A few years later I took the leap and bought a penthouse duplex loft with an upstairs room that was perfect for the kitchen I wanted to create—flooded with light and large enough to accommodate a dining area as well as my study. Since I spend so much time in my kitchen, my primary concern was that it, well, not look like a kitchen. I wanted a space where I could relax and write too. But since I teach cooking classes, functionality was as important as aesthetics.

Initially I didn't want any stainless steel; everyone seemed to have it, and I was sick of looking at it. That is, until I went to a catering trade show where I stopped dead in my tracks in front of a sleek, elegant, and super-functional stainless-steel island designed by Elro, a Swiss firm that supplies kitchens to cruise liners. The edges were curved and the surface was so smooth you could hardly see the built-in induction burners from a few feet away.

I basically asked the architects to design the kitchen around the island, making sure everything I needed to cook and teach had a designated and easily reachable storage space. I also asked for the dishwasher and fridge to be integrated so they are largely invisible.

Eleven years later, I still love cooking and teaching in my kitchen just as much as I love looking at it.