Being a good cook isn't just a matter of knowing the big, impressive skills you can show off to friends and family, like roasting a turkey or making challah bread. It's also about the small habits you practice daily, the ones that transform cooking into a more effortless and joyful part of your day. These 8 simple habits are easy to pick up, yet make a major difference in your cooking.
1. Make your cutting board non-slip. Putting a damp paper towel, damp kitchen towel or piece of non-slip cupboard liner under your cutting board before you start chopping will give you a stable surface to work on safely.
2. Keep your knives sharp. Regular honing will keep sharp knives in good working order. If they aren't sharp to begin with or are dull even after honing, it's time to stone them or get them professionally sharpened.
3. Wear an apron. Aprons protect your clothing from burns, food splatters, and even mysterious holes. They also provide a handy way to carry a kitchen towel.
4. Wear clogs or other supportive shoes. Comfortable shoes aren't a necessity when throwing together quick weeknight meals, but for big dinners or weekends when you are spending hours in the kitchen, they save you from back and leg pain, and protect your feet from spills or other accidents.
5. Carry a kitchen towel. Sure, have pretty tea towels hanging on the front of the stove for drying hands, but when there is serious work to be done, grab a plain kitchen towel, tuck it into your apron and use it to wipe up spills, grab hot pans and dry your knife in between rinsings. (Use a separate towel when cooking with raw meat, and keep plenty of clean ones on hand to change out as needed while cooking.)
6. Practice mise en place. You don't need to prep all your ingredients when cooking something simple, but when preparing a complicated recipe or one that comes together very quickly, like a stir-fry, this technique is a necessity.
• Basic Technique: Mise en Place
• Mise en Place: Does It Really Save Time?
• No More Messy Mise en Place: Use Coffee Filters
7. Use a "garbage bowl." Collecting your scraps into a bowl, bucket or bag keeps your counters clear and save trips to the trash can or compost bin, making you a cleaner and more efficient cook.
• Garbage Bowls: Why We Love This Underappreciated Kitchen Tool
• Help! How Do You Control Onion Skin Clutter?
8. Clean as you go. Getting in the habit of clearing counters and washing up as you cook makes cooking a much more efficient and pleasant experience, and makes post-meal clean-up less of a chore.
• Make Small Kitchen Living Easier With This One Tip
• Weeknight Meal Tip: Clean As You Go
• Clean Up! Do You Clean As You Go?
What small habits make a big difference in your cooking?
Related: Healthy Kitchen Habits: Cleaning Tip Roundup
(Image: Chris Perez, from Jeanine & Jack's Zesty White Kitchen)
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When you need a new cutting board, keep your eyes open for ones that incorporate non-slip elements, like this one:
http://www.oxo.com/p-411-utility-cutting-board.aspx
I have Silestone counters -- the slipperiest! This OXO board really doesn't slip around.
With a few minor burns on my hands to remind me...I'll add "wear oven mitts" when moving things around a hot oven.
This is probably one of my favorite blog posts of all time! Such great everyday tips. And they really do make a difference. Especially clean as you go and mise en place! I couldn't cook "effectively" without these!
http://beanafoodie.com/blog
I'd like to add: Take off any jewelry (i.e., wedding ring) you don't want to get messy, sticky, etc. Trying to get oil off your hands is much easier when it's not on your rings too!
This is a great post - bringing it back to the basics. I even reposted some of this (with my commentary, and a link -don't worry) on my blog (www.creativeating.com). The one addition I made was 'taste along the way.' I learned the hard way a few times that it's really awkward, even with a spouse/partner, to take back a plated meal because it's super bland or to heat it up because you got distracted etc. In cooking, the try it before you buy it rule works well.
I tend to use the mise en place myself much of the time due to the tiny prep area next to my stove.
I also use a garbage bowl, though for a long time, I just dumped stuff into an open topped garbage can that was, literally behind me so a quick reach behind me, and into the trash it went since my kitchen is an efficient double sided galley.
