Becoming a Better Home Chef
Do you feel like making dinners is your least favorite chore? Check out this list of 5 tips that can make you a better home chef.
Let’s break down 5 simple tips and tricks that will make prepping and cooking your meals a little easier. Anything that can make the cooking process smoother will make you feel more confidant as a home chef.
MISE EN PLACE
Mise en Place is a French term meaning “everything in its place,” and it is a way that chefs organize their kitchens. The process involves gathering all your ingredients first and measuring out what you need before you start cooking to prep for your meal. It can also include chopping your vegetables and having everything ready to go. I suggest adapting some type of mise en place because it will save you time in the long run. You don’t have to run back and forth to the pantry, and any time-sensitive steps in the recipe will be ready to go!
USE A TRASH BOWL
What’s a trash bowl? Any container you want that is the designated place to throw all your scraps and trash, nothing tricky here! But, like saving time gathering ingredients first, having a easy place to put scraps within arms reach will make it easier to clean up your kitchen. Even though I have a trash can next to my stove, it is so much easier to toss things into a bowl then to stop and keep opening the trash can.
CUT CORNERS WITH PURPOSE
There are ways that you can save time cooking, but stop and think about what will work best for you! One thing that can help new home chefs is buying some pre-cut veggies. You will pay more for them, but if chopping veggies is the one thing that is slowing you down and deterring you from cooking, then skip that step! Other ways could be to use a food processor or blender to cut your ingredients. Weigh the benefits of a “cheat” and figure out if it will make cooking easier for you! For example, I will sometime buy pre-chopped butternut squash because it’s harder to cut, but I always buy fresh garlic because the taste is much better. Do what works best for you!
DON’T FIGHT YOUR TOOLS
Kitchen tools are there to help you, not make your life more difficult! Dull knife? Cutting board sliding around? Weird tool not helping? Your tools are there to make your life easier, not harder! As I talked about in a previous post, a dull knife is dangerous and isn’t going to slice through food easily like a sharp knife will. Another way people commonly fight their tools is cutting boards sliding around. Put a square of rubber shelving lining underneath so you don’t have to fight your cutting board. Finally, if a tool doesn’t work for you ditch it! An example for me is a garlic roller. Everybody loves these silicone garlic rollers that are supposed to easily take off the skin, but it never works well for me. So, I’m sticking to the old fashioned smashing garlic with the back of my knife!
CLEAN AS YOU GO!
This point goes along with the trash bowl to keep your work space clean. Having a clean space makes it easier to work on your prep and cooking. Think about a cutting board filled with scraps and trying to cut in a small corner. It’s much easier to have the full space to work! Also cleaning as you go will leave you with less work at the end, so you don’t feel like you are drowning in dishes later. Need a pot to simmer for 15 minutes? Great time to begin some clean up! This one is kind of obvious too, but it really can make a big difference.
Let me know in the comments below you favorite cooking tips and tricks! Learn more about my favorite kitchen tools for home chefs here and here.