Frank Novak’s Los Angeles home is what you’d describe as “Depression-era modern.” You’ll find a lot of white, spare surfaces with an almost “hospital aesthetic,” as Apartment Therapy wrote. But this is all intentional. “The house inspired me to honor its spirit and bring it back to feeling period correct. All decisions and purchases were made with this goal in mind,” Frank says. Some of those purchases include white metal cabinetry in the kitchen and a vintage Western Holly stove. See more photos below:

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There was nothing quite so angsty in my kitchen renovation as the countertops. Maybe it’s because I was coming from a rental kitchen with truly awful laminate countertops, countertops that were not only dirty cream in color but textured with deep wrinkles, like rhinoceros skin, never clean and never smooth; but I was convinced that the countertop choice would make the kitchen. Countertops are the difference between easy cleaning and dread. Countertop material changes the light in a kitchen, and is the surface under your hands and food. For me, kitchen renovation meant finally having countertops that were beautiful, bright white, and easy to clean. And not too expensive, my husband added. 

Marble was the natural choice. Right? Right! Here’s the story of how we overcame our fears, and found our honed marble countertops. 

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Remember when Odwalla’s Superfood smoothie was the only green juice around? I’d buy it in the big jug size and marvel at just how tasty drinking my vegetables had become. But then I looked at the sugar content. Made from mostly fruit juices, it wasn’t quite the health tonic I had hoped for. These days green juice packed with vegetables is all the rage, and can be made with a variety of ingredients, from the trendy kale to collard greens, mango, and cilantro. Read on for five recipes worth trying. More

4.08 / 5 Stars | 43 Reviews

by Ellen Fitzpatrick

” Coffee, cocoa and tofu are mixed into a batter with safflower oil, whole wheat flour, vanilla and sugar. They bake into rich, delicious bars.”

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A simple puréed soup is something I turn to often, usually relying on a creamy tomato, but lately I’ve been relying instead on a lightly-spiced cauliflower soup. Cauliflowers are easy to come by and quite inexpensive at the markets (in Seattle anyway), so as you sit and wait for true spring produce (peas, favas, asparagus!), this is a good recipe to tide you over. 

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I’ve had appliances on my mind, as you know, having recently bought an entire set appliances for my kitchen. Yesterday I shared some of my chat with Thomas Johansson, the Design Director of Electrolux, who talked about how he thinks that the refrigerator is the appliance that needs the most rethinking. Well, take a look at this idea from one of the 2012 Design Lab finalists: is this the fridge of the future? 

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Wine of the Week: 2011 S.A. Prüm Essence Riesling Qualitätswein
Region & Country: Mosel, Germany
Price: $12

Riesling wines are some of the most delicious and versatile wines you can buy – and great value too, as this 2011 Essence Riesling from S.A. Prüm attests. More

4 / 5 Stars | 9 Reviews

by ByMarce

“Great for tacos and quesadillas, these tortillas also have added flavor and fiber from oat bran.”

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The Famous Drinking Chocolate Cake is the result of passing around a recipe between friends, with each friend adding their own mark on the recipe!… by KarenBurnsBooth on Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Irish brown bread that is crumbly and moist with a lovely nutty flavor due to the wholemeal flour. Baking soda is the leavening agent used in this… by ailovebaking on Tuesday, April 2, 2013