Cooking Alfresco

Bringing the outdoors in is a tried-and-true part of many country kitchens. The flip side works just as well by bringing the indoors out, especially in the Arizona desert. In a balmy, breezy place where it's warm enough to be outdoors nearly all year round, no one wants to go inside to eat. Opening the indoors to the outdoors is a much happier arrangement and the Hannah family of Paradise Valley, Arizona, and their alfresco kitchen is such a hit it's the center of family living. A retracting door is all that separates the outdoor living room with the interior; the Hannah's frequently leave it open for easy access between the two rooms.