photo when I get home.

Before that, I was using styrofoam cups in the fridge door. They just need water for the bottom.

beachem... makes sense. I cut my asparagus when I get home from the store, wrap the ends in a wet paper towel and bag... Link to your herb saver please? Take your time, I'm sure you will be rather tired when you get home. PT always did that to me.

Iceberg island: Yeah, I kinda envisioned something more monolithic like 2001: A Space Odyssey... but with sharp edged protrusions.

I do think the above 'iceberg' island would keep those pesky 'leaners' off the island.

@writersblock the $10 was wholesale for a 2.5oz bar. I think retail was $32. They supposedly made the bars out of their apartment with no equipment up to $10 million a year in revenue.

They recently got angel money and is able to do about $100M a year in production according to Fortune. The hipster image marketing still works because the only people who knows about the scandal were chocolate aficionados or their competitors. Supposedly, they no longer buy Valhrona bars and repackaged them after they got caught.

2manydiversions, that's definitely an Iceberg Island, lol, but I don't think that's the famous 'fractal' from the kitchen the article was describing, in the 25000 sq foot Hollywood Hills house, designed by Joan Behnke. There were two, and she says something about the horizontal sight lines in that kitchen that they were trying to emphasize with the icebergs.

Thanks, beachem. That makes more sense.

Ha! Well, my current fridge SUCKS (part of the reason my timetable is being moved up), so it's really stupidly simple. I keep the fridge as cold as I can without freezing the milk. First, I get the crispest cilantro I can find. I keep the cilantro in the bag from the store and wrapped lightly closed and make sure it sits on top of everything else in my broken crisper drawer. When I need it, I throw away anything that looks wilted first because that will spoil the bunch. Then I get out and wash just what I need and put the rest back.

It literally does take a month to go bad.

My ginger, I peel first, wrap tightly in foil, put in a baggie, and freeze. When I need it, I use my microplane. That's how it stays juicy instead of shriveling sadly in my fridge.

Lemons go yucky in the door but are happy in the crisper drawer for 6 weeks.

I have 170 spices and mixes last count. I buy in bulk put a little of each in my spice jars, except the ones I use a quarter cup at a time. The rest go in the deep freeze. Which is...yeah, it's mostly full of spices. I have enough asafoetida for about three lifetimes.

#deepkitchensecrets

I hate how much space produce takes up. Everything is spilling out the day after my shopping day. Whole fridge is in my future.

Parsley and cilantro are both cool season annuals. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm too lazy to replant anything but basil and rosemary (after a hard winter), so I just parsley and cilantro and mostly have thyme, sage, and chives. And mint. But I didn't plant the mint. lol.

@aliris I use this but I wouldn't recommend it. It was hard for me to open to put herbs in. I change the water out very couple of days by pulling out that green twist, empty water and put new in.

There are several other types of herb keepers available that maybe easier to open and close.

@MilleyRey

you cook with asafoetida ? And keep a stock of it ? I am impressed :)

i sometimes like to imagine how one of my ancestors must have decided in a moment of craziness to test out this tree resin in their curry .

and discovered that something so pungent and horrible smelling could add so much taste to a dish. But only if addded in moderation ! Must have made for some interesting test meals ...

Happy cooking !

I think I found the iceberg kitchen island!

Wow, someone paid money for that. It's cheap looking, I doubt it has any storage inside, and the point in the front prevents people from standing /leaning at the island for a snack. Wow. What were they thinking?

"and the point in the front prevents people from standing /leaning at the island for a snack."

I thought that was the plan (to keep people from leaning on it).