pantry permitting

Vintage Tableware at Futures Antiques

It's been a while since I blogged  tabletop, but I came across this website today and felt a bit giddy. So many great vintage kitchen items, including the melamine below, which is identified as melamine designed for Boonton by Belle Kogan in the 1950's.

The pieces are so reminiscent of the mix and measure bowls that I blogged last year. I just love coming across those paralells.

I also really want these Dansk pourers:

So much to explore. Must go back there again soon.

Speakng of "Dansk" we'll be 2 weeks in Denmark this May. Super excited about that!

Check these goodies out yourself at futuresantiques.com

Vintage Airline Tableware

I'm going to be leaving on a trip to Germany pretty soon, so won't have time to post for a bit. At the very least I'll post a few pics of finds and adventures in Berlin, Cologne and Hannover. If I'm super ambitious I'll try to post whilst on my trip, but I can't make any promises.

Trip preparations got me thinking about the glamourous olden days of air travel. Admittedly, I probably missed out on the golden era, but since my parents met while working for United Airlines in the mid-60s airtravel was a big part of my upbringing. I apparently made several trips in-utero before my first Pampers-clad trip in a baby bassinet.

So, when I came across this site called Cabin Class Collectibles, it found a soft spot in my heart. Maybe it was just being a girl, but I always loved those neatly packaged airline meals, the little chocolates and the cool little knives and forks- somewhere between a doll sized and an adult, they were perfectly proportioned for my little hands. Before I was introduced to Hello Kitty, the airlines introduced me to bento-box style meals. Before I knew anything about modern design I had these cool little forks and stacking cups to play with while I pushed my food around on the tray. The "Junior Stewardess" pins, kiddie packs and playing cards were pretty cool, but truth be told, I would have rather had a mini placesetting to take home with me.

See more on Cabin Class Collectibles.

Images from CabinClass.com

Torun Flatware from Dansk

I find this to be a nice set of transitional flatware. We actually registered for it when we got married in 1997, the same year it was introduced. It does not appear to come in a silver plated version anymore, but it has a nice finish. Being that I love all things tabletop, we registered for both daily plates and flatware and fine china and silverware. (I know that not everyone does that these days, but I've already admitted my vice in this area.)

I like the way the knife stands up on the table. The set has modern lines, but has classic influences. It could work nicely with something as modern as Eva Zeizel's Century Dinnerware, or something a little more traditional like the set of fine china that we registered for.

In any case, we had a very small wedding (50 guests) and we didn't get a full set of the flatware (only 2 sets) so we ended up exchanging it to complete our set of fine china-- a fairly traditional Ralph Lauren set which Macy's appears not to stock any more. It was something similar to this,) So, I'm still in the market for a more upscale set of flatware, but not in any real hurry. I have yet to host a holiday dinner here...but I think that this November, my time is up.

It looks that the flatware is actually on sale at Macy's for $35.99 a 5-piece placesetting. Or you can buy it directly at Dansk for $40. (MSRP $75.00)

Price for a 5-piece setting: $35.99-$40.00 (Regular MSRP $75.00)

Image: macys.com

Revolution Wine/Water Glass at Lekker Home

Project Infinite Zucchini got put on hold over the weekend due to my infinite allergies... But, in the meantime here are some cool Italian glasses available from Lekker Home.

These double sided glasses might fall into the geek chic category, but they are pretty cool. From a practical standpoint I might worry about chipping, but there is something nice about these double duty serving glasses. However, Lekker Home suggests just using only one side at a time ;-)

Price: $14.00 each

Find out more at Lekker Home here.

Image: Lekker Home.

Restaurant Bowls at Crate & Barrel

Just a quick note about these restaurant bowls that I came across in a Crate & Barrel catalog recently...

Anyway, I'm loving them because I am the queen of one dish meals and these attractive bowls make for an easy, elegant presentation for that fancy risotto or pasta dish that you are dressing up for your guests. Buying them a la carte means you don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars on an entire set, either.

