Kitchen & Home

Here’s a smart idea from our friends at Real Simple: Use a colander as an ice bucket. Why? Read on to see!When serving ice at a party or just for drinks before dinner, put the ice in a colander. Rest the colander in a bowl or wide vase so that the water from the slowly melting ice will drip down, leaving only solid ice for your guests’ drinks.This is a smart tip! I hate going in for a scoop of ice for my drink and finding half of it water. Watery drinks, no thanks!

Potluck parties are one of the least stressful and most budget-friendly ways to throw a dinner party. But as with most communal efforts, they work best when everyone works together, so you don’t end up with 10 bottles of wine and not enough food. What are the rules you wish everyone followed when it comes to potlucks? The inspiration for the this post was a recent LA Weekly article on 10 Potluck Etiquette Rules.

Fruit flies are the scourge of the summer kitchen. With plenty of ripe fruit sitting out on the counters, my kitchen has been attracting these little flies for the past couple weeks, so I decided to search this site for a solution. A trick recommended again and again by readers in the comments ended up being the quickest, easiest way to rid my kitchen of these pesky flies.

I came home from a recent trip to a very unpleasant surprise: my stainless steel prep table was peppered with tiny blooms of rust.I was baffled how this could happen. Stainless steel will pick up some scratches and stains, but it should be protected from rusting by a layer of chromium oxide (one of the characteristics of stainless steel and why we use it so much in the kitchen).I was just starting to despair when I realized the reason for the rusting and found its solution.

With all their crevices and small parts, pasta makers can be a pain to clean. Aki and Alex from Ideas in Food shared a simple tip for keeping the dies from your pasta maker clean, using just a bit of water and some free counter space.They keep their pasta maker dies clean by simply soaking them in water after each use, until the next time they make fresh pasta.

Last week Ohdeedoh featured a bathroom cabinet with a pull-out step — a great use of normally discarded space. These slide-out drawers for your kitchen are no different. If you put drawers under your cabinets, you can find great extra storage, even if you rent!Our friends at Charles and Hudson shared this great project over at The Family Handyman. It’s an improvement that is nearly invisible and in a kitchen where space is short (aren’t they all?), it’s a great addition!

Where do you store your cookbooks? Do they live in the kitchen, or somewhere else in the house? Cheryl Sternman Rule at 5 Second Rule has a unique way of storing and displaying a rotating selection of her cookbooks. She puts them up, face-out, on shelves right in the kitchen! Cheryl shows off her wall o’ cookbooks in a post on recipe organization and searching. She puts up the books she’s currently cooking out of (see all those sticky notes and tabs in the pages?

It sounds completely counterintuitive that a razor-sharp knife would actually cause fewer injuries in the kitchen, doesn’t it? An interview with a butcher in a recent Gourmet Live article reveals how this is so.Stanley Lobel of Lobel’s butcher shop in New York explains that a sharp knife means you have to make fewer cuts. A dull knife makes you work harder; several cuts are required where one or two would do.

Party food is meant to be fun and a direct reflection of the ambiance and atmosphere you’re trying to create with the party. If you’re looking to throw a fun, down to earth yet delicious party — maybe you should seriously consider serving food on a stick. Yes, you read that right — on a stick!

My home in central Ohio has a small front yard with a wild tangle of shrubs, plants, and trees. My favorite tree is quite small, with a sculptural braid of thin trunks and a canopy slung low, just about eye-height. It is right next to the front walk, and in spring it is covered with white flowers, followed by red berries in June. I always assumed the berries were ornamental — only for the birds, if anyone — but last spring my landlady surprised me. “Juneberries!

This week I’m ensconced at a conference in scorching Austin, Texas. It also happens to be when many CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in my area are kicking off their season. So in lieu of writing something of my own, I asked Kate McDonough, author of The City Cook, a recent book on cooking at home in the city, to share some of her tips on cooking from a CSA box.What’s a CSA?

Nealey, our Southern recipe columnist, just threw a huge crawfish boil for her boyfriend’s birthday. It reminded me of my own favorite annual gathering, which also involves eating pounds and pounds of crawfish, on newspaper instead of plates, elbow-to-elbow with friends and strangers. It isn’t easy or cheap to pull off, but if you can manage it, crawfish boils are the ultimate outdoor bash. Here are five tips from my friends’ Annual Crawfish Boil.

