Once you determine the quality and thickness of the sink you should also evaluate the various styles and size of the sink.  Think about your lifestyle and the amount of space you have in your kitchen.  If you have limited space, perhaps a single bowl sink will work best.  If you cook often and have pots and pans to soak, a large single bowl sink may be best.  Double or triple bowl sinks allow a number of people to work at the sink together and are often found in restaurants and bars.

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First things first – metallic content. What is the stainless steel sink made of? Well, you’ll see some numbers on the description… something like 18/10 or 18/8. The 18/10 and 18/8 refers to the Chromium/Nickel content of the sink. The first number (18) is percent of Chromium; the second number (10 or is the percent of Nickel.  The higher the number, the more chromium and nickel content.  For instance a 20/10 would be considered high, and therefore a better quality sink. So when looking for a stainless steel sink you would want the highest Chromium/Nickel content and the lowest gauge you can find that fits within your budget.

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Thinking about putting a stainless steel sink in your kitchen or bar? This article will provide you with things to think about before you buy a stainless steel sink, so you can get an idea about what you’d like to have in your new kitchen. Whether you’re looking to add beauty to your existing kitchen or match your remodeling efforts, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Your kitchen is the family gathering place.  It’s where the children gather to do their homework and tell you about their day at school.  It’s where everyone gathers during family get-togethers and parties. A beautiful kitchen can increase the value of your home dramatically. The design, however, isn’t just about cabinets. You can do small things like re-face your cabinets, replace your countertops or add new elements like a stainless steel sink.

If you have ever shopped for a stainless steel sink, you know that it can be confusing. There are many things to keep in mind – the metallic content, the gauge, depth, style, size and function.  The next 3 blog posts in this 4-part series should help you in making your decision when it comes to choosing a stainless steel sink.

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Recipe 4 of 4:

Harvest Pear Crisp with Candied Ginger

TOPPING

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp fine sea salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup coarsely chopped whole raw almonds

¼ cup of ¼-inch cubes crystallized ginger

FILLING

½ cup sugar

2 Tbs. cornstarch

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼  tsp. fine sea salt

4 lbs. firm but ripe pears (6 to 7 large), peeled, cored, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

TOPPING: Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter. Working quickly so butter does not soften, rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form. Stir in oats, almonds, and ginger. Chill while preparing filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

FILLING:  Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add pears; toss. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch oval baking dish. Sprinkle topping over pear mixture.  Bake until topping is crisp and golden brown and juices are bubbling,about 50 minutes. Serve warm.

8 to 10 servings

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Recipe 3 of 4:

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil – 1 turn of the pan

1 shallot, chopped

1 ½ lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed – small sprouts left whole, larger sprouts halved

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup chicken broth

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add brussels sprouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften and then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

4 servings.

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Recipe 2 of 4:

Pear, Chestnut & Sage Dressing

While this recipe calls for baking the dressing separately from the turkey, it can easily be used as a stuffing. Simply pack the unbaked dressing loosely into the turkey cavities and follow the roasting instructions included in the back of this booklet for a stuffed turkey.

1 lb. loaf rustic country bread

½ lb. pork breakfast sausage, casings removed

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch chunks

1 large carrot, cut into ½-inch chunks

3 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch chunks

1 Bosc pear, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks

1 cup peeled and chopped, steamed or

roasted chestnuts

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth

(See Creamy Giblet Gravy page for recipe)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Tear the bread into ½-inch chunks, spread out on a baking sheet, and leave out to dry overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a large, shallow baking dish.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a large fork, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Melt the 1 Tbs. butter in the pan, and add the onion, carrot, celery and pear. Using a large spoon, sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the sausage along with the chestnuts, parsley, sage, melted butter, broth, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Add the bread chunks and stir to mix well. Spoon the dressing into the prepared baking dish and bake, uncovered, until the top is golden and crisp, about 1 hour. Pass the stuffing at the table to serve.

Serves 10 to 12.

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The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner and Republic West would like to give thanks by giving back… to you!

As many of you know, we hosted a Thanksgiving cooking class to benefit The Big Wish. It was a huge success and we’d like to share the recipes and cooking tips of Chicago Chef Frank DiMaria with you. This is our way of saying thanks for everything – your business, your referrals and your support of our community outreach programs.

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here’s the first of 4 featured recipes:

Roast Turkey

In the kitchen at Wheatleigh, turkeys are soaked in salt-water brine before the chefs slowly roast the birds for the hotel’s Thanksgiving dinner.  The roast turkey is served with creamy giblet gravy and a savory pear, chestnut and sage dressing.

