More Tile Work

Counters cleared?                                      CHECK

Implements of destruction ready?                CHECK

Bottle of recovery Scotch within reach?      CHECK

Commence trashing the kitchen again in 3, 2, 1...Trash the kitchen!

The largest puzzle I have ever worked on

Tiling is a lot like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Except in tiling, you have a cool wet saw that can cut the pieces to fit.

If you remember, the counter-top project began in February. It took a little while to pick a tile for the back splash. Then once the tile was picked, it took a little while to go and order the tile. In fairness to the tile place, the tile came in three days early. Then the tile sat. And sat.

This week week, I took a day off and worked on the kitchen. I started around 8;15 in the morning. I worked non-stop until 4:45. Then I had to get a little dinner ready so we could be at the softball fields by 6:00. A whole interuption free day to work and I only got two of the three walls done. I naively thought I'd get it all done. And the remaining wall was the most complicated. I spent about 6 hours tiling that wall today. Now, all the tile is up waiting to be grouted. Oh, and I changed out all the electrical outlets for new ones too.

So after the grouting, all that's left is...some Sheetrock repair, molding installation and painting. Maybe someday. I was trying to get done for a gathering next weekend, but there is a girl scout thing Monday, I'm in Utica Tuesday and Wednesday, and the house is trashed...New Goal: Be done by Thanksgiving.

Shuffled off to Buffalo

Work has brought me to Buffalo this week. I'm typing this is the lobby of a Holiday Inn listening to the smooth sounds of the Backstreet Boys. I have to write something about the Modernist Bacon when I get home. We've had it twice so far. Spoiler Alert: freakin' awesome bacon. The kitchen is stull under construction. The granite backsplash is supposed to get installed tomorrow. Then we just have to pick tile and install it. And I think I'm going to change out all the outlets too. Piece of cake...

Smoking Bacon

Left work a little bit early to come home and get the Modernist Bacon in the smoker. It went pretty well. I used a kind of half-assed Minion method but with lump charcoal. I lit a chimney of charcoal and let it get about 2/3rds lit. I add some unlit charcoal to the base of the fire barrel and then dumped the chimney on top. The recipe calls for a 170 degree smoking. My temperatures fluctuated at bit and i ended up controlling them by propping the smoker door open a little bit. To maintain the opening, I used a small rock I saw under the deck. I have never tried the Minion method with briquettes (I avoid using briquettes) and I think it might work a little better with the prefab uniform coals.I think I need to add a metal baffle to direct the heat down as it enters the cooking chamber. The past few times I used the smoker, I used a fire brick as a heat sink/shield.

I'm just about to light the chimney here. You can kind of see that brick I mentioned behind the piece of lump charcoal on the shelf.

In goes the slab of Modernist bacon. It smelled pretty good.

I had the temperature probe in the air near the slab of bacon. For the most part, I'd say this thermometer read between 160 and 180. Not bad. I was kind of busy during the smoke and babysitting the fire a little more would have helped too.

Here it is cooling before getting refrigerated. Looks good. I'll cut it up tomorrow night. I should weigh it to see if there was much weight loss during the cure and smoking. Remind me tomorrow.

In kitchen news, we have plumbing again. I would have been a horrible colonist.  And the cars are back in the garage. I cleaned that up tonight. Anyone need some scrap Sheetrock?

Super Sunday

I had plans for Super Bowl Sunday. They just didn't quite work out. I like to go out to eat at a nicer than our usual restaurant for dinner. The place is usually empty and the kids get a higher end restaurant experience. I even did a little research into where to go. Several choices are typically closed on Sunday: Yono's, DB Brasserie, Brown Derby, The Epicurean and Taste to name a few. I had settle on Grappa 72. Their online menu has a cheese plate and I knew Allison and Casey were going to like trying the cheeses because they really enjoyed the cheese plate on our cruise this summer.

But earlier this morning, I had the word no parent ever wants to hear. "My ear huuuurrts." So we went off to the doctor where the earache turned out to be strep for Allison and the cough was really a wheeze for Casey. And thus ended the nite out.

Instead, I bought some pre made pizza crust. Not exactly proud of that but they didn't look terrible in Hannaford. And I had a roundabout rationalization justifying the purchase. We still don't have a working kitchen sink. Got a bathtub, and two bathroom sinks. I guess I could kneel down and wash stuff in the tub. That would require bringing everything to be washed upstairs, washing it, drying it without making puddles and then bringing it all back downstairs. With the exception of charcuterie or barbecue projects, I am lazy and therefore there must be some form of urgency for me to wash something kitchen related upstairs.

So the rationalization I came up with while pushing a cart around Hannaford went something like this: It's almost 4, I can't make my own dough in time and even if I tried I would have a mess I can't clean up yet. The Fabulous Flats Stone Baked Pizza Crusts really only have one questionable ingredient and the crusts were going to cook on a pizza stone in the oven. Don't need to wash the peel or stone. I'll need a spoon for the sauce, a knife and a cutting board. The spoon and the cutting board can go in the dishwasher and patiently await a plumbing connection. We'll eat off paper plates. Dinner for four and the only thing I'll have to wash later is a knife. Sold.

The crusts were actually pretty good. Better than I would have expected. I guess that is a perk to having low expectations. And I did have to shake off some of that laziness. The pancetta needed to be rinsed and hung. This is probably too much information, but using great care and a large piece of Tupperware (that is also in the dishwasher awaiting a water line) the pancetta got rinsed in the tub.

Pancetta, meet Modernist bacon. Modernist bacon, I'd like to introduce you to your roommate Pancetta. This fridge smells really good.

Starting to rebuild

Counter tops are installed. I like the look. You have to let the sink sit for 24 hours before hooking up the plumbing. Tomorrow, we go to pick out a new faucet and maybe look at some tile for the walls. The tiling has to happen sometime after the granite back splash gets installed. They took measurements for the back splash today. The stone probably won't get cut until later in the week.

No more demo

We have the power to rebuild. I'm just not sure my handiwork is a step in the right direction...Counter tops should be coming this afternoon.

Modernist Bacon and more demolition

Work in the kitchen progressed today, but before that happend I had to get the Modernist bacon hanging. The pork belly spent a week curing in a vacuum bag. Now it will spend a week curing in the fridge before smoking.

The pancetta will cure a few more days before I take it out. I think I'm going hang it next to the bacon in the basement fridge and see how it turns out. Work progressed in the kitchen today. Here is an afternoon shot.
 

And again this afternoon.

I'm gong to miss you most of all, Kitchen Sink.

Let the demolition & dust begin

Spent a few hours knocking tiles off the wall on Saturday. Made a little bit of progress.

Not all the tile came off easily. Probably not supposed to see that insulation behind the stove. My bad.

The current plan is to get the rest of the tile off tomorrow and Tuesday before 3. That's when the contractor is coming to remove the existing counter top and make his template. Once the template is made, it will take a few days (up to a week) to cut the stone and then get back here to install it. During that prep time, I am going to do my best to put up new or mostly new sheet rock on the walls. I want to be done before the counter is installed. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

Unfortunately, the counter top removal also includes the removal of the sink. So no sink or counter top for up to a week. Hello paper plates and take out.