The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook: Everything You Need to Know About Setting Up and Cooking in the Most Ridiculously Small Kitchen in the World--Your Own

by Justin Spring

If your cluttered small kitchen makes you dread cooking even the simplest meal, it’s time for you to reclaim that space—and your sanity!—with this practical and witty guide. Here you will learn how

*Purge your kitchen of unnecessary, space-hogging STUFF

* Maximize counter space

*Organize and streamline your kitchen for peak efficiency and easy cleanup

*Locate the best cooking equipment (and retailers) for small kitchens

*Re-think shopping, cooking, and storing food to suit your small-kitchen lifestyle

*Use ingenious creative shortcuts for small-space entertaining


Best of all, each of the book’s 100 recipes is designed for minimal space, time, and pots and pans. With no more than two burners and a toaster oven you can make easy breakfasts, fast soups, comfort food like Mom’s Sunday Pot Roast or Mole-Style Chili, big batch recipes for no-fuss entertaining, and even great desserts like Orange Marmalade Bread Pudding or Extreme (super-fast, super-chocolatey) Brownies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cooking, Cookbooks, Food

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2006

About the author

Justin Spring is a New York based writer specializing in twentieth-century American art and culture. He is the author of many monographs, catalogs, museum publications, and books, including the biography Fairfield Porter: A Life in Art (Yale University Press, 2000) and Paul Cadmus: The Male Nude (Universe, 2002). He has been the recipient of a number of grants, fellowships, and awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the International Association of Art Critics Best Show Award. He has held research fellowships from Yale University, Brown University, Radcliffe College and Amherst College. His monograph on Paul Cadmus was a finalist for the Lamda Literary Award in Art History.

Reviews

[Kayleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's an itty bitty bit of useful information here. Basically the author says you have too much STUFF in your kitchen, get rid of it. The word stuff appears in odd type faces to make it stand out, which just makes it annoying.

Silly me, I thought someone who grew up cooking on a sail boat and who lived in a tiny New York apartment might have some wisdom to share, at least wisdom beyond the obvious.

[Jeannette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've got a small kitchen and I somehow manage to make it work for me. This book is for people who somehow can't get it right. It would make way more sense as an article in a magazine than a full-on book. There's not a whole lot of information that I found all that useful and even the recipes at the end didn't inspire me to cook (I mean, a recipe for cornbread using a cornbread-in-a-box mix? C'mon.) Last year Mark Bittman had an article in the NYT about essential items to have in your kitchen and while my list would differ, at least Bittman had the sense not to write a book about it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny but pretty fluffy. His recommendations about essential kitchen tools leave a lot to be desired, and seem to be more product placement than practical advice. I did find that my apartment kitchen is a lot more pared-down than his boat. Pass.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book, and I want this book, despite the fact that I have a ridiculously spacious kitchen, and I don' t really like to cook. Maybe I just like to explore an alternative path--what if?

When Spring thinks ridiculously small, he's thinking all the way down to closet-sized or little-bitty-boat-galley size, so he's really looking into space saving. And the recipes look like good ones for the person who's cooking for him/herself most of the time, doesn't want to devote every waking moment to cookery, but doesn't want to eat out every meal either. And may occasionally entertain.

So if the idea intrigues you, it's worth it. It's all I hoped it would be.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terrible, just not that much useful information. A lot of it read like an advertisement too, listing brands and stores for the "perfect" kitchen supplies.

[Neligh · Rating 4 out of 5]

More invigorating even than a spring cleaning, this book will turn your kitchen inside out and make it more functional and pleasurable than you ever thought possible. The book is organized around the following topics:

Purging Clutter (p.11-19)
"One of the most surprising things about presiding over a functional small kitchen is discovering how few things you actually need in order to accomplish the majority of your cooking tasks -and how creatively you can improvise when you haven't got much special equipment. Another equally surprising thing about your functional small kitchen is that it becomes increasingly dysfunctional as it fills up with things that are, on first appearance, quite useful -to the point that, crammed full of great stuff, it becomes almost entirely unusable." p.11 Besides too much stuff, it can also be a case of the wrong stuff: for example, a small kitchen probably can't afford to give up space for a junk drawer and isn't the best place to store your holiday plates or anything else used only occasionally, however kitchen-related it might be.

Cleanliness (p.20-29; 204-217)
"The next step in fine-tuning your little kitchen will be cleaning it. Really cleaning it. 'Why?' you ask. Well, since pared-down and functional little work spaces can't really be 'decorated,' cleanliness is going to be what people in the decorating biz call 'your primary design statement.'" p.20 The only thing I'd change about this chapter is the products he suggests; even when he gives make-your-own recipes for "gentle alternatives" they call for ammonia -especially odd since the book came out in 2006. http://www.wholeliving.com/article/sp...

