This past February, Margery visited the SKS Experience and Design Center in Napa Valley, California with other members of the Design Trust Ltd (DTL) where they got a first-hand look at the product lines and even cooked using SKS appliances. We’ll discuss more about her amazing experience after introducing SKS and their vision.
About SKS
SKS stands for Signature Kitchen Suite, and they are a top-of-the-line built-in appliance line under LG Electronics that values innovation and flexibility. Their company philosophy is “True to Food” and their objective is to create the best built-in appliances for forward-thinking cooks that have a passion for food and value culinary innovation.
SKS products are Wi-Fi-enabled smart appliances that are able to be controlled using your phone- how cool is that! SKS is currently the only source in the industry that has created a range with built-in sous vide, which is a fantastic way to cook food but has otherwise been inaccessible unless you are dining in a fancy restaurant. Margery assisted with the sous vide style of cooking and now she is hooked.
The Experience
Margery got to experience their innovation while she was at the Design Center in Napa Valley. This multi-million-dollar, 23,000-square-foot facility opened a few years back and is the first of its kind. The facility houses a giant demonstration kitchen where Margery and other designers got to cook using SKS appliances under the direction of one of their onsite chefs.
Product experts and executive chefs are onsite to help train their visitors how to use their products effectively in their projects. LG has the broadest selection in the industry of smart appliances so part of the design center is to show how designers, architects, and builders can create a smart home system for their clients’ homes. Although their SKS demonstration kitchen is the center point of the facility, the Design Center also showcases other kitchen and laundry vignettes from other LG brands as well as brand partner cabinetry, surfaces, and fixtures.
Another aspect to acknowledge is that the center was built with sustainability in mind. On the tour of the facility, Margery learned about the efficient AC and lighting systems as well as how the building is 100% powered by renewable energy and is carbon neutral! Super cool!
Tasting – Okay, this is Napa after all!! So a huge highlight of the trip was the wine and the charcuterie board tasting of course. The wine storage was amazing, and the wine was even better!
The Food
At the end of the day, Margery and the group all sampled all the creations. Yum!
Below is the amazing menu for the day:
Walnut Vinaigrette
SV Butternut-Apple Soup
Pan Roasted Mushrooms
Truffle Potato
Curry Cabbages
Braised Vegetables
Peanut Butter Mousse
Easy Chocolate Mousse
Atlas Jacks
The DTL members helped to prepare the Sous Vide Butternut-Apple Soup while working in the demonstration kitchen. I’m guessing there aren’t many of you out there with a sous-vide, but take a look at the recipe for this amazing dish below!
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup Sous Vide (Vegan Version)
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy Nick Ritchie, Signature Kitchen Suite
Ingredients:
1 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced leek, white and pale green parts only
½ Tbsp minced garlic
½ Tbsp minced sage
3 cups peeled and roughly diced butternut squash
1 cup peeled and roughly diced apples
3 ½ cups homemade vegetable stock (or 2 cups boxed vegetable stock mixed with 1 ½ cups water)
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
1 bunch chives, minced for garnish
¼ cup pomegranate seeds for garnish
- Preheat SKS sous vide bath: to 190 degrees.
- Cut and caramelize the vegetables and apples: heat the oil in a large sauté pan over moderate heat. Add the leeks and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and sauté briefly to release its fragrance. Add the squash and apples, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Cook and blend the soup: Spoon the caramelized vegetable mix into a large sous vide bag and add the stock. Place in the water bath and cook for 2 hours. Remove from the bath and open the pouch. Transfer in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, thin with additional vegetable stock or water if necessary and reheat to serving temperature, season with salt.
- Plate and serve: Divide the soup among warmed bowls and garnish each portion with a pinch each of the pomegranate seeds, minced chives, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes: Cooking the leeks, squash, and apples until they caramelize gives this soup its depth of flavor.
If you are interested in Margery’s other Napa Adventures stay tuned for next week’s article where we talk about her trip to Yountville, CA!
Stay Inspired,
The Margery Wedderburn Interiors Team