MOAB LIFESTYLE May 2007
Expanding
into Outdoor Living – Alfresco Kitchens
Featured by Su Casa
Interiors
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How lucky we are to live in an area where
we have many months of great weather to enjoy the outdoors.
We do however have a few months of hot weather when you don’t
dare cook in your indoor kitchen. We’ve all said it, “I
don’t want to cook tonight it is just too hot to cook
inside; grab the hotdogs and let’s cook out!” Outdoor
living is an important element to the Southwest experience.
In recent years the outdoor area of a home has evolved from
a simple patio, to a more elaborate extension of the indoor
kitchen and is far more sophisticated than a simple charcoal
or propane grill. Our new fabulous outdoor entertaining areas
even have a name, Alfresco Kitchens.
A typical Alfresco Kitchen will not only have a grilling
area but is also a fully contained area to cook any type
of meal. The key elements of an Alfresco Kitchen feature
a large grill with an infrared rotisserie, refrigerator,
sink, and cook top side burners. The new trend is to incorporate
griddles, pizza ovens, and built-in woks. A complete Alfresco
Kitchen will have a dining and living area with a fireplace
or fire pit and possibly a pop-up thin-screen television.
You are only limited by your budget and imagination.
 The
same principles of efficient design apply to the Alfresco
Kitchen as they do for an indoor kitchen. The most important
element is function, taking into account how you will cook
and entertain in your Alfresco Kitchen. Other factors to
consider while designing an outdoor living area are wind,
sun and rain. These factors will be extremely important
to the overall design and placement of your appliances.
The growing trend of outdoor living areas has increased the
number of products and solutions available to incorporate
into your design. Fantastic outdoor furniture and outdoor
weather proof lamps are just a couple of the products you
can use to make your design unique. Appliances and products
should be safety rated for outdoor use.
There are generally 3 basic design strategies Basic Island,
L-Shaped and U-Shaped with the U-Shape giving the most flexibility
in establishing distinct zones for food preparation, grilling
and eating. The Alfresco Kitchen expands your area for entertaining
because it is completely self contained which allows you
to be outside cooking but still be engaged with your guests.
No more running in and out of the house to do something.
In your Alfresco Kitchen you should be able to do everything
from cook prep to cleanup.
We are seeing 98% of Su Casa Interiors client’s new
homes incorporating an Alfresco Kitchen into their plan.
It is now a great selling advantage but in years to come
it will be a must for your home to compete with others on
the market. Because of the popularity of Alfresco Kitchens
you can count on a 100% return on your investment. Depending
on the complexity and functionality of your design you could
actually make 200% on your investment.
Su Casa Interiors carries an extensive line of outdoor appliances,
furniture and lighting, complimented by our team of designers
who will assist you in designing your dream Alfresco Kitchen.
Su Casa Interiors has the two beautiful Kitchen Showrooms
to visit. Su Casa Interiors are the only members of NKBA-
National Kitchen Bath Association in the Moab Valley and
design to NKBA standards. So, don’t wait a minute longer
to get working on your dream Alfresco Kitchen and ....Bon
Appetit!!!
As the days
start to get longer and hotter I start to crave anything
grilled. One of my favorite things to grill is ribs
of any kind. I used to be so intimidated by grilling
ribs believing that I needed a lot of specialized
equipment to recreate the taste and texture of the
ribs that I had eaten at rib joints. This could not
be further from the truth - all you need to make
the best ribs you have ever tasted is a sheet pan,
oven, grill and a quality grade of meat (I get mine
from the Geezer!) Pair your ribs with a side of the
Blue Cheese Cole Slaw and your family and friends
will think you are a gourmet superstar...
Grilled
BBQ Pork Ribs
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
1 (3 pound) rack of
baby back pork ribs
1/4 to 1/2 cup apple juice
Bad Byron’s Butt Rub (or rib seasoning
of choice)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees
F. Thoroughly wash ribs in cold water and pat dry.
Remove the back membrane from the rack. Place the
rack on a sheet pan and coat with the seasoning.
Pour the apple juice into the sheet pan and cover
it completely with aluminum foil. Place the sheet
pan on the center rack of the oven and bake the
ribs for about two hours. Remove the foil and let
the ribs cool slightly. With your propane grill
on medium high cook the ribs about 10 to 15 minutes
until they have nice sear on the top surface. Remove
from the grill and allow to rest, slice into individual
serving sizes and serve with your favorite BBQ
sauce.
Note: If you do not like pork or can not eat it
- this recipe can be duplicated exactly for beef
back ribs!
Blue Cheese Cole Slaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes Yields: 6 to 8 servings
1/2 small head green
cabbage, shredded
1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded
4 large carrots, peeled and shredded
2 cups good mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Place the cabbages and carrots
in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl,
whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar,
celery salt, kosher salt and pepper. Pour enough
of the dressing over the vegetables and toss to
moisten well. Add the crumbled blue cheese and
parsley and toss together. Cover the bowl and refrigerate
for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Recipe provided
by Kaytered Indulgence. “Personal
Chef and Catering Services for all Occasions”
Contact Kaytered Indulgence at (435)260-8200.
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