Ellen Marie Bennett, founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett, is a kitchen visionary with a passion for cooking and her expertly designed culinary products that stand the test of time. Her line of chef recommended aprons, knives and kitchen apparel, are all recognized with the infamous ampersand (&) logo!
Ellen has teamed up with Tastemade for their new show Kitchen Glow Up, where she expertly helps homeowners reimagine their kitchens and transforms them into functional culinary, beautifully designed spaces fit for a chef.
We caught up with Ellen to ask her questions that are on everyone’s mind when it comes to our own kitchen curiosity.
How did they come up with the name of your show, "'Kitchen Glow Up"?
We wanted to convey the message that it wasn't a full kitchen overhaul; it was more of a light makeover. Kitchen Glow Up shows what anyone can do on a budget in no time flat. A lot of these kitchen renovation shows aren’t relatable, but anyone can watch this show and be able to do the tips and tricks that we give them.
You always have your clients cook a meal for you before you start their kitchen remake journey. What do you learn from this experience?
Watching them cook a meal in their kitchen shows me their natural flow while they cook. The lack of efficiency will come out clear as day when watching them cook as you see how many times they walk back and forth to the fridge or how many times they have to search through different drawers for different tools. I notice what’s really inefficient for them and it helps me identify where the zones that I’m going to make for the kitchen should go.
What's an easy and cost effective fix that most people could make in their kitchen today that would have maximum impact?
Do a full kitchen purge. Create one zone for all dry goods instead of having it spread out over multiple areas. Have an organized and streamlined food storage container drawer and spices drawer. Go through every drawer and every cabinet and throw out anything expired or that you haven’t used in a long time. If you’ve been saving 200 plates from an outside party that you had 4 years ago but you haven’t touched them since those should be gone. Your kitchen will become so much more efficient when you can easily see and find the things that you need in it.
What is your favorite kitchen appliance/utensil that you absolutely cannot live without and why?
A good chef’s knife. There’s just no way around it. It’s core that you need a good knife to do whatever you need to do in the kitchen. It needs to be sharp. An 8-inch knife can cut everything from veggies to bread. It’s also more dangerous to have a dull knife than a sharp knife.
What's your favorite recipe? Can you share it with us?
Oldie but a goodie and it’s really easy for a multi-use salad dressing:
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, 7 garlic cloves smashed or grated on zester with a couple of them sliced, ½ cup of olive oil, and a heaping spoonful of good quality dijon mustard like Grey Poupon. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add all the ingredients into a small mason jar or an actual olive oil container and shake it up well. All of this coagulates into a very delicious dressing that you can use on everything. The longer it sits in your fridge the better it is as the flavors start to merge.
The Holidays are upon us. Any seasonal festive cooking tips or ideas? Kitchen/table decor/organization.
Always have a few necessities in your fridge so that no matter who comes over you can throw together a little spread. 2-3 cheeses that don’t go bad quickly (e.g. manchego, brie, goat cheese), dry nuts like cashews, almonds, walnuts, or pecans, and some dried fruits. Also always have a fresh fruit on hand that you can add like berries, figs, apples, or grapes to balance out all the dry salty stuff. And some good crackers to serve with it. Extra points if you have something briney to add like an olive. You can make it look beautiful by placing it on a nice cutting board.
Can you tell us your favorite traditions regarding meals and family at Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Because our family lives in the States but we’re half Mexican, we always have some Mexican dishes at the table alongside the turkey. This could be refried beans, tamales, chile rellenos, etc. It might be some random thing that has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but it’s our blended culture and adds a nice element of potluck. It’s very fun and eclectic and it’s fun to see what else lands on the table alongside the classics.
Do you have any seasonal Holiday inspired aprons?
For the holidays I love theKale Green Striped apron and our Rifle Paper Co smocks are festive as well!