The idea of entertaining can seem complicated, intimidating, even stuffy.

All you need are the crayons. This is a cheap and rustic way to dress up your table—just lay out some butcher or craft paper, and write your guests’ names as place cards. You could also write the night’s menu or identify dishes on the table, if it’s a buffet. See an example of that, below. It’s a look you see at so many great neighborhood bistros, for good reason.

Hosting a dinner party is a big effort. Depending on your style you may have to clean up the house, shop for and make a meal, set the table, arrange flowers, restock the bar, make a music mix, arrange for childcare or kid-friendly alternatives, get yourself dressed and presentable, light the candles, and arrange the hors d’oeuvres. Phew! All this is good to do but as a host your most important task is to make your guests feel welcome and comfortable.

These glasses were without a doubt one of the best finds ever. A set of eight of them were unearthed from the dusty recesses of a high cupboard in a former apartment. With no way to track them back to the original owners, they have graced our table ever since and proven surprisingly versatile.I’m fairly certain that these were originally cocktail glasses of the 3-Martini-LunchThese glasses are also a nice shape for serving scoops of sorbet or little pot de crèmes.

It always seems like spring is the busiest time for our friends and family. There are soccer games to attend, gardening to accomplish, trips, tours, graduations — all sorts of things are going on and entertaining time can be sparse. Instead of insisting that everyone come for dinner, why not try getting things done early and host a weekend breakfast bash instead?

Prettier than plain cloth napkins, these ombre dyed napkins add a lot of style to the table and are a snap to make.Emily of the blog Once Wed bought thrift store linen napkins and dipped them in small bowls of water mixed with a tiny bit of fabric dye. She started with a small amount of dye, dipped the napkins halfway in, then added a little more dye to the water to darken it, and repeated the process. The results are delicate, colorful and completely unique.

Q: I recently baked a coffee cake that has a blueberry puree layer in the middle. I used a springform pan and unfortunately, due to either myself or the pan, some of the blueberry dripped on the bottom of the oven. It then hardened into a burnt crispy blob and no matter how hard I try, I cannot get it to come off! I was able to scrape a decent amount off, but only the top layer.Any suggestions on how to clean something like this?

Hand washing dishes might sound archaic to those that can’t imagine living without their dishwasher, but for others, it’s just a way of life. There’s all sorts of different schools of thought on how to complete the task, but no matter if you fill the sink or what temperature water you use, what makes the biggest difference is your soap, or rather how much you use!Talking about hand washing dishes is a tricky topic.

Looking for the perfect way to organize all the recipes you find as you wander around the web? This new Recipe Box app might just be the answer to your prayers.I admit that I was pretty skeptical of this app at first. Between Google Reader and EvernoteIt took me all of five minutes for The Recipe Box to convince me of its charms. The app opens to a standard Home screen, like you see in the screenshot at the very top of this post.

Over the years we’ve heard some really great advice when it comes to cleaning the most baked on, never coming off, impossible to remove food stuffs. It doesn’t matter if you cook with non-stick, all clad or cast iron, it’s time to learn how to keep them looking their best with these simple tips! Posts Pictured Above Are Bolded Below • How To Clean a Cast Iron Skillet • How Do I Clean the Stains Off My Le Creuset Dutch Oven? • So Shiny!

Q: In an attempt to declutter the kitchen I have removed the various photos and notes that accumulate on the refrigerator over time. Our fridge is black and the solid dark surface seems a little much, but I don’t want to go back to the clutter.Does anyone know of a company that sells large decorative magnets? Not necessarily something that will cover the entire surface — I’m thinking some sort of large swirl or flower design? A refrigerator accessory, if you will.

Q: Each member of the law journal I am on is charged with bringing breakfast and lunch for the entire staff once a quarter – a responsibility un-affectionately and euphemistically referred to as “snack.”I would like to make something delicious, unique (i.e. something that people aren’t tired of eating yet) and vegetarian, but won’t require a Herculean effort or huge budget to pull together.

No matter what disasters might have happened in the kitchen, presenting dishes on basic white platters like these are the coup de resistance for a perfect meal. From roast turkey to roast vegetables, all foods look good on white. Even better, these platters do the job without breaking the bank.• Cuatro Serving Platters, $1.95 – $14.95 from CB2 – These simple rectangular trays would transition smoothly from cocktail hour to dinner table.• 365+ Serving Plate, $12.