Each: $7.95
Set of 4: $29.95

Find out more at CrateandBarrel.com.

Image: Crate & Barrel

Bauer Pottery at Chefworks

Sorry I've been lagging a bit with the posts... work has been crazy, and I've barely had enough time to put on a pot of pasta for dinner. With work being so crazy the last month or so, E and I decided to take a weekend off at our first opportunity, which was 2 weekends ago. We went down to Santa Cruz, booked last minute and stayed at the not-so-fancy Comfort Inn in Marina.

I don't have anything to report on my gastronomical adventures in Santa Cruz, but we did find a great little kitchen store on Pacific Ave which caught my eye with this beautiful array of Bauer pottery in the window. If you are on Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz, take a peek into Chefworks, a locally owned kitchen boutique...they have an extremely well stocked inventory of kitchen gadgets and what nots. Not exactly catering to a kitchen modernist, but there were definitely at least a few techy-modern cool utensils worth checking out.

Anyway, I discovered Bauer Pottery in a spread in Garden Design magazine a few years ago. In addition to the tabletop items pictured above, they also have very cool urns and pots for people who aren't into frou-frou garden stuff. But, we are talking about the kitchen here, aren't we?

I'm not sure if this retro-inspired Fiestaware-style line of dishes count as "modern" but I have an affection for beautiful ceramics, and the bright colors remind me of a gorgeous geiger-counter orange pitcher that belonged to my great-grandmother. Surely I could find some use for some of these ceramics in my kitchen...the casserole dishes are adorable, so festive. Not that I am into 50s style recipes, but I could imagine that regardless of what's inside, a beautiful bright dish would bring a smile to the dinner table. Also, don't miss the salt and pepper shakers and serving bowls, which are probably the most modern of the bunch.

One more little snippet about our excursion... I had to include these cool shots of kelp from the beach. How beautiful are they? By the way, if you ever visit Wales try some leverbread for me and tell me how it goes...Leverbread is a traditional Welsh dish made of kelp, and I have always wanted to try some. I did not get a tasting when visiting Wales the winter of 1992, and have always wondered if I missed out!

Images © Maja Brugos 2006

Newton Milk & Sugar Set

I came across this interesting little milk and sugar set at the online store Peek Keep last week. What an intriguing contraption. It seems maybe a little nerdy, but still hip. Maybe geek chic?

This design is based on gravity, where one is able to pour out the milk without prematurely adding the sugar to the mix. The sugar bowl can be easily removed for refilling the milk, but will also stay secure during the pouring process. The design comes from the Finnish design house, Tonfisk. (My very rusty Danish might lead me to translate the name as "tuna fish", but don't hold me to it.) There is also a lovely tea service from Tonfisk at Peekkeep, so be sure to check out the store.

Price $65.00 at peekkeep.com

Table Linens by Lotta Jansdotter

I only discovered designer Lotta Jansdotter about a year ago. Ms. Jansdotter is a Scandinavian born, San Francisco based designer who creates products in linen, paper and ceramic for both home and apparel. When Jansdotter opened her studio in 1996 she created products primarily for the Japanese market, but introduced her lines to the American marketplace within the past few years. And, it seems, she has been doing very well! Ms. Jansdotter and her designs have been popping up everywhere lately-- in magazines, catalogs, and even museums. (The De Young Museum in SF recently commissioned a line of her products for their gift store.)

I am a particular fan of her elegant table cloths and napkins, made of 100% linen. They come in several colors and designs including those shown above, as well as soft blue/brown, white/natural and brick/brown combos. The sumptuous tablecloths cost $88 at her online store, with napkins running $28 a pair. The linens would be perfect for your elegant modern dinner party.

Visit Lotta Jansdotter online to see her online store, find out more about the designer and learn where else you can buy her designs with the store locator. But, not to worry if there are no retailers in your area that carry her designs, I suspect that you won't have to wait too long!

jansdotter.com

Images from jansdotter.com

"O" Glass Series by Reidel

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Stemless wineglasses have been popping up lately. I'm liking them, but wonder if they might be seen as a bit too trendy in few years. I guess only time will tell.

