My obsession with all things food means that is is also the room that I will (and have done so) spend most of my money on.
Back when we stayed in the run down old bungalow, the only thing I loved about the house was the big, airy, light-filled kitchen. It straddled the east side of the house and one wall was completely lined with windows that looked onto the small garden outside. This meant that a) It was cool almost all day b) It was flooded with natural light and c) being part of a bungalow, it was HUGE. Lots and lots of counter space (I have made pizzas, homemade dumplings, Penang Hokkien Prawn noodles - stuff that require a ton of mise en place - with little issue), a big double sink, cabinets that the owner put in that I totally under-utilized.
Well, that's that. We've moved, at my behest, to a smaller, more maintainable home, though (dare I say) - almost as run down as the first. I have come to love this little space that I have made my own - the manageable size meant that I did not collapse thereafter cleaning it, , the living room in which I have proudly put out all my stuff collected from our travels and bedrooms. The only downside was the bare, rather under-lit kitchen.
So this is what we added to the bare space:
1) A simple industrial rack that houses a myriad of most often-used items – the kettle, mini blender for quick drinks/smoothies, and my acrylic glasses and water jug. I love acrylic kitchenware – as pretty/classy-looking as glass, but safe enough for clumsy people like me or even for kids.
I bought the glass jars on the second from top shelf to store coffee, Milo, sugar, oats, pasta...and reused glass containers that I collected for storing spices and condiments. So much easier than fiddling with opening tins and Tupperware covers. And prettier too.
The rack also houses some of the stuff I have amassed on our travels and - chai tea and coffee grounds from India, orange oil and honey from Phuket and Bangkok gourmet food stores, cinnamon cloves and more coffee from Bali. Organic pasta, soba noodles and couscous from the health stores all around Miri, KL and Penang. Protein powder my mum insisted on giving me, more spices and flavorings – Indian spice rubs, herbs for a Chinese herbal chicken stew. Oh, and the grey oven mitt was a most thoughtful gift from AK, who, knowing how I admire Jamie Oliver, splurged a good 12 pounds on it when he dined at Jamie's Italian in Liverpool recently.
2) I bought this cabinet from my old housemate - a total lifesaver. One side holds my small (but carefully selected) collection of serve ware that I am rather fond of – I have sourced them from flea markets (Amcorp Mall, Penang), Japanese specialty shops, simple grocery stores in Brunei and Miri, handed down from my Grandfather to my mum and of course, more ubiquitous ones from Parkson and the like. It also houses my ever growing collection of bakeware (all manner of baking tins, cupcakes, loaf, springform, tart, silicone and aluminium, my hand held mixer, as well as dry pantry items (flour, instant noodles, canned goods). Its tiled top serves as a workspace too.
It wasn’t enough though. As soon as we moved I knew we had to something about the kitchen to make it usable. At the first sight of the next trip back to KL I coerced AK to drive me to Ikea, armed with a shopping list I created on the Ikea website. My mission could not be clearer.
These rails I got there now hang above this cabinet and hold my oft-used single-serving cookware and my ladles, spatulas – anything I need within easy reach.
3) We also got this bigger metal wall rack, which hovers over the sink. Another piece that is absolutely essential in this space-starved place. Perfect for air-drying dishes and - when I added the hooks - hanging my peelers, scissors, sieves, hand held colander, silicone tongs, etc. off it. Silicone spatula, grater (this one is also from Ikea, I wanna upgrade to a Microplane one)
4) Another space saver - racks that elevate the gas stove off the only (very low) built in countertop. I use the space underneath it for my microwavaeble bowls and pot lids. The rack that holds my tray of condiments has a basket of garlic and onions, and my pestle and mortar underneath it.
5) And because I am helpless at the sight of pretty packaging that I can reuse, and the only place I could fit a part of my collection – tins from cookies, mooncakes, tea, my teeny liquor collection – was on top of the fridge.
6) Another very useful space I improvised – I originally bought this rice-husk cutting board from The Penang street market for, well, cutting. Turns out it fits nicely above the sink, so now I place my other cutting boards on it and use this space for cleaning meat and fish, and basically cutting everything. When I’m done I just wash the boards. No need to hunch over the other worktops. I use the yellow plastic one for meats and fish, the wooden one for stuff like vegetables, fruit and hacking up chocolate bars. Oh, and these two boards serve as splashbacks as well when they’re not in use.
It took me some time to grow into it and make it as friendly and functional as possible – and I would still love to have more work surfaces (I now make my dumplings in the dining room), but as with everything you build, bit my little bit, with things you use and grow to love, you learn to cherish.
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