Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom Chef Michelle Meshberger recognized this food trend’s growing popularity, saying, "Once people experience steam cooking, it’s a game changer. There are home cooks of every ability who never considered cooking this way. Now, they can’t imagine their life without it.”
Cooking with steam does require specialized equipment. While countertop steamers have offered passable performance in the past, today’s discerning home cooks have found the level of precision and versatility they need in full-size appliances like the Wolf Convection Steam Oven.
“With the combination of steam and convection in one full-size oven, the possibilities are endless,” says Chef Michelle. “From everyday tasks of reheating leftovers to preparing special-occasion steaks sous vide, we’ve heard time and time again that the Wolf Convection Steam Oven often becomes the most used appliance in owners’ kitchens."
Here are just a few ways this multi-function appliance can elevate al fresco dinner parties, casual picnics with friends and family, and lazy lunches this summer.
A Fresh Take on the Veggie Tray
Often playing second fiddle to a mountain of grilled meat, it’s no wonder snoozy vegetable platters are often overlooked. It’s time summer’s fresh abundance receives the attention and glow up we all deserve. Satisfying crisp, fresh finds from the local farmers’ market can make up the majority of the spread, and consider adding steamed veggies to your crudité platter for a little je ne sais quoi. Arrange snappy peas and vine-ripe tomatoes with sugar-sweet steamed carrots or creamy red potatoes to delight your guests with a mouthwatering mix of textures and flavors. Requiring little to no fat to prepare, produce that is steam cooked in the Wolf Convection Steam Oven keeps its texture and flavor. It’s a delicious yet low-fat way to enjoy summer’s bounty. For a finishing touch, add a dollop of garlicky aioli and let the dipping and snacking commence.
Steam-Baked Bread for a Perfect Picnic
Often, the only difference between a drab loaf and a glossy, golden one is the way it is baked. Steam is key in crafting a loaf with that desirable chewy crust and tender crumb. Emulating steam ovens used by professional bakers, the Wolf Convection Steam Oven excels at creating this ideal environment for baguettes, croissants, and other baked delights. Use steam to make a simple yet delicious steam-baked loaf the star of any picnic. Then douse it with olive oil. Smear it with jam. Top it with cured meats and artisanal cheese. Or keep it simple; a pat of butter and sprinkle of sea salt is all this perfectly baked loaf needs.
The Best Way to Reheat Leftovers
At the end of one of those unforgettable meals out, do you ever tote a bag of just-too-good-to-leave-behind leftovers home with you? Next time that happens, and you look to reheat your meal, ditch the microwave. Unlike zaps from a microwave, which can dry out food, the Wolf Convection Steam Oven gently rehydrates food with the help of steam. Then, convection heat transforms the soggy memory into a crisp delight. It ensures your leftovers are as flavorful, moist, and fresh as the night before.
Attend a Cooking Demonstration for a Taste
If you’re in market for new appliances and your mouth is watering at all the delicious ways to incorporate steam cooking and the Wolf Convection Steam Oven into your repertoire, we invite you to attend a demonstration at the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom Houston. There, you can see—and taste—the Wolf Convection Steam Oven in action.
Schedule a private consultation appointment at (713) 599-0053 and begin your appliance journey today.
Contact Us:
Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom Houston
2800 Sage Rd Suite B
Houston, TX 77056
(713) 599-0053
Watching Phantom, Miller was “transfixed” at how a single musician and instrument could enhance the film’s spooky atmosphere and draw the audience into a dream-like world of romance, obsession, and dread. “I turned to my parents and said, ‘I wanna do that!’” laughs Miller. “They thought they had a crazy kid on their hands.”
Now 22, living in Rochester, NY, and studying orchestral conducting at the Eastman School of Music, Miller has since mastered the art of accompanying silent films on the organ and performs in theaters across the U.S.
Organist Brett Miller
On Friday, Oct. 25, Miller performs at Jones Hall for an especially spooky Halloween silent film double feature: The 1920, post-World War I German expressionist classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari; and Miller’s childhood fave, The Phantom of the Opera. The concert is part of the Houston Symphony’s Halloween Frights at the Symphony series, which includes an interactive screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with special guest Patricia Quinn (Oct. 26); and two screenings (Nov. 16 & 17) of Tim Burton’s stop-motion animation classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Danny Elfman’s tuneful score played live by the orchestra.
After that life-changing experience with Phantom, Miller approached his neighborhood church’s music director and simply asked if she would teach him how to play the organ. While similar to the piano in that there is a keyboard, Miller quickly discovered the organ is actually a wind instrument, with knobs or “stops” that when pulled release air to a specific set or “rank” of pipes, which each have their own unique timbre. (One rank of pipes might produce a soft, clarinet-like sound, while another a blast of brass you can feel in your guts.) And then there’s the pedal board, which is played with one’s feet.
“We organists are part octopus,” says Miller, who speaks about music-making with both genuine reverence and good humor. “We’re constantly moving.”
No two organs are identical, so when Miller is booked for a performance, he has to wrap his head, arms and feet around a new instrument. (For Friday’s silent-film double-feature, an electronic organ is being brought in and installed for Miller to play.)
When accompanying a silent film, with the screen in full view and without a click track or any other modern synchronization, Miller plays composed passages and stock cues (with titles like “Chase #4”) in combination with in-the-moment improvisations. For The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Miller uses a couple of themes from the original full orchestra score for the film composed by Giuseppe Becce. (Fun fact: In the 1913 silent movie The Life and Works of Richard Wagner, one of the first feature-length biopics, Becce played the title role and wrote the accompanying music.) For Phantom, Miller draws from a partial surviving score, preserved by The American Organ Society, along with excerpts from Charles Gounod’s Faust.
For Miller, one of the most exciting things about accompanying silent films is that each performance is unique and caters to the shifting moods of the viewing audience. “You kind of have to manipulate an audience,” says Miller. “But also know what the audience wants from you.”
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Michelle Barnes photographed at Community Artists’ Collective
Legend Michelle Barnes
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ShaWanna Renee RIvon photographed at the Alley
Leader ShaWanna Renee Rivon
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Restaurateuring
Sylvia Casares, photographed at her Woodway restaurant
Legend Sylvia Casares
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Itai Ben Eli, photographed at his new Októ in Montrose
Leader Itai Ben Eli
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Education
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Renu Khator photographed at The Wortham House in the Museum District
Leader Renu Khator
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Sustainability
Bobby Tudor photographed at his home in the Museum District
Legend Bobby Tudor
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Raz Halili photographed on Galveston Bay
Leader Raz Halili
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Philanthropy
Gracie Cavnar, photographed in the garden of her friend Cynthia Petrello’s home
Legend Gracie Cavnar
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Franco Valobra photographed at Valobra Master Jewelers on Westheimer
Leader Franco Valobra
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