How do you organixe your cooking?

[kima]

I was curious as to how you all organize your cooking when you are making a muli-course meal. For example if you are making an Indian or Asian dinner do you chop everything for every dish up firrst (and put it in those little glass bowls a la Martha etc.) or do you make one dish at a time and keep it warm. I am quite an experienced cook but I sometimes get nervous about making alot of different dishes at one time. Hope this make sense. I would really enjoy hearing the game plans you employ- especially when entertaining!!

[kwormann]

I like to prep everything and clean the kitchen first. Then everything is ready when I am, there is less mess at the end and I am less stressed!

Plus, it makes it easier to have others help you !

Kim

[makedah]

Kwormann -- that is an excellent idea. I cook and end up exhausted and the kitchen stays dirty.

[kwormann]

Oh, and BTW Kima, what I do is DEFINATELY not Martha-esque! Im about as far from that as you can get!

Kim

[kima]

When I see all those little glass bowls with 1tsp. baking powder in them etc. I crack up! Until recently I didnot have a dishwasher and I could not imagine doing that! Of course the TV cooks have alot of kitchen fairies. I do like to clean up as I go along which does slow things down but I hate a big mess at the end(unlike my DH but that's another post!!)
So confession time- any of you "little bowls" people out there?

[makedah]

Kima -- I bought two of those little "condiment bowls" recently, and they come in handy when you're making a dish that requires several spices (to be added all together, of course) -- My spices are in an inconvenient location up in the cabinet so I'd rather pull em all down then put em all back up while I have a mind to. They're also good if you just need to melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave (or defrost 1 cube of lemon juice, etc.). I would sometimes find, after cooking that i'd used my regular bowls just mixing/melting ingredients.

[kwormann]

We have a few glass ones and several stainless ones. DH uses them even more than I do!

Kim

[patsyk]

I must confess, I do own several different sizes of those little bowls! I don't always use them, but I do when I am making something that requires more thought (ie: most any recipe for me) than just throwing together one of our "standby" meals.

I also like to chop and get everything together prior to cooking... it makes the cooking go by smoother for me. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[kima]

Please don't get me wrong- I have nothing against little glass bowls- I use them for all sorts of things! It's just when I am baking for example I just take the b. powder or whatever out of the box and into the mix. Little bowls are great for all the things you guys have mentioned- sorry if I sounded "anti-littlr bowls http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[luv2cook]

they're great for giving one cat moist cat food - http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif and for all of the above mentioned but particularly butter pats...

[Jessica]

Regarding those bowls, I have an 11-piece set from Williams-Sonoma that I got for Christmas one year. They go from tiny to very large and I use them for serving as well as prepping ingredients. I think the whole set is under $40 and if that is in your price range, I recommend them. I gave a set to a cooking friend and he recently wrote to tell me how he dropped one on the kitchen floor. Not only did it not break (on Spanish tile!!) but the orange sauce stayed in the bowl (covered in plastic wrap).
And no, I don't work for W-S and I don't buy a lot of their products as they tend to be pricey.

[Jewel]

I also try to prep as much as I can before I actually start cooking. I never know exactly when DH is going to walk in each evening, and I've had too many dinners dry out or get soggy while waiting...and waiting. I chop, dice, puree, and do just about everything that I CAN do beforehand, then set things aside and clean the kitchen. Makes it easier to just assemble and cook when he walks in the door, or just before if he calls.

I used to really have a fear of having several dishes ready at one time. I am very quirky about HOT food, and I don't like anything to sit very long. I have always mentally prepared the dishes and kind of backed-up from there. The green beans are only going to take 5 minutes, so I can bake the chicken now and get all the ingredients ready for the green beans, then five minutes before the chicken is done, I'm doing the green beans! I'm finally getting the hang of it.

As for the Food TV bowls, I think it's mainly because they can't spend too much time measuring 1 tsp of this and a TBS of that, and it would also look really cheesy to have boxes of Arm & Hammer and Calumet on the counter while they're cooking on camera! I love those little bowls, I use them to hold my 'measured' ingredients before 'launch time'! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[DanaSD]

I love my little bowls! I especially love them for asian cooking because usually I have to add a lot of ingredients all at once so there isn't time to measure out all the ingredients.

Recently I've found another use for my little glass bowls. I use them for munchies (nuts, chocolate chips etc) to keep my portions small.

[SusanL]

Because I throw pottery, I use my own little bowls. Using my own makes meal prep special. But wish I could prep and clean up better! I really hate seeing dishes, pots and pans, etc. in the kitchen while we are eating! Need to work on that one!!

[donleyk]

Guilty of the little bowls. I don't use one for every single item but I do prep ahead and try to clean up as I go. (My DH would argue this point!) I like having everything sitting there ready, especially nights that I stir-fry.

[emilycat]

I use the little bowls all the time! I must confess, sometimes I end up using my custard dishes when all the Pyrex ones are used up http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif , but they come in so handy, especially since many of the dishes I make require a bit of prep work with short cooking time -- so I would never have time to do all of the preparation before it was time to toss the next thing in the wok, saucepan, whatever.

However, I never use one just for one ingredient -- such a waste of a dish! I use them when I have several ingredients to add at once, and then I can just throw them in to cook. And although I love Kim's prep, clean and then cook method, I must admit that I'm not always quite that organized! But I do always do all of my prep work first.