Next time your apple pie drips into your oven and fills the house with a less than lovely burning fragrance (hey, it happens!), try this simple kitchen trick to keep your place smelling inviting and warm.Yes, cinnamon! When an apartment in my building caught fire a few years ago the damage to my own place was minimal, except for a smell that lingered for months.

Let’s face it: Gravy is a once-a-year thing for many of us. Do you keep a gravy boat in the cupboard? Raise your hand. No? Me neither. But wait — no need to run out and buy a gravy boat just for Thanksgiving gravy duties. There are plenty of things in your cupboards that can serve gravy — and honestly, they’re probably cuter than a gravy boat! Here are five things from my own cupboard that have doubled as gravy servers.

Growing up, we had these lightweight woven trays that we used at family gatherings when there wasn’t enough room for everyone at the table (a big stack of them sat on top of the refrigerator). With Thanksgiving approaching, we went looking for them. Turns out, they’re hard to find! But we found something similar, plus a few more good options.Some of these are more expensive than others; ideally, if you’re handing them out to a big group, you want something inexpensive.

In the course of time in my kitchen, a few of my stainless steel pots and pans have picked up some baked-on spots and patches of discoloration. It’s normal, but not very pretty and it can gradually worsen over time. One pot in particular was becoming fairly stained, and a friend suggested I try a product called Bar Keepers Friend.I found a little gold can of Bar Keepers Friend in the cleaning supply section of my grocery store.

Our sink sat lifeless, waiting for plumbing and a good cleaning! A few months back, my husband and I moved into a building without plumbing. Since then I’ve learned that sometimes even the simple things like doing dishes — aren’t so simple. As it turns out, my new favorite place to clean my dishware, isn’t the sink and can actually double as a chair. Care to take a guess as to what it is?A contractors bucket!

Q: I had amazing French onion soup the other night, and I am excited to add it to my winter soup rotation, but need to find a couple of oven-safe bowls for the critical cheese-melting step.I found the Le Creuset ones, but I would prefer not to spend $20 for each bowl. Nothing else that I’ve seen that is oven-safe has a handle, which seems like it would be super convenient. Any suggestions?

Rue Montorgueil is near the center of Paris, in the 2nd arrondissement, and just a few blocks away from Les Halles — the former wholesale food market for all of Paris. Les Halles’ commercial market was moved to the suburbs many years ago, but food shops like those lining rue Montorgueil have replaced it for the local cooks. And what great shops they are!I had coffee here with David Lebovitz and then returned the next day for a market walk with Paule Caillat.

Remodeling your kitchen? Like Martha Stewart’s style? If you are looking for the clean, contemporary cottage and farmhouse style often seen in Martha’s magazines, then you might want to check out her new line of cabinets at Home Depot.Many of the 11 special-order cabinet styles are based on (or at least named after) Martha’s own homes. There are 32 styles of hardware to accompany the various cabinet styles, and complementing styles of Corian countertop and wall paint too.

Unless you have a separate room in your house designated as the office, the kitchen can be a good place for one. We’re increasingly bringing our computers and iPads into the kitchen anyway. And several of these work stations could easily convert to extra counter space if you’re having a party or need to roll out some sugar cookies.We love the look of a built-in office with plenty of storage and overhead cabinets.

Some people have open racking, some people love their cabinets. Others are fortunate to have a walk in pantry, but they always seem to easy to clutter up. This transformation takes an average pantry from bogged down to beautiful in just a few seconds and can be implemented into your own kitchen, no matter what type of storage space you have!Now using lazy susans are one of those issues that people are on the fence about.

I chatted with Ina Garten last week, in an interview about her upcoming book. And of course, since Cocktail Week was impending, I had to ask her about her favorite cocktail! Here’s what she said, along with some tips for throwing parties when cocktails are involved.Garten’s favorite cocktail to serve at home, she said, is the old-fashioned whiskey sour. She loves the old-fashioned taste, and the fact that it can look so great when served in a martini glass.

Q: I live in a cozy 400SF studio apartment, including a tiny open kitchen. I love it — except for one small issue: after I cook a more fragrant dish (salmon, bacon) the scent hangs in the air despite my best efforts of homemade natural air sprays, fans, and open windows. Any ideas for how I can enjoy cooking in my mini kitchen but keep the air fresh?Sent by BHSEditor: BHS, here are a few past posts where we’ve dealt with this same issue:• Try This!