But now that it is mandatory to compost, I use a garbage bowl, and empty that into my "slop bucket" and that is lined with the proper compostable liner approved by Cedar Grove Landfill and it gets emptied about once a week or so down at the compost bin out behind my building.
@Lia_Bia: Ah, that's a great addition! Definitely a habit that makes a HUGE difference.
All good tips. But Mise En place and cleaning as you go are tops on my list. It's so much nicer, and easier to cook when you have everything laid out and ready to go. And it helps with cleaning.
I always clean bowls and pans while I'm cooking if I have time. I hate doing it later. My wife and I argue about this all the time. She prefers to let it pile up and then do it all after dinner. But it's not uncommon for "after dinner" to become "tomorrow morning". I prefer to eat withouth worrying about the cleanup monster lurking in the kitchen.
I keep a sink full of hot soapy water and clean pots, dishes and counters as I go. I love it. When I didn't do that I was doing the same thing as SeattleJ's wife. Waking up to a dirty kitchen is a depressing way to start the day! My husband is the knife sharpener in my house. After he sharpens my knives he always says "be careful, they're super sharp!" The truth is I am more apt to cut myself when they are dull, sharp is good for several reason!!
I completely agree with all of the above! I learned the damp paper towel trick at a cooking class and "wow" my friends with it all the time. So simple and makes such a huge difference.
Yes, but I am in culinary school where you learn all these things!
I read through the recipe and then prepare as much in advance as possible. Many dishes actually benefit from advance cooking and allowing flavors to develop. When I make cookies, I always make the dough one day and bake them off the next. I love starting to bake in a nice clean kitchen.
Great tips! I generally keep a de-facto garbage bowl (or container--sometimes an empty milk carton) on the counter for compost scraps, but didn't realize it was a cooking technique! This inspires me to formalize it and make sure to have a container ready every time I cook.
I'm looking for a specific kind of cutting non-slip cutting board and would appreciate any leads: an approximately 4" thick, somewhat large slab of solid wood with four non-slip rubber "feet" on the bottom. Our family had one of these when I was growing up, and it was so handy both to use and to wash/dry. It occupied its own spot on the counter and wasn't moved around much, and was thick enough that food could be swept off the surface into a (shallow) bowl. After lighter jobs, the surface could simply be wiped clean, but when we washed the whole thing the cutting surface would dry fast because it would be standing on those little feet with cutting surface up.
When guests are coming, write up the menu, no matter how simple, date it, jot down the guests names, and post it to the fridge door -- people love to see what's cooking, and then you can stick it in your recipe file or book as a memento.
Also, if I'm cooking for 6 or more, I write up a timeline for myself of what needs to happen when. This is a great help, especially once the guests arrive and the wine starts flowing!!
I cook, a lot, and love doing it. Over the years I have also learned to clean as I go, get everything out that you need, wear an apron, have a towel and get that bowl for the debris. Your cooking will go faster, cleaner, and you won't be so exhausted. I would add one more thing, in order to be a great cook, read the recipe through, TWICE. That way you won't miss things and your recipe will taste great!
This sounds obvious, but I had to learn it the hard way (more than once)! Read through the entire recipe before you begin and check your ingredients before the first cup of flour goes into the bowl! I can't tell you how many times I've gotten halfway through a recipe only to be short an egg, or how many times we've had cereal for dinner because I failed to see that the meat required an 8 hour marination.
Great advice! I do most of these except wear an apron. I usually wear an apron around the holidays when I'm dressed up. I think I'll start wearing an apron on a regular basis.
maebates, check out chefscatalogue.com. I got my end cut maple butcher block cutting board from them a number of years ago and have not been disappointed. It does not have the little feet but due to the weight (about 30 lbs) nothing gets under it. Yes I will admit this was definitely an investment (we paid considerable less 10 years ago) but it will last a lifetime (or longer.)
Good luck!
Love all these tips! Some are things I've been doing for years as it was how my mom was raised plus we always had small kitchens.
We keep a compost bucket on the counter so I can clear the chopping block as I go. And the sink full of warm soapy water is a definite. Good post.
This is a great group of common sense tips. Here are some more (some slightly more esoteric) that might prove helpful.
