EPISODE #78 -
SATURDAY JUNE 18, 2011
Happy Father’s
Day weekend. It is a great time to thank Dad for everything he
does for you. All those hours at work and around the house
makes everyone’s life richer. This week in the show we show you
a story on grills (which dad doesn’t like grilling?), and a
tasty recipe featuring steak! This weekend take a break and
treat dad to this edition of Fusion and then spend some quality
time with him.
Endurawood
The desire
to be ‘green’ is hard when a lot of the decisions are out of
your control. Take wood products… how do you know when you are
protecting the earth by responsibly using wood in your home and
how can you be certain. We found a great business that places a
lot of weight on being environmentally responsible.
Endurawood
(503-233-7090)
is a
Portland business that makes sure it knows where the wood is
coming from. Ed Mays is the owner of Endurawood and he filled
us in on the business. They use wood that comes from growers
that use sustainable practices, recycling or salvage sources.
Ways that they receive the wood are really interesting.
Sometimes they will get a call about a tree that has to be
removed from a neighborhood, either because of disease or
imminent danger. They will take a portable sawmill (a small
machine) to the tree and cut large pieces from it. At other
times they will receive wood that has been used elsewhere. They
have used wood from old wine casks, wooden shipping containers
and even wind damaged trees from storms. The use of wood in the
home is increasing because it adds dimension and warmth to
design and decorating. Endurawood uses the wood to make all
kinds of cool products including countertops, tables, chairs and
cabinets. It has also a line of decorative wall tiles available
at Ann Sacks. If you would like to see some of the unique
items they make and tour their showroom, stop by and see them in
SE Portland at 1303 SE 6th Avenue.
Gas Grills
The summer
season is here and that means it is bar-b-que season as well.
To enjoy cooking outdoors you need to have a good grill. To
learn more about the newest grills we stopped by the
Northwest Natural Appliance Center (503-220-2362) and talked
to John Frankel. The number one trend in cooking is
sustainability; not only in the foods you eat, but also the
grill itself. As far as the grill, it should be made of quality
products, as locally as possible and include a nice long
warranty. The better the grill the longer it stays out of the
landfill. As for sustainable cooking, John told us that people
are looking to cook a wide variety of foods on the grill.
Vegetables are one item people want to grill. The newer grills
are designed to cook veggies without any additional tools or
pans.
The
Northwest Natural Appliance Center also carries propane,
charcoal and other styles of grills, not just natural gas
styles; though if you want to add a natural gas grill to your
deck they could give you the names of contractors that can
install it for you. The coolest grill was the ceramic charcoal
grill that retains the heat in the ceramic sides of the grill.
We finished with the most versatile grill of them all; the EVO
grill. Because of the solid flat top you can grill all 3 meals
in a day on the top. The best part? It is made right here in
Beaverton, Oregon. If you have any questions about grills the
experts at the Northwest Natural Appliance Center can answer
them!
Microwave Safe Containers
One of the
most used appliances in the home is the microwave. Still, some
of us misuse the microwave and could be putting our health in
danger. All too often we use dishes in the microwave that are
not safe. Dishes that are not approved for the microwave could
produce fumes and release other chemicals into our foods. Worse
case, they could explode and cause us bodily harm. Now, we
don’t want to frighten you, but we feel you need to be aware of
the dangers so you can choose to avoid them. David did some
research on safety and here is what he came up with. First of
all if it doesn’t say it is OK for the microwave, it isn’t!
That applies to the foam container that holds your chicken
breasts and ground beef to the old butter containers that you
store food in and basic plastic wrap. Things that are safe for
the microwave include wax paper and parchment paper. There are
even microwave safe plastic wraps (make sure you read the
label). Other safe items include most glass dishes and bowls
and most paper products. To make sure that your dishes are safe
you can check with the
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Steak and Romaine Salad
This week we
return to the
Oswego Grill (503-352-4750) to visit with Chef Genardo
Zurita and get another one of his great recipes that you can try
at home. Chef Genardo whipped up a Romaine salad with grilled
steak. The Oswego Grill uses a hard-wood fired grill in their
kitchen which burns mesquite and cherry wood and adds a touch of
flavor to just about everything. First he started with a steak
which is only seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled for 3
minutes on each side. He also took a head of romaine lettuce
and cut it in half. He coated the romaine with some olive oil,
salt and pepper, and grilled that at the same time. The lettuce
is grilled for 2 minutes on each side.
Once
everything is grilled you can start to assemble the salad. Cut
the steak into small pieces and also cut off the base of the
romaine head (the part that holds the leaves together). Place
the entire head on a plate and cover it with a bacon dressing.
Cover it with crumbled cotija or parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon
and top it with your steak. Garnish it with a couple of slices
of bread and you are done. It you have the grill fired up at
home,
click here to get the recipe,
or stop by the Oswego Grill and have Chef Genardo make one for
you.
Kitchen Remodel Follow-Up
A few months
ago we visited the home of designer
Linda Gemal (503-803-8000) to see how she was doing a
kitchen remodel on a tight budget. She had decided to do some
pretty major stuff too. There was electrical and walls to be
moved and lots of other detail work to be done. There were lots
of things that she knew she couldn’t do on her own. If you are
moving a load-bearing wall (one that supports a second floor or
a roof) or the electrical needs work, those have to be done by a
bonded professional, otherwise you are not covered by your
homeowners policy should something go wrong. She was able to
save money by keeping her old appliances and using her existing
countertop and just buying and mixing and matching pieces to
make it bigger. Linda also bought similar cabinets and then
used a coat of paint to make them match. Her color palette was
pretty broad. By using black, grey, white and chrome she was
able to tie in a bunch of different styles to make a cohesive
look. Remember to keep an eye out for budget items and
discounts to keep your money in your account and not spent on
the project. If you need help Linda can help, just give her a
call at her business, Rejuvenate Your Home.
Central Vacuums
One of the
worse parts of vacuuming is lugging it all around your house.
We found a cure for that at
Gary’s
Vacuflo (503-775-2042). Gary joined us to fill us in on
central vacuum systems. A central vacuum system is one that has
the motor in another part of the house and the ‘hose’ is in the
walls. One of the biggest benefits to having a central system
is an improved environment. The old vacuum circulates the dirt
around the house since it blows its exhaust out of the back of
the machine. The central system takes that air and vents it
outside. No more microscopic dust particles floating around.
The second benefit is power. The central unit has stronger
suction whether it is full or empty. The older up-right vacuum
has to suck through the collected dirt and sometimes even the
full bag. Another benefit is the convenience. You don’t have
to lug the whole unit around; you just need to carry the hose.
When you are ready to go, just plug it into the wall and it is
ready to go. The newest systems contain the hide-a-hose
feature, where the hose is in the wall as well so you just need
to put on an attachment and you are ready to go! If you are
interested in making the chore of vacuuming easier, give Gary’s
Vacuflo a call. |
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