I have a very tiny kitchen and it sometimes will prevent me from entertaining as much as I would like. I thought this was a legitimate excuse until I saw a video from British-born, Paris-dwelling Rachel Khoo. At least I have a real stovetop and oven! Read on for more about Rachel and a video clip featuring her teeny-tiny kitchen.
Rachel lives in a jewel-box Parisian apartment and cooks in a kitchen so tiny she can touch opposing walls with her outstretched arms. She has a hot plate-sized two burner cooktop and a toaster oven-like oven. (At least her refrigerator looks close to normal sized!) From this minuscule arrangement, she would cook and serve lunch to two people every Wednesday and Saturday in her pop-up style home bistro. The bistro is currently on hiatus, presumably because she is focusing her attention on her new TV series and cookbook.
The TV series and cookbook, both called The Tiny Paris Kitchen, were just released in the UK, but it looks like Chronicle Books has picked up the cookbook for US publication in 2013. Meanwhile, you can catch a glimpse of Rachel on a few videos available on YouTube and the La Petite Cuisine a Paris Facebook page.
• BBC2 The Little Paris Kitchen webpage
• The Little Paris Kitchen cookbook, available from Amazon in the UK, £13.00 plus international shipping
Related: Sophie Dahl's Sweet, Feminine Kitchen
(Image: BBC2)
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Monterey Pitcher fr...
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
so cute!!
I'm way more enamored with her lipstick than anything else in that video. Must know brand and shade :-)
Lovely girl ~ I think I'll order the book!
@rumagogo, I totally agree!
she's adorable, and the video is inspiring! my kitchen is about that size, but my real problem when it comes to entertaining is my living room. it's such an awkward layout, with only one real wall and no room for seating, let alone any sort of dining surface. plus there's no separation between kitchen and living room, making everything feel like you're living in a shipping container :D
Cute. the problem with my kitchen isn't so much the size, but rather its incompetency. Far too little counter space and nowhere to expand! I often resort to putting mixing bowls on top of the refrigerator when juggling multiple dishes.
that was refreshing!
Love it! I've always thought that lack of space (or imperfect interior design) is a lame reason not to entertain. It's all about making your guests feel special, which they still can sitting cross-legged on the floor eating an awesome plate of brunch from a paper plate. Anyway, this was a great video, thanks!
Thank you for this post introducing me to Rachel Khoo! I am amazed at how well she can cook such special things with so little - just a 2-burner stove top and what looks like a toaster oven. Truly a testament to "less is more," and even YOU can do it if you have the training, talent and "want to"! Even though I don't cook, I love to watch her. I guess God made cooks, and He also made "watchers." That's me! I am watching all her episodes from her BBC show on YouTube! We need more shows like hers!
she's so cute! I have to admit that I was also slightly distracted by her laid back retro Parisian style with the red lip stick, the polka dot dress and her adorable hair cut. But her kitchen does reflect what I imagine my kitchens will be like for the next several years: cramped, maybe a bit out dated, and the need for imagination to cook inside. she's an inspiration!
Just found out that Rachel Khoo's red lipstick shade is Tom Ford's Cherry Lush. Painfully priced at $48 a tube.