Nothing beats the taste of homemade falafels! Serve with a fresh tomato and cucumber salad, tahini and pita bread for a delicious vegetarian meal. by Guest on Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Like this Small Cool Kitchens 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Ulrike

Location:

Bern Switzerland

Square Feet:

106

Division:

International

What makes your small kitchen so cool:

I’m happy with the glass doors of the cabinets, things are stowed away yet visible, so I don’t forget them. It’s also cool to just sit at the counter-height table and enjoy the view of the orderly surfaces. It’s a space of contrasts: big and small, black and white, something going on, but in a calming, unified way.

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I have a fascination with the grill — I think most guys do. There’s something about igniting a fire that lights up my soul. Maybe it’s a momentary power trip. Let there be light! Maybe it’s the smell of burning wood. Maybe it’s the ice cold margarita in my hand as all the magic happens. Whatever it is, this is why summer (even Texas summers) are my favorite time of year.

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Even before I’d been to the Northstar Cafe in Columbus, Ohio, I’d heard about their veggie burgers. “They are unlike any other veggie burger you’ve ever had,” I was promised by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I’ll give you one guess what I ordered when I finally made it to the restaurant myself!

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I’m not a summer person. Is it uncool to admit that you sort of hate sweating? Probably, so it’s a good thing you already knew I was a dork. New York City summers seem to be endless strings of heatwaves, and humidity so thick that even 82 degrees can feel like 105. Being pale and freckled, I seem to go through my body weight in sunscreen each summer, and still burn. Inside, the window air-conditioner units are always buzzing and always too cold; I consider summer something I must endure until my real love — crunchy fall leaves, cardigans, apple cider stands — returns in late September.

Or so I thought. This summer, something has shifted and it’s like I finally paid attention, and when I did, I realized I’ve had it all wrong. Summer is awesomely, fantastically busy, and with only the good stuff, long days and social butterfly weekends. We haven’t even put the kid to bed on Sunday night before we start discussing how many friends-with-pools/barbecues/ferry excursions/beach towns/playground sprinklers/grilled anything we might be able to stuff into the next weekend. When the heat starts melting your brain, and with it, any ridiculous attempts at dissecting something you read in The New Yorker that week, you get to instead have intense discussions about the ideal popsicle format, how to best fill water balloons, which beaches have the silkiest sand and who makes the best Aperol Spritz. (Buvette, you’re winning.) I realized that there’s barely a month left to summer yesterday, and felt sad, because we need more time. The whole time I’ve been kvetching, summer waged a quiet war on my view of the seasons (“Does fall have watermelon this good? I didn’t think so!” “When was the last time you saw a rainbow through a sprinkler in January?!”) and it won.

… Read the rest of mama canales-garcia’s avocado-shrimp salsa on smittenkitchen.com

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permalink to mama canales-garcia’s avocado-shrimp salsa | 52 comments to date | see more: Gluten-Free, Photo, Quick, Salad, Seafood, Side Dish, Summer, Tex-Mex

4.54 / 5 Stars | 58 Reviews

by LORIELEECOOPER

“Serve this surprisingly sweet and spicy spread with cream cheese over crackers.”

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Bagged lettuce is a lot of things. It’s convenient, it’s usually affordable, and it can make a quick lunch or dinner side salad in a cinch. But recent health scares and extensive media coverage have people chatting about the other not-so-great side of bagged lettuce. 

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Doesn’t this gorgeous presentation make you want to grill some salmon pronto?

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Like this Small Cool Kitchens 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Meg

Location:

New York, NY

Square Feet:

73

Division:

Own

What makes your small kitchen so cool:

When I bought my apartment, the kitchen was just a little separate nook with virtually no counter space and very little storage. I completely gutted the space and was able to create my ideal kitchen with tons of storage space and counter space (and a dishwasher!). This kitchen was a labor of love – I had so much fun through the whole process shopping around for deals and finding all the pieces to make the whole project come together.

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4.94 / 5 Stars | 13 Reviews

by larkspur

“Cranberries, raspberries, and cherry juice make a pretty red sorbet with a sprightly flavor.”

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