Not in the kitchen long enough to need supportive shoes, unless I'm baking. I find baking cookies at Xmas time exhausting, but maybe that's just because Greek Xmas cookies are so labour-intensive. Plus my slippers are suede, don't want to get them dribbled on. But some sort of footwear is a good idea, lest you drop a knife and have it go into your foot - it happened to one of my former professors!
Definitely use a "garbage bowl", didn't realize it was a thing either. I often use whatever empty container is sitting on the counter, like the little plastic box the mushrooms came in, or I'll put them on a paper towel, fold it up and chuck it, but I do sometimes use an actual bowl.
Mise en place is certainly important, but only necessary when making stir-fries, because you just can't slice all those ingredients in the time it takes the previous one to cook.
I definitely use an apron, and eat with it on if we don't have company. There is always a towel tucked in it, especially if I'm washing up as I go, but I don't use that towel to grab anything, because grabbing hot dishes with a wet towel is a sure way to burn yourself. The wet towel does work well under the cutting board, learned that from my parents as a teenager.
Hubby sharpens the knives, though never as often as I'd like.
I'd add: start your starch first, at least boiling the water. There's nothing worse than holding up supper because you're waiting for the potatoes/rice/noodles to cook. Besides, rice/quinoa/bulgur needs to sit a bit before you fluff and serve it anyhow.
Thanks for the tip Wittersgarden!
I definitely employ mise en place--good way to make sure you have everything before you're halfway through a recipe and realize that you don't have a key ingredient. Also, clean as you go; makes cleaning up at the end so much faster and cooking more pleasant, I think.
If I know that I have to cut up raw meat, I always do it last, when the recipe allows. That way I only dirty up one cutting board and do not risk cross contamination. Just throw it in the dishwasher (if possible).
Great tips!
One of my fav purchase for my kitchen has been an mesh strainer thing for my sink from a dollar store. I simply drop in all my peelings and everything else into the sink to deal with after cooking. Has made my life so much better!
Also I have a few extra scotchbrites to clean counters and stove, the inside of the fridge etc. When they are dirty I just wash them well, pop them in the microwave or dishwasher and they are brand new.
I would add:
Use a timer
Take your time, do one task at a time
Delegate where possible
Mise-en-place has been my kitchen life saver on more than one occasion.
Measure every thing into bowls and put to one side before you start, especially when baking or with recipes that have heaps of ingredients.
Must be a sign of me getting old but at least I don't forget to add stuff.
My other good tip for my kitchen is a good nonslip mat or mats in front of sink and stove. I use industrial type ones. They may not be pretty but they save my floors and my feet.
I use most of these! My cutting boards have never seemed to have slip. I also get out all my ingredients so that way there's no "oh no! there's no more [insert essential ingredient here].
A pair of rubber gloves designated for meat handling only will keep your hands clean, especially under the nails when goosing meatballs, and protect them from moderate heat, when boning cooked chicken, for instance. Wash your hands before taking them off to prevent bacterial growth.
Don't forget to keep hydrated -- usually water but a glass of wine is very nice, too.
and I love the menu idea, too.
Top of the list is Mise en Place - always. Do like tasks all at once, e.g. peel all your onions and then chop them, as opposed to peeling one, then chopping it before peeling the next. This saves time and keeps you organized. As well as organizing your ingredients, get out those utensils, you'll need, like electric beaters - then you won't have to stop after you've broken your eggs into a bowl to locate the beaters.
Back to Mise en Place - if you get into the habit of doing it, you'll already have things like your butter almost at room temp (if required) rather than reaching that point in the recipe to realize it's still chilling in the fridge.
I keep a jar of herbs on the counter and this reminds me to make use of them, which I do far more frequently than if I had to go into the garden to snip them.
I recently discovered the damp paper towel trick and could have benefitted for many years with bigger meals; better late... So great for wiping off jars/bottles, oil from hands (keeps towels nice longer) and little spills. It's the one frivolity I allow as myself as an ecological domestic.
