A child's illustration of a bowl of foodYou know, my parents had a restaurant. And I left home, actually, in 1949, when I was 13 years old, to go into apprenticeship. And actually when I left home, home was a restaurant – like I said, my mother was a chef. So I can’t remember any time in my life, from age 5, 6, that I wasn’t in a kitchen.
Jacques Pepin

“In many ways, I am similar to Jacques Pepin. Being a Kitchen Designer, I have spent more than half of my awake hours in the kitchen(s), Whether it is yours or my own. I decided when I was young that I loved to eat. My mother was and still is “an exceptional cook” and there was never a day that went by that she didn’t make or bake a desert. Unbeknown to me, I was spoiled. My father was also a kitchen designer in the days when we didn’t have computers. I often watched him at the kitchen table doing designs after dinner. I found myself taking an interest in the function of the kitchen and how it flows. Whether you have a big or small kitchen, you still have to have a cooking appliance, sink, dishwasher and refrigerator. The key ingredient is function and maximizing the space, as well as appearance. Take that with a grain of salt, you know I am going design to give it the “WOW” factor. You can attest to that if I have already done a kitchen for you! Fortunately for me, I married a woman that would continue spoiling me the same way that I was brought up. My wife Carol experimented in the kitchen during our early years of marriage (I was happy to play the role of the Guinea Pig- As she called it) and also became an avid  wonderful cook. With all of that being said, there was a period of time, in order for us to have a second child, that I would be called upon to prepare the daily meals. I call this the “Survival Period” with no other choice. I was Grateful for the days of the Guinea Pig that I had experienced because she had all of those recipes written out so, all I had to do was be able to read and follow the instructions! I also learned some of my own tricks in the kitchen and started experimenting and developing some of my own creations, i.e., (P & J, Grilled Cheese & Chocolate Frappe).  Now, while Carol does the majority of the cooking, she occasionally allows me to get get creative in the kitchen, i.e.,

Bowl of Cherios

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms 

Garlic Spaghetti aglio e olio,

Basic Garlicky Spaghetti

Steak- Blue Cheese Butter Sauce with Roasted veggies

Baked Seafood Stuffed Lobster

So, I can hardly remember the times when I haven’t been in the kitchen either! Call now for your free in home Kitchen Remodel consultation!

Ken Dempsey- Northshore Kitchens Plus- Beverly, MA

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Remodeling and Home Design
Remodeling and Home Design
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