Setting up your work space: Storage, Work Zones, Lighting, Wall Treatments (p.30-52)
"...that's one of the things about kitchen work: repetition. You are always going through cycles, returning to the same things over and over and over again. Empty it out, fill it back up. Use it up, replenish it. Take it out, put it away. Make a mess, clean it up. Shop, cook, eat, ... then shop, cook, and eat again ... and again ... and again! Repetition is actually one of the most comforting things about kitchen life (constant loving activity and use, are, after all, what makes a house a home), but repetition can also be one of the most numbing and frustrating things about your kitchen work, particularly if you find yourself making the same awkward movements, caught in the same awkward situations, over and over and over again in that impossibly tiny little space you call home. ... So in this chapter we will focus on setting up the kitchen for ease of use, making sure everything is properly lit, ordered, and laid out." p.30-31

For an amazing example of well-thought out, impossibly tiny kitchen see: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ki...

Equipping the Itty Bitty Kitchen (p.53-65)
Here he discusses how -just like recipes, grocery portions, & everything else culinary- all manner of equipment is geared towards full-sized spaces and meals for four or more people. Boxed sets contain too many pans, silverware sets contain too many settings, appliances are out-of-scale and make your small space seem even smaller.* He reviews what is small enough and work-horse enough to rate a place in your kitchen and how to acquire it without re-burying your newly excavated kitchen in junk.
* http://www.compactappliance.com

Shopping and Storing (p. 69-75)
"Your limited storage space means you will need to market more frequently for smaller quantities, so from now on your food will always be much fresher and more carefully considered. It also means that marketing will become an increasingly interesting part of your everyday life -just as it is in all those films and books about living beautifully in the south of France." p. 70 Here he discusses not just buying smaller quantities, but how to store them at home for the easiest use possible and choosing recipes that you will actually use "rather than the larger and more elaborate meals you admire on television and in magazines but will never actually cook." p. 71 Quite rightly, he says this is important because living in a small kitchen and cooking for only 1 or 2 people, "you have a fairly low kitchen 'shut-off' point' -the point, that is, at which any cooking at all just seems like too much trouble, and instead you pick up the phone to order in. If you live in a city of many good and inexpensive restaurants, have little free time, don't like food shopping, and are not an experienced day-to-day cook, your shut-off point is going to be appreciably lower than that of the general population." p.71 Shopping for a dinner or two at a time, I've also found that I've started to organize my menus more intelligently. It used to be that if a recipe called for sour cream, the remaining sour cream was sure to sit almost untouched until it expired. Now if I buy sour cream for baked potatoes one night, then we are having fajitas the next night and, that weekend, Nigella Lawson's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake for dessert.

Recipes for a Small Kitchen (p.76-195)
He says that "since some people's kitchens are very small indeed, [he has:] selected recipes that can be cooked using nothing more than a stovetop, hot plate, or moderate-size toaster oven, employing an equally limited number of dishes and utensils." Maybe because my apartment kitchen is about 8' X 8', with 3' X 8' of it being floor space, I have not gotten around to trying any of these recipes. But I imagine for, say, a college student living in a studio apartment and regularly cooking for just himself, these could be very useful. They include dishes like pot roast, baked salmon filet, stuffed twice-baked potato, and brownies: just the kind of food students crave and regularly don't get. If you know one who is currently subsisting on ramen and Flinstone vitamins, send them this book.

What I got out of this chapter was the hint for how to keep small cookbooks (like this book, which is 5.5" X 6.75") open: clip the open book to a pants hanger; hang the hanger from a hook or a cabinet handle. This would also be useful for people who complain about trying to keep an issue of Food Everyday open. My own solution for that magazine: I tear out the recipes that I want and keep them in a 5" X 7" art portfolio by Itoya that lays open completely flat and protects the pages in thin plastic sleeves. (available at Amazon). Someday soon, I would like to have my recipes and menus so organized that I can make the collection into a personal book using http://www.blurb.com

Entertaining Guests (p. 196-203)
A beginner's primer on dinner parties

Conclusion
"Kitchen work is, in its best and and most relaxing moments, a meditation practice -not just a series of menial chores we engage in daily by necessity, but rather a way of connecting ourselves to our home life. For, big or small, a home can only become homelike through constant presence and use, and the heart of all activity in every home ... is the kitchen. The most soulful kitchens in this world are impressive not because of their luxuries or dimensions, but rather because of the energy, love, and enthusiasm demonstrated on a daily basis by their caring and careful inhabitants." p.218

[Walter Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good, though it could use a couple of veg recipes. Absolutely worth getting from a library, even if your kitchen is only small.

