If anyone out there is stuck, like me, in a tiny kitchen in an over-priced downtown apartment, you'll understand how hard it is to cook a quick meal. If you have the added bonus of roommates, forget it. After a lot of trial and error, I've come up with the 5 best ways to keep your sanity while cooking in a kitchen that feels more like the size of a supply closet.
Shifts- There's a reason the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen" exists. Whether you have a galley style kitchen, or a wrap around, the bottom line is that bumping backs while handling boiling ravioli never ends well. Work out "shifts" with your roommates for when each person can own the room. If one of your roommates likes to cook right when they get home, know you've got time before or after until it becomes your domain.
Timing- Don't we all like to imagine that at Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie will all miraculously be done at the exact same time so nothing gets cold? We've all made that mistake before. For the most part, when your kitchen reminds you of a jail cell, it's best to minimize your time in there. Try to think ahead to what takes the longest (account for pre-heating and cooling) and shortest time and try to go in that order. Remember, that while water is boiling, you can always slice, mix, and set the table. Utilize every second in that box.
Recycle- This is where you start to get creative. Assuming your crawl hole doesn't have a dishwasher, know when it's okay to reuse appliances. You don't need three separate pans for pasta, sauce, and veggies. In reality, your meals will taste more cohesive if you use the remains for another step. Believe it or not, a pot can be used to soften veggies before the sauce, a skillet can hold about an inch of liquid, and always always save your bacon grease.
Stations- We're going to use that first grade style of organization for this tip. Designate an area for prep (even if it is a wobbly table you found on your block), mixing, cooking, and plating. The last thing you want to do is put your beautifully grilled pork chop back on the cutting board crime scene where you murdered those tomatoes.
Simplicity- As much as I like to think I can whip up a 4-hour roasted pork butt barbecue feast, you've got to be realistic. When your cutting space is the size of computer paper and your two burners are already in use, you can't make that 5-course meal for your pre-party Friday dinner.
Hopefully, with these 5 little tips, you'll avoid the classic kitchen blunders. Just remember to always use oven mitts, because SOMEONE made tater tots.
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