Ten Cooking Tips for Set-Up and Clean-Up

Photo Credit: Bruce Lee Museum

How to Be a Ninja in the Kitchen: Part 1

I have been working professionally in kitchens for 15 years now, and in that time I have learned a lot of cooking tips and tricks. There are the obvious things ~ various cooking techniques, knife skills, and how to season food to make it taste like a flavor bomb.

Then there are the not-so-obvious tips and tricks I have learned along the way that are just as important as how to be a badass cook. For example, why you should use parchment paper, why you should never chop on a glass cutting board, and how to bang out a rockin’ meal with minimal mess.

So below (and in other posts to come) I have curated my favorite cooking tips, tricks and shortcuts that I have learned over the years. These tips will help you get in and out of the kitchen quickly and efficiently, aka “ninja style”, and hopefully with a delish meal as a result.

From set-up to clean-up and everything in between, follow these tips and you’ll be a ninja in the kitchen in no time.  Or at least on your way to being a blackbelt.

1. Get your “mise” on. The French have the term “mise en place”, which translates to “everything in its place” or “set up”. Meaning, you should have everything set up and organized before  you start cooking. Veggies washed, spices out, oven preheating, ingredients measured out, etc. Your cooking experience will be much more enjoyable if you get organized first. You don’t want to be just starting to make your pesto when your pasta is almost done cooking.
2. Plate it up. You know those little ceramic prep bowls? Yeah, don’t use them. Sure, they’re pretty to look at and ever-so-popular on television cooking shows, but unless you have an intern doing your dishes they are not efficient. Instead, use a large (or small) dinner plate. Just one dish to wash, versus 10 tiny ones. And if you are cooking meat or fish, prep it right on a piece of wax or parchment paper on a plate. Then just discard the paper and you have a clean plate. #Genius!
3. Clean as you go. To piggyback on the first two tips, I highly recommend cleaning as you go. A cluttered kitchen is a cluttered mind. Your cooking experience will be much more enjoyable if you don’t save all of the dirty dishes until the end.
4. Veg out. Another tip for maximizing efficiency and minimizing the mess is to not peel veggies etc. onto your clean cutting board. Rather, do so over a paper towel or compost bowl to allow quick and easy clean up. (See tip below on composting)
5. No matter how you slice it. They don’t call me “Rough Chop” for nothing. Yes, that is my nickname in the kitchen and beyond. True story. You’ve probably heard that dull knives are more dangerous than a sharp one. That’s because when you have a good sharp knife you don’t have to apply as much pressure to slice n’ dice, which can help prevent accidents. My advice? Invest in a good knife set. And please, whatever you do, don’t get those huge wooden blocks full of knives. They’re bulky, you never know what knife you are getting out to use, and (gasp!) they are full of bacteria. I like Shun knives and I keep them in knife guards. And whatever you do, carefully hand wash your knives. Don’t put them in the dishwasher.
6. Glass doesn’t make the cut. Why anyone would make glass cutting boards is beyond me. They are unsafe (think glass in your food!), loud as hell to chop on (annoying!), and they dull your knives (again, previous tip). My favorite type of of cutting board you ask? Wooden and preferably organic bamboo such as the Greener Chef cutting board that has not been chemically treated. My only tip is to not place any raw animal proteins onto a wooden cutting board whatsoever. Oh, and don’t put these in the dishwasher either. Sorry, Charlie, but if you want your kitchen tools to stay nice you’ve gotta take proper care.
7. Don’t be a sucker. For extraneous kitchen gadgets, that is. You don’t need an avocado slicer, you don’t need a mango pitter, and you sure as hell don’t need a lettuce knife. If we ever happen to meet in the kitchen I can show you how to easily chop your way to a Mixed Greens Salad with Mango, Avocado and Macadamia Nuts. But, until then, if you don’t already know, just Google it. All you need is a knife and some kitchen goals.
8. Get in line. If you are roasting food directly on the sheet pan/baking dish, etc., first I will ask you what the fig you are doing. Then I will tell you that you need to start lining them with unbleached parchment paper. Read: not foil, not wax paper, parchment paper, and I like the If You Care brand. Not only does parchment facilitate even roasting and food not sticking, it makes for really easy cleanup.
9. Timing is everything. I’ll get more into the nitty gritty of specific cooking tips in the subsequent kitchen ninja posts to come. But, in the meantime, just know that cooking is all about timing. Not only do you need to watch how long you are cooking everything to ensure a tasty result, you need to do a little math to ensure all of the food is finished about the same time. How do you do this? Start cooking longest item(s) first. For example, brown rice takes about 45 minutes, then roasted veggies about 25 minutes, then crispy chickpeas about 15 minutes. So start the meal in that order.
10. Compost it, baby! One easy way to discard of your meal preppin’ food scraps quickly and efficiently is to keep a bowl on the counter while you chop like a boss. Simply toss the parts you don’t use (tomato cores, avocado pits) into the bowl. After all cooking is done throw it into a biodegradable bag such as these and drop at your local compost bin or farmers market. Not only is this an efficient clean up approach, you’re also doing good for the planet (bonus!).

This is part one of a series, so please stay tuned for more!

If you are located in the NYC area you can learn more about the city’s composting program here NYC Composting.

Do you have any tips and tricks you’d like to share? Or one you’d like to learn? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know!