eat and greet: 'scuse me while i brag

I've been anxiously holding on to these bad boys for MONTHS waiting to unleash them and politely brag on behalf of my mom, designer Ingrid Leess. Behold...her new kitchen. Featured this month on the cover of Kitchens and Baths Magazine (A Woman's Day Special Interest Publication). Go out and get your copy! Now!

There's nothing I can really say other than this is, without a millisecond of hesitation nor ounce of doubt, the most beautiful kitchen I have ever laid my eyes on. It has been many, many, many, many, MANY years in the making, with drawing after drawing after drawing drafted by my uber-talented designer mother. Her eye and ability to see the beauty in nearly anything and everything just absolutely flabbergasts me. How lucky I am to have her, her impeccable sense of style, and this freaking phenomenal kitchen in my life.

You will never, ever again wonder why I so frequently run back home to Connecticut.

I will now shut up and allow you to enjoy these gorgeous photographs, photographed by the equally talented, Aimee Herring.

I mean....REALLY?!?! God, I love you, Mom.

who i am

When faced with the question of what food means to me, conversation inevitably shifts to my Mor-Mor (Swedish for Grandmother): A phenomenal cook who refused help in the kitchen and didn't believe in recipes. The real deal, if you will.

Mor-Mor had a seriously strong hand with garlic (surprisingly for a Swede) and an innate knack for making anything taste implausibly delicious. There was always a jar of homemade garlic oil in her fridge which found its way drizzled on top of almost everything. Like one of her breakfast treats: homemade bread slathered with garlic oil, a few slices of granny smith apple, and topped with extra sharp cheddar. Into her beloved toaster oven they'd go until the cheese had just melted, lovingly, over the apples. The salty-sweet combination could make your head spin—a beautiful cohesion of flavors and textures from such an unexpected pairing.

And then there were her meatballs. With her homemade tomato sauce made from tomatoes grown in her garden, picked when perfectly plump and warm from the summer sun, a ladle of garlic oil, and tons of parsley (Mor-Mor may or may not have been secretly Italian), they sent eyeballs rolling to the backs of people’s heads. The thought alone of her in that kitchen makes my heart long, once again, for her cooking. For her.

Now when I'm cooking, I finally understand her insistence on navigating the kitchen alone. There's something about getting in there and winding down and having your own personal space to create that’s beyond therapeutic—it’s wholly fulfilling and soul-satisfying.

6 comments:

bee and jay said...: Fab!Most envious,wish we could run home to a kitchen like that!; March 11, 2010 at 12:14 PM
Einat said...: DREAM kitchen!!! LOVE!; March 11, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Kiira Leess said...: thanks! mine too!! ;); March 11, 2010 at 12:58 PM
meleary said...: Absolutely gorgeous! Beautiful job Ing. When can I come for din? (Plus visit Ing and Molly of course!); March 11, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Mackie said...: OH.M.G.; March 11, 2010 at 1:06 PM
Sarah said...: Love it! Ing has always had the most amazing taste! This one is definitely getting a star in my google reader! gorgeous!; March 11, 2010 at 4:35 PM

eat and greet

Thursday, March 11, 2010

'scuse me while i brag

6 comments:

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