Fruit flies got you down? Yes, they breed like crazy this time of year, coming home with your precious fruits and vegetables. But you don’t need to suffer their annoyances; make a cheap trap that will end their reign in your kitchen forever. The equipment list here is simple: Mason jar, hammer and nail, cheap beer. Drown those suckers before they ever get going. It’s all natural, non-toxic, and all it’ll cost you is a little beer.

Q: I have a convection toaster oven that I use on a daily basis, including when I make bacon. While the bacon is delicious, the bacon splatter left inside the oven is less than desirable.I was wondering if there was some secret efficient way in cleaning off the baked-on grease.Sent by SydneyEditor: Well, we swear by really, really hot water and a little dish soap. But there may be better ways! Readers, any good tips for getting grease out of the toaster oven?Next question?

Q: I know you’re supposed to store tomatoes on the counter to prevent them from developing a mealy texture.But what about tomatoes you’ve already cut into? Sometimes I just want a couple slices for a sandwich, and it seems like the fridge is the best place for the leftover tomato — is it?Sent by ClaireEditor: Claire, we often wonder this same thing!

Q: I have a problem with storing the blades for my Cuisinart DLC. The shredding and slicing blades come with the fixed rods that are difficult to store safely. Right now, I have been keeping them in the Styrofoam block they came in, but that is not very space-efficient.Do you or the readers know of any other cases or easy DIY fixes? Thanks in advance!

Q: The guy who lives in the basement of my house loves onions and curry. He cooks with them daily and stinks up the entire house. I’m sure we’ve all dealt with stanky smells from neighbours or our own kitchens.Do you have any tips for getting rid of the onion smell? When I leave my house I smell like a diner, which is uncool.Sent by JodyEditor: Jody, here are a few past posts on fighting lingering odors in the kitchen.

Q: Since it’s started getting warm out, the drain in my kitchen sink has started to smell. Several sites (including this one) have tips on making the grossness go away, but they all seem to hinge on whirring things around in the disposal, which I don’t have.Any tips on de-stinking a kitchen sink drain when there’s no disposal?Sent by AimeeEditor: One tip that we found in this thread on getting rid of kitchen odors is: Sprinkle in baking soda, then pour in lemon juice.

I have a problem (another one!) with the thermal carafe I use every morning for my coffee. In an admirable effort to clean out the bitter, acrid taste of old coffee that tends to build up over time, my husband washed it last week with Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap. The problem? We cannot get the smell of the soap out of the carafe, and now it seeps into our coffee too! I am tired of drinking Mrs. Meyer’s-flavored coffee — can anyone help? We have tried all of the obvious solutions.

When it comes to washing produce, plain old water just isn’t good enough. At least that’s according to the makers of commercial fruit and vegetable sprays. Is this a ploy to get us to buy pricey, non-essential cleaning products? Or is there some truth to it? Do you use a fruit and vegetable wash?Produce washes are purported to help remove pesticides, wax, dirt, and other residues.

This just looks like normal, albeit small, kitchen island, right? Wrong. Read on to see how this kitchen worktop can fit in even the smallest kitchen.We don’t have a kitchen island, but we wish we did. We like to be at least partially surrounded by workspace, and even a small island is helpful. It’s especially nice during the holidays or parties, when an extra workstation makes multiple dishes (and extra hands) easier to manage.

Who cooks here? Travis and JessLocation: Washington, D.C.Owned or rented? OwnedKitchen size: 70 square feet What challenge have you overcome in your kitchen? Houseboat life has no shortage of challenges — have you ever tried to sauté something at sea? — but fortunately these are greatly outweighed by the rewards! The boat is from 1986 and the décor hadn’t been updated at all since then, and cabinet and counter space is minimal.

Who cooks here? Nik and JohnLocation: San Francisco, CAOwned or rented? RentedKitchen size: 60 square feet What challenge have you overcome in your kitchen? We added counter space by adding a stainless steel shelving unit for our microwave and toaster oven which also cleverly hides the gas line to the oven. We also put in some shelving units for plates and pots.