My knives couldn't cut through butter. I keep procrastinating on buying a good knife because they are so expensive. Also, my kitchen is the size of most peoples closet. Seriously it's like 8×5. I love to cook but I will wait until I get a bigger place to tackle any new or major recipes.
I like to bake, so I keep three sets of measuring spoons and cups hanging out under my cabinet in easy reach. So I don't have to clean the half cup measure or teaspoon to use it a few second after I just used it. This is a small thing but especially with baking where some of the ingredients needs to be precise, it just keeps the flow going better. I have a dog underfoot in the kitchen (always hoping for dropped treasure) and it's easier if I don't have to go back and forth to the sink to rinse things.
I went to the site of the Knife Guy's Sharpening service & found that he is no longer taking on new customers!
I've acquired most of these habits over years of cooking. If you cook a lot, as I do, it pays to invest in good equipment over time. A good knife or pan will serve for many years if cared for properly. About a year ago I invested in a Duosharp knife sharpener http://tinyurl.com/apx7ygx
I'm very happy with it. I stalk the sale room at Anthropologie for cute aprons and have about 5 in rotation; I wish they came out of the wash a little better. I have considered the Danskos, but after reading so many comments about ankle twisting, I'm sticking with my sneakers.
I keep a wide range of cutting boards in the kitchen, always making sure I have at least one or two that can go in the dishwasher. The washable ones are used for aromatics, wood boards for dry items.
I've been using a plastic bag for kitchen scraps for years; then started using a small bucket for compostables. When it's full it gets run out to the compost bin, or in the gardening season, it gets tossed right on the garden to do it's magic. That tip is such a time saver
I bought this knife a few years ago and I absolutely love it. I first heard about it from The Kitchn, actually. Inexpensive, but such a great knife.
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-8-Inch-Fibrox-Straight/dp/B008M5U1C2
I always do No 1 and 7. Even when I only cook a simple meal, having a garbage bowl makes a huge difference in staying organized.
Jason, I too put off buying knives because of the expense. But I found this set on Amazon and if you can swing it, they are absolutely great for the price. It makes a world of difference!
http://www.amazon.com/Hampton-Forge-HMC01B607A-Continental-15-Piece/dp/B001CAYF9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361468874&sr=8-1&keywords=hampton+forge+knife+set
1. Keep a tube of Silvadene handy in the kitchen to put on burns quickly.
(Consult your Doctor / Pharmacist - Not for those who are allergic to supha drugs.)
2. Keep a variety of cutting boards.
I have three.
One thick heavy board for everyday chopping and slicing.
One poly for raw meats
One thin wooden composite (Epicurean) which I use as a peal to remove frozen pizzas from oven.
3. Have a drawer of spices - have the most used right in a row.
Keep them out of the sunlight and away from heat - but close enough to be handy.
http://www.cookingatcafed.com/2012/03/spice-up-your-organization-its-cinch.html
This is how I did mine very inexpensively.
Skip the garbage bowl and make it a stock bowl: don't throw out what you trim off your veggies and herbs. Toss them in the bowl. When you're done cooking, take the contents of your garbage bowl and slip them into a zippered freezer bag (with the slidey closure, not Ziplock. The slidey thing lets you open and close it). Freeze the contents. Add to it in your next meal. When the bag is full, throw it into a stock pot, cover with water and boil. Adda few carrots or whatever you've got. After a few hours, free veggie stock... from your garbage bowl. Do the same whenever you roast a chicken. Throw the bones in with the veggies and make chicken stock. Ditto if you eat bone-in beef.
pam h in dc
http://howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com/2013/01/3-practical-new-years-resolutions-im.html
Love these tips and glad to know that I use most of them most of the time, with these changes in some
Garbage Bowl:
I use an over the sink cutting board that has a hole on the side with a removable rubber colander. I removed it long long ago and use the hole for sweeping disposal type garbage into the sink as I prepare veggies, and then use it to sweep the prepared veggies into the pan, or into a bowl for transfer if they're the kind of pieces that roll around and onto the floor.
Mise en Place - affectionately just called "Meez". I line up things WHERE I'm going to use them, in the ORDER I'll be using them, and don't usually use separate bowls except for stir fry.