There are a number of companies manufacturing stemless glasses right now, but Reidel seems to be the premium mark. The glasses are sold at many retailers and online stores, but I have found that Wine Enthusiast has the most comprehensive collection, and at very competitive prices. A more extensive search might reveal more low prices elsewhere, but on average the prices at Wine Enthusiast were about 25% off retail.

I'm considering whether I want to move to stemless myself... I could see them looking beautiful on a bright white tablecloth, but on my espresso finish table I wonder if they wouldn't just fade into the background. Or perhaps it's really too much of a statement. (Oh yes, they are stemless.)

On the plus side, I see these as being very versatile for a stunning dessert presentation-- and I love that. I also love that they can go in the dishwasher. They have such a casual elegance about them, which would lend itself so well to a small gathering with friends.  Perhaps most important of all, the "o" glasses from Reidel are specifically designed to enchance the flavor of each varietal. Besides all that, they just look cool.

The tumbers are of lead-free crystal, and come in six styles, allowing you to really trick out your dinner table. I'm not really a "wine enthusiast" myself, so at the most I would probably get a set for red and a set for white. If you are one, however, here are the glasses you may to choose from:

Bordeaux/Cabernet, 4 7/8"H, 21 1/8 oz.
Chardonnay/Viognier, 3 5/8"H, 20 3/4 oz.
Burgundy/Pinot Noir glasses, 4 1/2"H, 23 7/8 oz.
White Burgundy/Chardonnay, 3 5/8"H, 20 1/4 oz.
Riesling, 4 1/4"H, 13 1/4 oz.
Syrah/Shiraz, 5 3/8"H, 21 7/8 oz.

The glasses are generally sold in pairs of two, with larger sets being available. Pictured above on the left are two of a set of 8 glasses (4-Burgundy/Pinot Noir and 4-White Burgundy/Chardonnay glasses). that is sold for $75.80.

Pricing at WineEnthusiast.com:
Sets of 2 (a pair) from $14.95 and up
Sets of 8 from $67.80 and up
Complete set of 12 (2 of each design) for $105.70

Visit WineEnthusiast.com.

Images from WineEnthusiast.com.

Arne Jacobsen Flatware 20% off at Unica Home

I was 13 in 1982 when my family moved into a log cabin in Manitou Springs, Colorado. It was on a property with 3 other rental units: a cottage, and a duplex and the cabin. (A weird combination for sure, but sometimes odd things happen in the mountains where zoning laws don't apply!) Anyway, across the patio from us lived a lovely lady named Patricia Geary. She became a dear friend of our family and was sort of a mentor for me. She cooked delicious food from scratch, raised chickens, dabbled with paint and furniture and decorated her house with a unique sense of style. I remember sitting in her kitchen looking at her collection of objects--colorful paper lanterns, beautiful wooden bowls, black and white photographs and a Bob Marley poster. I remember asking, "Who is that guy?"  "A very wise man." she replied.On occasion she would have my sister and I over for meals and would set the farm table she refinished herself with this very set of flatware.

The elegant minimalist design certainly left an impression on me, and probably was my first introduction to Danish design. I even noticed it turning up occassionally in movies and TV. This set, in fact, was used in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Oddessey."

Okay, enough already about my odd and sentimental attachment to dinner forks...

About the Designer, Arne Jacobsen
This set of flatware is from the Danish company Georg Jensen and was designed in 1957. As one of the founding fathers of Danish Modern, Arne Jacobsen's product design and architecture is legendary. Born in 1902, he worked tirelessly until his death in 1971. Besides Georg Jensen, many of his product designs were manufactured by Stelton, Vola and Holmegaard.

Purchasing this product:
Five piece placesetting at Unica home $115.00 now 20% off orders over selected Georg Jensen

View this set at Unicahome.com.

Learn more about Arne Jacobsen here.

Image from unicahome.com.