…bakes just as good.
What’s in an oven? Lots of things, that’s for sure. Living in a small New York City kitchen, space is of the essence. Now, I love being in the kitchen but it is difficult to maneuver when the kitchen’s size resembles a shoebox. Well, what does one with space issues do? Rely on small appliances!
We have a microwave atop of the fridge, a toaster that lives in a cupboard, a panini press that lives on top of our washing machine, a blender that sits next to our toaster oven, and our prized possession in its own little nook in a corner of the kitchen. Our old and used up toaster oven is my family’s favorite appliance. It is convenient, cooks well and is out of the way.
Now, I have Dominican parents. I don’t know if anyone else has parents like mine but they like their things overcooked. Because of this, the oven is set permanently on the “toast” feature, with the temperature cranked up all the way up (thankfully, the oven doesn’t go past 450 degrees F). Depending on what I’m making, I change the settings. Some recipes may take longer to bake, so I have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn/overbake. I actually love using the toaster oven because I get a better golden brown effect on some of my recipes. Maybe that’s why it’s called a toaster oven 😉
It may sound like we prefer the toaster oven (we do, hah) but we do use our conventional oven. The only problem with using it, besides overheating our apartment, is that my mom stores her pots and pans in there! To use the oven, we have to take everything out. This is also the issue with having a tiny kitchen; there’s nowhere to put them! When we do use the oven, pots and pans are everywhere you turn. We mostly reserve our big oven, as I affectionately call it, for items that don’t fit in the toaster oven, or if you’re planning on cooking a lot of things at once. It’s mostly in commission during the fall/winter seasons, because of the holidays and for its toasty, warming effect on our apartment on super cold days. I personally use it if I’m making cookies, layer cakes, and dozens of cupcakes; which is actually a rare occurrence.
I hope this intro has intrigued you enough to follow me on my journey of discovery and deliciousness. I want to share my own recipes, as well as established favorites. I’m also planning on sharing my favorite items and gadgets, as well as cookbooks, bloggers, etc. I want this blog to be an extension of me and my time in my tiny kitchen. So, come for the recipes, but stay for the story 🙂
