[Sca-cooks] Need advice/suggestion for counter top

[marilyn traber 011221]

> Here goes: the counter is pretty standard (runs along 2 kitchen 
> walls then protrudes perpendicular, separating kitchen from dining 
> room). Where the counter divides the two rooms, there is a roughly 
> 30" side square hole. That's where the cooking plate used to be.
> 
> For esthetic and practical reason, I want this hole filled in :-)
> 
> Hence, I was considering fitting one (or possibly 2) cutting board 
> in this whole instead of replacing all the counter tops in the 
> kitchens, cause I'm not sure I'll be able to find the same design in 
> store.
> 
> Bear suggested the cool drawer, which is actually a neat idea, 
> except that my girlfriend was reading that over my shoulder and said 
> no :-)
> 
> Any ideas, or suggestions, are welcome.
> 
> The problem with the cutting board are mostly which material to use and
> which finish to select.
> 
> Petru

Do a cutting board. Make it out of good Canadian Rock Maple, and finish it 
with several coats of good quality mineral oil (or whatever you call it up 
there- Can't always tell, because you folks are so strongly influenced by the 
Brits).

Rock maple will look good, and last wonderfully, and you shouldn't have much 
trouble getting a couple of 15 inch boards. Ideally, you'd want end grain, 
but finding a tree stump 50 inches or so in diameter might be a bit 
problematical. You might ask Arthur (Arture license plates- I think you know 
him) and he's likely to know where one is that he's planning on removing. If 
you fit it tightly, and leave it protruding above the counter top half an 
inch or so, but leave it so you can readily slip it in and out, serious clean 
up ought to be pretty easy. Serious clean up is an occasional thing, as 
differentiated from your quicky wipe down after every usage. Give it a wipe 
with the mineral oil occasionally, and leave it overnight, wiping up the 
excess, if any in the morning.

At least, that's what I'd do....

(30" X 30" wooden cutting board in my counter... YESSSSS!!!!!!  ;-)

Phlip