Jen: I’ve been having so much fun developing the kitchen for our visitors center. First off: designing the kitchen. I had previously planned the kitchen in our home, so I had a good idea of what I wanted and how I wanted the space to flow, and our contractor gave me pointers on some specific requirements under the Chilean health code. Putting it all together was not without it’s challenges, however. The biggest near-disaster was the delivery of the commercial oven—which would not fit through the door into the kitchen. The delivery guys tried for an hour and then left it in the entry hall, where it sat until our contractor came to the rescue (yet again—I think he must be used to my panicked phone calls by now). Eventually it all came together, though—pretty much as I’d planned it, with the exception of the lab that Ed set up in the washroom. Next up: developing menus. We’ve decided on a bistro-style California cuisine, reflecting our roots in the Napa and Sonoma wine culture. The main wine pairing is with the Flaherty Aconcagua blend, and we’ve been mixing it up with other wines to pair with the starter—whites or sparklings that Ed has made through previous positions or consulting contracts, as well as the occasional MOVI white. Finally: serving and coordination. One of my biggest challenges has been getting the timing right on the different courses (we typically serve a first, a main, and a dessert). Menu planning helps by taking the timing into account, but the actual implementation can get hectic. I’m absolutely loving the challenge and the opportunity to take my passion for cooking in a new direction.

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