My top 5 Golden Rules for Cooking in the Kitchen. Let me start by being completely transparent: there’s about 100 golden rules when cooking in the kitchen, and everyone values these rules differently. These rules (and their value) also depend on the chef, the kitchen, and the cuisine being prepared. Think of the Golden Rules like getting life advice from your Grandma; she’s full of knowledge, experience and guiding advice, but it’s all tailored to what’s happening in YOUR life. Does this make sense?
These are the rules I value, and I thought I’d share them with y’all! I’m curious to read/hear what golden rules other people have – feel free to share in the comments below, or write me on social media! Without further ado, and in no particular order…
My top 5 Golden Rules for Cooking in the Kitchen
1. Read the recipe the entire way through. Yes. You. Make sure you read every last detail, from ingredients to directions, it’s crucial you don’t just scan the recipe. There have been so many times where I’ve missed an ingredient or two, or in some cases, a recipe forgets to mention an ingredient – but it’s written in the directions. Always double check. Plus, you’ll want to make sure you have the proper tools needed for the recipe. There’s nothing more frustrating than needing a dutch oven, but you’ve only got a frying pan. Read everything! Even now. I hope you continued reading up to this point (and didn’t just read the first sentence), because I’ll now tell you some exciting news: we’re looking at getting chickens! I’ll talk about that later though – but see! Now you’re one of the first to know, because you read through the entirety of this paragraph.
2. Organize and prep your ingredients before starting your recipe. Recipes include steps, and at times, those steps can move quickly. Be cognizant if you need to add x or y quickly – you don’t want to be trying to find measuring spoons or spices when your sauce begins to boil.
3. Keep a clean workspace. As a clean freak with minor OCD, I usually can’t continue through a recipe if I don’t tidy up when I can. However, of course there are times when I’m testing new recipes, or perhaps it’s just ‘one of those days’, and I find the kitchen in disarray. What’s the point of cleaning during the recipe, when you can just do it after? Here’s a few reasons: 1) Missing kitchen tools. With a hand towel here and dishes there, your garlic mincer is probably hidden under the dirty mixing bowl in the sink, 2) Contaminating surfaces. You’re cutting raw chicken on one side of the kitchen, but 2 hours into the recipe you’ve completely forgotten you’ve done that….. You’re now prepping a salad on the same surface. Cue salad with a side of salmonella, and 3) Keeping everything clean will make the actual cleanup at the end super quick and easy.
Click to the next page to see the rest of my golden rules!
