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Kitchen Tips

Cooking tips I’ve read on Qaiasia are terrific, especially the complete Kitchen Tips: Index from the Cool Cook, but I have some additional ideas that I think are useful, particularly for beginning cooks.

I have a reputation as a good cook, but I must admit that I am not one to cook anything that requires a lot of complicated procedures that might use many cooking utensils. I like to cook but I don’t like to clean up. There’s usually no one around who can help in the clean-up operation, although there usually are plenty of folks available who want to eat.

After many years experience trying to make a small kitchen an efficient work place, I have come up with a strategy that is designed to keep things well organized, use few utensils, keeps me relatively safe while cooking, and doesn’t require many complicated procedures.

Cooking and Preparation Tips

Plan Ahead
When preparing a meal, I clean up after each task in order to make room for the next task. It is helpful to keep the
preparation work space cleaned up as the recipe is being prepared. This has the additional benefit of making cleanup after the meal easier. This is a necessary rule in a very small kitchen.

Assemble all of the ingredients that are going to be used in a recipe ahead of time. Many people assume they have a certain amount of staple ingredients at hand, and then when they begin to cook find that something is missing. It is better to check out what you have before you begin so you can replenish what is missing before you start. Several of my neighbors think my house is an extended pantry because I often get called to supply a missing ingredient when they are in the middle of a recipe.

If you plan to make stuffing or stir fry or anything that requires chopped vegetables for a meal, chop or slice all the vegetables a day ahead and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. When you are ready to prepare the meal, the vegetables are ready to use.

If it is possible, I use the same utensil for several consecutive operations. For example, I have prepared a meal that had a sponge cake, dumplings, and Cole slaw. The first thing to make is the cake because you need two bowls, one for egg whites and one for yolks. When the egg whites are added to the yolks and the cake is in the oven, the egg white bowl can next be used for dumplings without rinsing because there will be eggs in that recipe, too. After the dumplings are made, a quick rinse and the same bowl can be used for mixing the Cole slaw. Fast and easy cleanup. Afterwards, the bowls go into the dish washer or they ought to be washed and put away to make room for the next procedure.

Other Tips
Whenever I boil water, whether it is for something small like hard boiled eggs, or for cooking pasta, I never carry the pan of boiling water away from the stove to remove the ingredients within. Instead I always lift the items out of the boiling water into a bowl and then take that to the sink to rinse, if necessary. The same rule goes for hot oil. In both cases, and in all cases of cooking over a gas flame, pay attention and be careful not to reach over a flame. Be sure to turn the pot handles in so they are not sticking out into the room waiting to be bumped into.

Be sure to wear appropriate clothing while cooking. Lots of people cook breakfast wearing loose fitting bathrobes that are highly inflammable. This is an accident waiting to happen.

In case of a small burn, holding an ice cube wrapped in several layers of cloth in a napkin on the burn for a few minutes will almost certainly ease the pain and prevent blistering and soreness. Do not use ice directly on the burn. Also see Kitchen First Aid: Burns and Scalds

I have read many different tips about storing vegetables. I believe all fruits and vegetables have to be stored in the refrigerator except for tomatoes. Tomatoes should not be in the refrigerator except when they are very ripe, and then they should be used as quickly as possible.

Lettuce: Carefully wash and spin dry. Then place the washed lettuce leaves in a zip lock plastic bag and squeeze the air out before closing. The lettuce is ready to use as needed and it keeps for over a week.

Celery: Same as above. wash and separate the celery stalks and place in a zip lock bag. Squeeze air out and store in refrigerator for more than a week.

Radishes can also be washed and placed in a plastic bag.

Other vegetables, such as broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage and peppers need to be washed as used. Store cut peppers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Cucumber don’t keep very well and should be used as soon as possible. Or make Cucumber Salad it you have a lot of cucumbers because that keeps very well.

Whenever I cut up garlic I rinse my hands under cold water without rubbing fingers together. Just let the water run for a few minutes and then dry. This avoids garlic smell on your hands. It works with onions, too.

Contributor's Note

I have been cooking for more than fifty years, but it has all been for friends and family.

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Excellent tips Julie, except for one - never use ice on a burn. Instead use cool water. Using ice can damage tissue as badly as excessive heat. See this article for full details Kitchen First Aid: Burns and Scalds

I appreciate your comments about my tips.
Thank you for pointing out the burn information. I should have said to be sure to wrap the cube in several layers of cloth, or use a cold pack for a few minutes but don’t put ice directly on a burn. I edited my article to include the link to your Kitchen First Aid: Burns and Scalds

Nice tips I really love cooking!! I even have a 100 post blogger blog for cooking ..your tips are valuable for everyone not just for people who love to cook!! excellent tips

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