Jennifer Schaertl, author of 'Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens,' knows her stuff. G. J. McCARTHY/DALLAS MORNING NEWS Visit the Photo Place

Tiny kitchen with big tastes GREAT GADGETS FOR SMALL SPACE

Date published: 9/3/2008

By JOYCE SAENZ HARRIS

The Dallas Morning News

It takes ingenuity to make very good meals in a very small kitchen.

Jennifer Schaertl used her creativity to master that art, but she didn't stop there. Her success led her to culinary school and then to jobs in the kitchens of several Dallas restaurants.

What's more, she stumbled upon a new career when her husband, Jay, paid her a compliment.

"You make the best gour-met meals in a crappy little kitchen," he said admiringly. Thus, Schaertl was inspired to start the cookbook that her agent is shopping to publishers: "Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens."

Schaertl's Web site is crappylittlekitchens.com.

She also knows plenty of tricks for getting the most out of the fewest kitchen gadgets and the smallest spaces. One trick she uses is the mise en place method. For example, set up ingredients and culinary tools in advance, ready to use, as seen on cooking shows. She fills the sink with soapy water and cleans as she goes.

"I buy only multipurpose appliances," she notes. "No one-trick ponies."

Schaertl is a full-time chef for catering and corporate team-building at Milestone Culinary Arts Center and Viking Cooking School (milestoneculinary.com).

Eight-quart stockpot with steamer basket Instead of several sizes of pots, use one large pot for all jobs. Each piece fits inside for easy storage, and the steamer insert can double as a colander. Pot rack Easy to make with the wire rack from an old barbecue grill, chain and hooks. Pots, lids, spoons and whisks can be hung for convenient storage. Tongs In a professional kitchen, sturdy tongs are used to turn meat, to stir, to move pots with hot handles around the stovetop, and to pick things up and out of poaching liquid. Six- to eight-inch chef's knife The perfect knife. All chefs have them, and they can be used for all cutting, chopping and slicing--even for peeling garlic. Box grater It tackles a range of needs, from grating hash browns to shaving truffles. It can hang from a pot rack. --Dallas Chef Jennifer Schaertl

Follow us on

Date published: 9/3/2008