When pouring a glass of wine how much do you pour? How full do you expect the glass to be when buying a glass of wine a in a restaurant or wine bar?I have asked various sommelier friends about this. In the US, the measure poured for a glass of wine is not regulated. Hence, restaurants and bars are pretty free to take it upon themselves to decide what constitutes a single wine glass serving.While some bars and restaurants do indicate the serving sizes on the drinks menu, many do not.

Q: How do you keep your cookie cutters from rusting? I have lots of little shapes which I use for cutting out ham/cheese/bread for decorating bentos. 90% of the time I wash them immediately, but sometime it’s late/I’m tired/they’re too darn small! and I miss them and they sit in water for too long and rust.Is there a quick and easy (no scrubbing) way to move the old rust? What is your cookie cutter maintenance scheme?

First, a survey: The Delicious Miss DahlIf you live in the States, it’s possible that you have no idea who Sophie Dahl is, unless you somehow have access to BBC2, the network that broadcasts her new cookery program The Delicious Miss Dahl. But our British readers are sure to have heard of her as her show has created quite a stir with the critics. Apparently, that’s not unusual for Ms. Dahl, who is a former model with a sexy, scandalous past that includes having a bra named after her.

Napkin rings just say “fancy” to us! They add a touch of class to any table and make even a simple dinner party feel extra special. Don’t you think? We’re loving these easy do-it-yourself napkin rings from Martha Stewart.We think these paper and ribbon ones from Martha Stewart are an excellent stand-in if you don’t own your own set of matching napkin rings (like us!).

To be honest, we’ve never seen the point of that single sprig of parsley artfully balanced on top of our steak or mound of pasta. Why bother when most people simply push it to the side and dig in parsley-free? We’ve given it some thought, though, and wonder if there might be more to garnishes than meets the eye.One of the first reasons chefs started garnishing plates with herbs like parsley and mint was as a breath freshener and a digestive aid.

If you live in a small home or have limited dining room space, a kitchen countertop buffet is one way you can serve guests at your next dinner party. It takes some added planning and preparation, but then again, every dinner party does in one way or another. Here are some countertop buffet inspiration photos and tips: If counter space is limited, increase the serving area with large cutting boards over the sink and stovetop. Or, serve some dishes straight from the stovetop.

Q: I was zesting a lemon with a box grater and noticed that on one side of the grater there was some leftover cheese from who knows when (gross, I know). I guess I didn’t wash it properly or was too lazy to pick at it. I can’t just scrub with a sponge for obvious reasons.Do you have any easy/efficient ways to thoroughly clean all the holes in a grater?Sent by DebbieEditor: We’ve had that exact same experience, Debbie, we confess! Here are a couple things that seem to help.

Even though I hate it, the truth is I throw food away. Usually it’s something that has gone bad in my fridge or is suspect enough that I don’t feel comfortable eating it. My city collects food scraps for compost now, so there’s a small bit of relief that the food is going towards something good, but really, if I were to take that up in anyway as a justification, I would be fooling myself.

When it comes to the Kosher households, having the ability to lay out your kitchen in accordance with your beliefs and dietary needs is a true blessing. You have to have a keen eye, but can you spy anything in this kitchen that seems different than your own? The great design makes it hard to see, but this kitchen has a few extra things that yours might not!

[Today organizing expert Stacey Platt shares a few tips on finding more space in the kitchen. Stacey is the most organized person I know, but understands with great compassion how unorganized many people can be. Here are some ideas from her new book, What’s a Disorganized Person to Do?. Welcome, Stacey!]Now, thanks to The Kitchen Cure’s Week #2 assignment, your kitchen de-cluttered and you’ve probably freed up a lot of space.

Dishwashers are not among the most expensive of kitchen appliances (refrigerators seem to qualify for that honor) but they can still get very pricey, especially when you are looking at the high-end brands. Here’s a look at some of the more expensive dishwasher brands, and we’d like to know: Do you think they are worth it?

If you’re one of the over 2,400 people participating in our Spring Kitchen Cure, you spent the better part of this past week cleaning your refrigerator and pantry. (Not signed up? There’s still time!) I hope it’s been fun and that you’ve had great music playing.When we delve deep into the crisper and cabinets we often find forgotten ingredients.

