When a Not So Cool Stove Gets Hot

I've always been a fan of the sleekness of the ceramic cooktop. In my modern kitchen no grates or grills would interrupt the clean lines. I know that cooks swear by the functionality of the gas stove -- but I would chance a scorched roux before compromising on style. The new electromagnetic stove tops seemed to be the ticket to the control quandry, and so I was convinced I would swap out my gas Jenn Air cook top for an electromagnetic range.

That was until we had a freak storm that dropped 20 inches of snow -- and felled zillions of trees and power lines. Talk about island living. For the next four days it was that ugly, oversized gas grill situated in the middle of my island that helped feed four families. It truly was the fire in our kitchen.

We cleaned our collective fridges and dumped everything into skillets and wokked up some great treats. A neighbor's propane grill (ours was out of propane) prepared salmon, sirloin, chicken and ribs. Clean up, as much as there could be clean-up with 7 people living on the island, was a breeze as hot water, electric water heater now depleted, was generated in pots sitting on a seemingly perpetual flame.

We lucked out with another modern convenience. Our gas fireplace is electric start and sealed, but fortunately I had turned it on an hour prior to the 95 hour outage. That fire in our family room provided the sole heat for our house and was the camp fire around which we and another family slept. For four days wet clothes were hung by the mantel with care (kids love 20" of snow).

What of my wish for an electromagnetic stove? I haven't given up, but I just might need to set up the Jenn Air in the basement as a back up. Oh by the way, our newest appliance is a 6000 watt generator; neither sexy, nor stylish, but very, very functional. As for the snow, it only lasted 2 days. I am still trying to reclaim my island.

Top Photo: Midnight shot of snow-covered, leaf-laden tree in East Amherst, NY. Weight peels limb from tree. Middle pic: Island Living -- the next episode of survivor?

Technorati Tags: Electromagnetic Stove, Modern Kitchen, Jenn-Air Gas Range, Modern Design, East Amherst, New York, Buffalo snowstorm