[Loren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I live in a cabin that is part of the small spaces movement for those committed to downsizing and living sustainably with the least impact on the environment as possible. That translates to the kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom all occupying the same space. I know a thing or two about managing space and a great deal more about cooking in such a cramped spot. That said, as innovative as my husband &I can be, I'm always on the lookout for another perspective because I'm certain there's always more to learn. This book is a waste of print and could be summed up in an article that really points out what complete imbeciles people in industrialized nations really are. In developing nations where a family of eight may be found living in what amounts to an American's backyard shed with no electricity and no indoor plumbing would have more to teach you than this uppity new money elitist. What total trash. Some of his recipes actually say "just follow the directions on the can/box." I'm not kidding!
I tried to look at it from the perspective of a college student who knows only how to make an omelette or a bowl of pasta or a bachelor moving into his first studio apartment, but even in those situations, his advice is more hazardous than helpful. What I expected was a bunch of recipes akin to intensive gardening, ways to maximize the concentration of effort, space and time. I was hoping for instructions on how to say..... use one pan or pot to make three separate dishes from cold to hot accordingly. Or how about the best ways to immediately clean dishes to eliminate buildup. Of all the trashy out of can or box "recipes" he presents, he never even suggests using paper plates to eliminate dishes, how best to store & clean silverware quickly, or cheap, easy & non-toxic cleaning products that you can make yourself and save on laundering a soon to be mounting stack of dish rags otherwise. The absolutely worse part is his obsession with lining every pot, pan and casserole dish with foil for "quick cleanup." His throwaway mentality goes even into what he considers guilt free Tupperware because its the kind thats cheap so you can buy it and just throw it away rather than clean it. He fosters really bad habits both in waste management and meals with heavy unhealthy fats.
You want your small kitchen not to cramp your style? Get organized, minimized, multifunctional and multitasked. Don't stress. Plan ahead. Be an opportunist. Roll with it and enjoy what you have. There's so many people who's kitchen consists of a 3 quart pot, a spoon and a hot plate and they still manage to make things ever so delicious. What's your excuse?

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have the ittiest bittiest kitchen ever (complete with a half fridge!), so I was excited to come across this book in my library. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up finding most of the suggestions very helpful. For example, the author recommends only keeping as much flatware as you ever plan to use (so if you can’t feed more than four people, you should only have four forks, spoons, and knives) because otherwise the rest will just get dirty and pile up in your sink and take up space—but honestly, how much extra space do four more pieces of flatware really take up? It’s not like I’m going to be able to fit a salad spinner in the little fork-sized space of my flatware organizer. Overall, the presentation was cute and there were some good recipes, so this book might appeal to folks who enjoy home improvement-type magazines and books.

[CKE387 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts with advice on how to get rid of STUFF when moving from a larger kitchen to a smaller one (like from a house to an apartment). Also it includes a list for equipping a kitchen properly including substitutes for large or expensive items. The writer includes brand names of products and websites which would be helpful for replacing large items or stocking a first kitchen. The book ends with entertaining in your itty bitty kitchen, including recipes and tips which help with timing to make entertaining less stressful (and what not to cook - i.e. what won't smell up the whole place and make everyone miserable). Interesting, but some of the recipes included equipment that wasn't on the equipping the kitchen list. Otherwise very helpful, especially for having your first kitchen.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a relatively useful book, especially if you are new to cooking in a small kitchen (as I am). I disagree with the author on some of the things he deems necessary (e.g. mandoline, omelet pan) vs. optional (e.g. ladle), but the overall message of the first half of the book ("you don't need as much kitchen stuff as you think you do") is sound. The tips on entertaining in a small space are helpful, and the recipes look good, though I probably won't keep this out from the library long enough to try any of them.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I moved into my first apartment complex apt (just this Feb... yes, really.) I didn't know what the hell to do with my IBK (Itty Bitty Kitchen) after being spoiled for years with adequate spaces. Spring has helped me tackle both the physical and emotional aspects of this new space. With his help I have learned to love my uncluttered but much-used small space. This book also has some awesome and tasty recipes for your toaster oven... love it!

[Elaine Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkably clever/useful little book about running, well, an itty bitty kitchen. We definitely have one of those. First half is tips, which I found useful. Second half is recipes, most of which can be done without even a full oven. I only got to make one recipe, a dead-simple quiche, but I loved it. I want to own this book, but it's out of print and weirdly difficult to find, alas.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. Living in a 3 room apartment (and I don't mean 3 bedroom I mean bedroom, bathroom, and combination kitchen living room) I saw this book at my library and thought "Genius" and was glad to see it live up to my expectations. I will have to buy my own copy otherwise I'll just have to rent it every week and that simply won't do.

[romney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Split roughly 60/40 between tips for a small kitchen and the recipes. The kitchen in question is 45 square feet, so genuinely small. I found it useful - even though my current kitchen is somewhat larger. Very american - cooking units, appliances, etc. but much of the advice is universal.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a great cookbook/organization guide for a single apartment dweller like me who is a complete idiot in the kitchen.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

hoping to learn how to organize and work in my galley kitchen.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute book on organizing kitchens. If your kitchen is filled with clutter -- regardless of its size -- this book is perfect for getting things in order.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to cook but I have a highly nonfunctioning kitchen. This book helped me look at my kitchen in a different way.

[Tisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.