Nancy Waldeck's Recipe of Week: Delicious Green Olive Tapenade

Imagine … having access to any kind of fabulous kitchen equipment and furnishings. In my wildest dreams I have double ovens and gas and induction cooktops, Woks, steamers and grills. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joy Gunter, daughter of Guy T. Gunter, and talking about dream kitchens.

My first house in Atlanta was outfitted with Gunter appliances, and hundreds of other Buckhead kitchens have boasted the Gunter pedigree — and guarantee of quality, good looks, timeliness, efficiency and service. Even in the tiny 14th Street showroom of the past, the possibilities for a fantastic culinary experience were evident.

Today the space for dreaming is a fabulous showroom tucked away in industrial Midtown. Driving up, you can’t imagine what is behind the facade of the huge building. Opening the doors, you enter a 5,000- square-foot showroom with a incredible demonstration kitchen — equipped with a dizzying array of cooktops, ovens, ranges, refrigerators, dishwashers, grills and much, much more.

Of course, one of the first questions I asked Joy was “What’s your favorite place in the showroom?” She gave me an answer that made me smile. “That there are so many beautiful places to share a glass of wine after work. It’s hard to choose what I like best. The beautiful bar, the big round table or a stool to perch on in many of the kitchen displays.”

We had fun running our hands over all the appliances, nine different manufacturers from B for Blue Star and Bosch to Wolf. I loved learning that Joy’s range at home is a vintage Wolf. I share her passion for the trusty old workhouse: It’s my range as well.

If you want to indulge your culinary fantasies in person, take a quick drive over to Midtown and enjoy the possibilities. If you want to fanasize immediately, go http://www.guytgunterappliances.com

Here’s an amazing appetizer to enjoy in your kitchen, no matter what seat you take! Serve it with crudités, pita chips or even on a sandwich. (Even if you THINK you don’t like anchovies, you need to try this delicious dip.) It keeps great in the fridge all week, so you can enjoy for cocktail hour, dinner or with lunch.

And the perfect wine for your Tapenade? Italian Prosecco — Light, Bubbly and typically lower in alcohol, so you happily can enjoy a glass or two with friends,

Green Olive Tapenade

1½ Cups Pitted Green Olives

2/3 Cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt

1 Tin Oil Packed Anchovies, Drained

2 Cloves Garlic

¼ Cup Cilantro, Packed

½ Cup Olive Oil

Step One

In a food processor, chop the olives coarsely — remove from the processor and place in a bowl.

Step Two

Add the yogurt, anchovies, garlic and cilantro to the processor. Pulse to chop the ingredients, and then slowly add in the olive oil. Remove from the processor and add to the green olives. If time permits, place in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld.