Tag: Kalamazoo

Posted on

Pizza Perfection

pizza recipe with pancetta and baby arugula.

After years of popular demand, Kalamazoo created a built-in version of its famous pizza oven for people who want an oven installed into a wall or masonry structure and not sitting on a countertop.

Built-in Pizza Oven | KitchAnn Style

Like the traditional wood-fired pizza ovens, the built-in Artisan Fire Pizza Oven is stone-lined. Pizzas cook directly on a hollow-core baking deck. Its honeycombed interior is designed to rapidly change temperature. A ceiling stone radiates heat down to quickly brown toppings.

The Artisan Fire Pizza Oven uses propane or natural gas and heats up in about 20 minutes. It is capable of the high heat needed for making delicious pizza, reaching temperatures of 800 degrees Fahrenheit via two independent burners.

Of course, the outdoor oven can be used to make other dishes such as roasting meats, fish and vegetables. Simply use cast iron fajita pans right on the baking deck. Kalamazoo’s Asparagus Wraps with Crispy Prosciutto and Herbed Cheese seems to be a very popular recipe for pizza oven owners.

Roasted Asparapus on the grill | KitchAnn Style

Priced at $8,295, the oven will surely be the center point of your Outdoor Entertaining. The Oven can be specified for either natural gas or liquid propane, and is made by hand in Kalamazoo, Michigan, of stainless steel.

Kalamazoo has a terrific newsletter filled with great recipes that I personally enjoy.  Try this incredible recipe with pancetta and baby arugula.

Rustic Pizza with Baby Arugula, Pancetta and Tomatoes

After years of popular demand, Kalamazoo created a built-in version of its famous pizza oven for people who want an oven installed into a wall or masonry structure and not sitting on a countertop.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 batch White Wine Pizza Dough, about 14 ounces
  • 2 oz pancetta, chopped and cooked until crisp
  • 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
  • 1 cup baby arugula leaves
  • cup halved sweet grape tomatoes
  • Cooking: 30 min
  • Ready in: 30 min

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pizza oven or grill for baking pizza at 500°F Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the dough. Add the arugula, then the tomatoes, and then sprinkle the pancetta over the top.
  2. Transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is browning.

Notes

Recipe by Russ Faulk 2009

 

 

Posted on

Outdoor Dishwashers

kalamazoo outdoor dishwasher on kitchann style

As the popularity of Outdoor Rooms and Outdoor Kitchens grow, I often get asked by home owners if they should purchase an outdoor dishwasher.

Outdoor Dishwashers are different from the standard dishwasher you would install inside the home. They are specifically designed to hold up to weather extremes, dirt and have a special wash cycle for tough to clean items.

There are two manufacturers to choose from – Kalamazoo, which holds the bragging rights for being the first to introduce the outdoor dishwasher and Asko. (Note: Asko’s website also says they were the first but Kalamazoo debuted theirs at KBIS 2011)

kalamazoo outdoor dishwasher on kitchann style
Kalamazoo

Both offer dishwashers with stainless interiors and exteriors, adjustable racks that will hold 12 place settings, weatherproof electronics, water safety leak protection and winterization steps.

Kalamazoo offers separate finished sides and back for the dishwasher to build it into their stainless cabinets. The Asko model includes a finished stainless exterior so it can be built-in or free-standing.

Asko

So, should you include one of these in your plans to upgrade or add an outdoor kitchen?

Most homes have a single wall outdoor kitchen that has barely enough room for a grill, sink and undercounter refrigerator. So if you fall into this category I’m sure you’d rather have the refrigerator than a dishwasher.

Kalamazoo Optional Back

If you have a large outdoor kitchen area and plenty of storage space then the question comes down to the size of the budget. An outdoor dishwasher is about $4,000. That may be a quarter to half of the entire budget so it is a big decision.

If you have the space and money is no object then I factor in the location of the outdoor kitchen to the house.

Asko Back

If your outdoor kitchen is very far away from the home then you may actually want to consider using an outdoor dishwasher. A perfect example is a lakefront home.

If the outdoor kitchen is positioned near the water because that is where everyone hangs out and the home is set back from the water’s edge and possibly elevated; then carrying a lot of items back and forth may be very inconvenient.

One last note, you may be the ideal homeowner for an outdoor dishwasher but local building codes could also be a factor – especially in flood zones.