Have you ever put on a pair of jeans or a sweater the morning after you’ve cooked a big meal, and find that your clothes still have a faint, lingering eau de pot roast? Short of putting them through the wash, here’s what we do to get rid of the odor!If we’re thinking ahead, we hang our clothes up before going to sleep. Hang each article of clothing on a separate hanger and put them somewhere well ventilated. If it’s warm outside, we put them next to an open window.

coffeechaser’s cabinets need a dusting badly!• This Week’s Assignment: Clean Out the Fridge and Pantry• Cure Clock: Liftoff! 4 weeks remaining• Cure Takers: 1,971 and counting… Welcome, everyone! There are almost 2,000 of you signed up. It’s like we’re sitting in a giant lecture hall together. But don’t worry, it’s going to be cozy with lots of one-on-one attention.

We were tired of our kitchen towels constantly slipping off the oven handle and winding up on the floor, so we devised this handy solution. It works quite well and we think it looks pretty cute, too!All this takes is a few lengths of leftover ribbon or yarn and some bull clips. Tie the ribbons in a square knot around the handle (“right over left, leftover right, makes the knot tidy and tight!”) so the ends lie flat and the knot stays tight even after repeated use.

Often times, when we talk about kitchen makeovers, even our most inexpensive options can seem a little pricey, but not this time! This kitchen makeover totaled a small $15 and gave the space a fresh new look. Ready to see the changes made?The cabinets were covered in white contact paper, giving them a new crisp feel and placemats were purchased from the dollar store and thumbtacked to the backsplash around the kitchen.

Q: Any good tips for getting a major honey spill off of my wood pantry shelf? I was thinking about scraping it, or steaming it, but I don’t even know where to start without making a bigger mess.Sent by AlexisEditor: Alexis, when we spill something majorly sticky like this, our approach is usually to just use lots and lots of very hot water. You could try soaking a kitchen cloth in boiling water and laying it over the honey to soften it.

Q: My very favorite Le Creuset pan has gotten all scratched and stained.You can see a dark ring where the warming burner has burnt on a stain. Is this all patina, or can I remove it somehow? I have stopped using it because it looks so messy, but I miss it and how well it cooks.Can you tell me if it’s possible to get these stains off my Le Creuset?Sent by StephenEditor: Stephen, we have scrubbed bad stains off our own Dutch ovens with Bon Ami or Barkeeper’s Friend and scrubbing pads.

We’re thinking about throwing a few small get togethers between January and February and we’re thinking cupcakes would be much easier than baking an entire cake (less clean up, less fuss!). Problem is, we’re trying to figure out the best way to serve the cupcakes.We came across a few cupcake stands that would do the trick. We only managed to find one that seemed to be neutral in its design and we found that to be pretty surprising.

Q: I’m planning to upgrade from the homely dish set that I bought as a college student ($12 at Goodwill, so I feel I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of them by now). I’m drawn by the clean-cut look of square plates, but I am wondering if there is a trade-off in functionality. Will they be a pain to put into cupboards or the dishwasher? Will dinners look undersized on a plate with all that extra real estate on the corners?

Back in September, reader Theresa showed us her DIY over-the-door pot rack. We decided to make a similar version in our own kitchen, and while our pots are nowhere near as nice and shiny as Theresa’s and our rack is slightly crooked at the moment, it’s already made a big space-saving difference.I (Joanna) installed my pot rack on an exterior door that leads to the back porch of my apartment. (We’ve joked that it doubles as a DIY burglar alarm.

Between turkey, pies, stuffing, and sweet potatoes, it seems like almost everything for the traditional Thanksgiving meal needs a spot in the oven. How do you make it all fit? How do you schedule your oven time? I have one very small apartment-sized oven; you can’t fit two 13×9 pans side by side on the racks, and a jelly roll pan barely fits. So I can’t double-up on dishes very much.

Q: My boyfriend’s apartment doesn’t have a dishwasher, and with all of his roomates living there, and everyone cooking each night, dishes are a real problem. There is limited counter space as well, so we are trying to find a multi-level dish rack — hopefully something with at least two full levels if not more.Short of building shelves for multiple standard dish racks I haven’t seen anything.

Over the past year I acquired several ceramic pieces of servingware that I really treasure. They’re fluid, organic, and unique. Well, I just realized that they were made by the same artisans: Mud Studio, in South Africa. Here’s a look at few more of Mud Studio’s organic, handmade pieces. Mud Studio is a small company in South Africa (and is not to be confused with Mud Australia, which is another ceramics company we like very much).