Example: 1) all the veggies by the cutting board (after peeling them and tossing the non-disposal-friendly parts into the trash. 2) all the canned things, opened, by the pot or pan or main mixing bowl 3) all the herbs and spices with the lids off so that I can measure them into my hand and toss them into the Whatever It Is That I'm Cooking.
No tiny bowls to wash! The only exceptions I can think of are measured liquids like milk, water, wine, etc that take up less room on the counter if they're in a measuring cup (or coffee mug) than if they're in their original containers
I just got one of these and it's great.
http://www.amazon.com/Sage-18-Inch-Non-Skid-Carving-Natural/dp/B003P0VXOO/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1361565012&sr=1-1&keywords=sage+cutting+board
#6, #7 and #8 are the best tips.
Good tips all.
Very glad to see number 4, about the footwear.
My little galley kitchen has a hard ceramic tile floor. It's pretty and very easy to clean, but after a long session in the kitchen my joints ache! I don't wear shoes in the house, so I got a pair of kitchen-only clogs for long sessions.
Also, I put down a thick yoga mat - it's also easy to keep clean and provides a bit of cushion, great for everyday. It's a poor man's fatigue mat.
I've got a small kitchen with almost no counter space. To keep organized when having folks over for Thanksgiving or Easter there are two things I do that make a big difference:
1) use trays (baking or serving) to put all the things I need - bowls, measuring spoons, ingredients and a copy of the recipe - together; sort of a mise en place approach.That way I know I've got everything I need and I can stash the whole tray away until I'm ready to make that dish.
2) the night before when I'm setting the table, I use post its to identify what food will go into what serving dish. This forces me to have the serving dishes out and ready (washed or prepped) and easily available when the food is ready.
Thanks for all the tips! So glad I stumbled upon this site.
-Tracy
I'm blaming my poor cooking skills on my refusal to wear clogs.
All great tips! I don't use paper towels...but I do have two solutions to the slippery cutting boards...I either throw one of those little 99 cent IKEA flat, silicone trivets under the board or I use a few of my stashed rubber-bands (those heavy duty ones that are about 1/2 an inch thick)--wrap em around the edge of the board...and it is going nowhere...
Dansko's in the kitchen! I already struggle with the kitchen counter feeling too low. I think if I wore clogs I would turn into a hunch back.
I have a roll of the rubbery mesh cabinet liner that I cut into squares and slap under my cutting boards to keep them from sliding all over the place. They're also great for lining the veggie and fruit crispers to keep produce from rotting as quickly, using in my car to keep cake boxes from sliding while transporting, under cake boards while icing/decorating cakes, and they can be tossed in the washing machine when they get nasty. I love them almost as much as I love my nine-year old Birki clogs (on my third set of cork liners) and my large stack of white generic kitchen towels. Well, ok.... maybe I love a few of my knives more, but I really do like the rubber cabinet liners.
I save the plastic produce bags and put my scraps and refuse in those. I also clean as I go and making sure all of my ingredients are out on the counter before I start cooking. To save time on clean-up when I'm making something on the stove that tends to splatter, I remove any grills that won't be in use.
Husband taught me these tips:
1. Cut things same size, or thicker or thinner so items cook through at the same rate
2. You just need good quality, fresh ingredients and you can make delicious main dish with a half dozen ingredients. You don’t need exotic ingredients and 30 items in a recipe to make a wonderful meal.
3. Don’t walk away. No leaving the kitchen once you start. Things get burned or overcooked.
4. Use a timer, if you get distracted, then set a timer every 2 minutes to stir. Use your timer, to turn or baste things half way through, to look at how well done your item is, and watch it more often the last 10-15 minutes. Of course, breads and baked goods are not in that category, as you don’t want to be opening the oven door a lot.
5. We sautee vegetables somewhat before we grill them as kebabs. They’re oiled, and cook faster this way on the grill. We also grill meats on one spike, and veges separately, and then pull grilled items off the spikes and serve in bowls. No more raw meat and burned veges.