1  fresh turkey, about 16 lb.

2  lbs. kosher salt (about 2 ½ cups)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 fresh thyme sprigs

4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs

16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 double-thick piece of cheesecloth, 2 sq. ft.

Remove the giblets and neck, if included, and if desired, reserve them for making gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. In a large pot or 5-gallon bucket, stir the salt and 1 gallon of cold water together. Carefully set the turkey into the water and cover turkey with additional cold water by 2-3 inches.  Refrigerate or set the turkey in a very cold place (32º-40ºF) for 8-12 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.  Let the turkey come to room temperature, at least 1 hour but no longer than 1 1/2 hours.

Position a rack in the bottom of an oven and preheat to 450ºF.

In a large bowl, toss together the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, parsley and half of the butter. Pack the body and neck cavities loosely with the vegetables. With kitchen twine, truss the legs together loosely and secure the neck flap to the back with a couple of trussing pins or sturdy toothpicks. Rub the turkey with half of the remaining butter and set the bird on its side on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast the turkey for 15 minutes, then turn it on its other side and roast for 15 minutes more. Reduce the heat to 325º.

Soak the cheesecloth in the remaining butter, turn the turkey breast side up and place the cheesecloth over the breast. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Continue roasting, basting with the pan juices every 15-20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast registers 165˚F and inserted into the thigh – but away from the bone – registers 180˚F. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Total roasting time should be about 3 hours. Let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Serves 12.

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Since Republic West began back in 1995, we have made it a priority to “give back” to the community regularly. It is a part of our culture that makes us proud. This year, our community outreach program has adopted Eileen Roger’s “Big Birthday Wish” and we are fully committed to helping Eileen reach her goal of building a school in Mali. We ask for your help and support as well. Please take a moment to read about “The Big Wish,” and then do what you can to help support Eileen.

While many people celebrate milestones with a big trip to a faraway place or an extravagant party, Eileen Rogers has chosen to celebrate her 50th birthday this year to raise funds to build a school in Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa. Those of us close to Eileen are not at all surprised because we have always admired and been inspired by her commitment to giving to those less fortunate than her. She is an inspiration. “The Big Wish” is to build a 90-student, two-classroom, brick and cement school and related projects in the Mali village of Tourari, located approximately 10 miles west of Timbuktu.

To join Republic West in their support of “The Big Wish” please visit Turtlewill and make a donation.

Contact Republic West for home remodelers in Scottsdale, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodelers and room additions.

Expecting a crowd this holiday season?  If you’re entertaining family and friends over the holidays, there’s no doubt that you’re also cleaning your house from top to bottom.  You may even be thinking about doing some home improvement or remodeling.  Sure, the holiday season is still a few months away – but it’s never too early to start thinking about a remodeling project!

Not quite sure where to start?  Here is the second of 4 tips that should help you put some AZ home remodeling ideas together:

Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling – Wouldn’t it be nice to impress your family and friends with a completely remodeled kitchen or bathroom?  If you want your holiday party to be the envy of all of your guests, start by making your surroundings as distinctive and unique as possible.  With the help of our designers, you can create a design with the colors and fabrics, artwork and accessories that express your individual style, complete with the options and accessories that make cooking and entertaining easier and more enjoyable.

Get ready for the upcoming holiday season! Contact Republic West for home remodeling in AZ, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

We are holding two fundraisers to support needy children. Please join us at one of the following events:

WHEN: October 10th from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

WHERE: Republic West Showroom, 8101 East McDowell Scottsdale, AZ 85259 480-481-9595

WHAT: Raffling off a HANDYMAN FOR A DAY and a Paradise Bakery Gift Card and Starbucks gift cards.

HOW: You will automatically be entered to win with bake sale purchase! We’ll have cookies, cupcakes, truffles, cakes and pies.

WHY: To raise funds to end childhood hunger

WHEN: October 27th and October 29th (seating is limited)

WHERE: Republic West Showroom 8101 East McDowell Scottsdale, AZ 85259 480-481-9595

WHO: Frank DiMaria, a well-known chef from Chicago, will demonstrate how to prepare various Thanksgiving dishes. Each event will be hosted by one of 2 radio personalities. The first evening will be hosted by Darrell Ankarlo (KTAR) and his wife, Laurie. The second evening will be hosted by Danny Davis (KOY) and his wife, Dee. They will serve as Sous Chef’s to Frank DiMaria.

WHAT: As a guest, you will enjoy a taste of each dish prepared by Chef DiMaria.

WHY: To raise donations for “The Big Wish.”

Contact Republic West for home remodelers in Scottsdale, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodelers and room additions.