Gosh, how did such a simple answer turn into such a long-winded response? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

Emily

[Ohioan]

I definitely use little bowls, to make sure everything's ready to go into the wok quickly, or to mix up my own curry spices without having to run back and forth to the spice rack, etc. I also use platters of various sizes to hold cut-up vegetables or other ingredients that have to be added in sequence. And yes, I definitely try to clean up as I go along, to avoid facing the Sinkload From Hell when dinner is over.

As for multi-dish meals, I can't rely on keeping some dishes warm while others cook, and I don't have a microwave, so I plan the meals for one baked dish, one wok dish, one steamed or soupy dish , etc., that can all be supervised (or not) at once and hit the table at the same time. Garnishes and trims get made ahead of time and put in the refrigerator, to be popped into the oven if necessary (e.g., fried egg strips) for a few minutes while the baked/roasted dish is finishing up.

Actually, it's all magic, you know. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Vanessa]

It really depends on what I am cooking and if cooking for company. When cooking for example Chinesse I do all the prep ahead. All vegetables cut and I do the rice etc (which heats great in microwave) I do use those little bowls for grated ginger, garlic etc. When ready to eat then a stir fry is done so fast.
When having guests I try to do things ahead to keep kitchen counters uncluttered. DH is a sweetie cleaning up too. If a dish requires to be cook at the last min before serving I do all else straighten up and light up a nice candle in my kitchen & dim lights and when guests arrive we can go to the LR and have drinks& snacks. I either use my microwave to reheat or actually use the oven to keep things warm as I finish any more cooking.
Actually its harder in winter to keep stuff all served hot at the same time.I think its easier when you can have stuff done ahead before guests arrive. On everyday cooking I will do some things ahead although I might create more mess in the kitchen during the week!

[This message has been edited by Vanessa (edited 04-18-2001).]

[Terrytx]

I'm a little bowl person. I do the prep work in advance. If it is Asian and I'm serving a soup, I might make it a little ahead and heat it up right before serving. Rice I do in the steamer, and can plan ahead for that also; it stay warm a long time.

But defininately, I am a little bowl person!

[HighSierra]

Being a novice cook, I find "prep bowls" invaluable. After my first cooking class (which introduced them to me) I bought quite a few, in various sizes - both glass and stainless steel. Before I turn on the stove, every ingredient sits in order (from left to right, in one or more rows) in its own bowl. When several ingredients are to be combined, an empty bowl is there, ready to receive the set.

The bowls increase the chance of me doing the recipe correctly, and provide the opportunity to clean-up before a bigger mess is made.

[Wendy w]

I love the little bowls - especially for baking or cooking something with lots of little or chopped things that have to be mixed in at different times.

[Gail]

Kitchen Slob reporting in!

Yes, even I have those little bowls. I do tend to read ahead on my recipe and group whatever I can in one bowl so that I don't have an army of the little things to clean up. I also rely on some small ramekins as holders for mixtures larger than little bowl capacity and keep a cheap pie tin available for even larger preps (large amounts of grated cheese or mixtures of chopped veggies.)

Even The Kitchen Slob tries to clean up as she works, otherwise it takes a machete to get through my mess by the time I'm done.

...Vanessa, could you put hubby on a plane to LA? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Laura B]

Originally posted by Jessica:
Regarding those bowls, I have an 11-piece set from Williams-Sonoma that I got for Christmas one year. They go from tiny to very large and I use them for serving as well as prepping ingredients. I think the whole set is under $40 and if that is in your price range, I recommend them. I gave a set to a cooking friend and he recently wrote to tell me how he dropped one on the kitchen floor. Not only did it not break (on Spanish tile!!) but the orange sauce stayed in the bowl (covered in plastic wrap).
And no, I don't work for W-S and I don't buy a lot of their products as they tend to be pricey.

I have that same set of bowls, and I love them. The strangest thing happened with one of them though. I noticed little bits of glass in some of my pyrex casserole dishes. I looked all over the dish and could not find a chip. Oh, well. I did not think anything of it. A week later or so I went to get one of my nesting bowls and noticed that the top one was filled with shards of glass, too. Turns out, one of the larger ones had shattered while nested and the pieces flew all over the inside of the cabinet (I checked and everything in the cabinet had a few bits of glass inside). None of the other bowls were harmed. I am sure it did not break when I was putting them away or I would have noticed, or heard the crack. It would have had to be a pretty big impact to have this effect. I mean, this was shattered into a million small pieces AND flew everywhere. They were still shaped like a bowl until I took the bowl that was on top away and then they all collapsed into a pile. VERY wierd. I have no idea how that happened. Anyway, I just chipped my largest one the other day. I think I will have to get a new set soon. Any theories as to what happened to my bowl?


[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 04-18-2001).]

[ewatkins]

Well for my advance prepwork, I just use old yogurt or cottage cheese containers that I save for leftovers. Never thought of getting real "bowls". When DH does Chinese, he uses paper cups and then just throws them all away.

[jmarie]

I made a dish recently that required a lot of different ingredients...here I am pouring here and there and then when the dish is oven-ready, I have this huge mess and I am so STRESSED! I thought about it and remembered all the cooking shows and how easy it seemed to have all the ingredients in little bowls ready to go. so, I made a trip to K-Mart, just to see what they had in this line. They had a neat little set of 6 bowls and I added 2 custard cups to it and it has made the biggest difference in my stress level when I cook....Make it how you want it...but as for me and my cooking...I'll take the little bowls! And be proud to say it! Definately a plus!

[KValley]

LOL- http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I get so inspired by you guys! I suddenly have a use for the set of 10 ceramic ramekins that I bought a couple of years ago for all of those mini-chocolate souffles I was going to make (ahem, never happened).
The ultra-organized Virgo in me loves the idea of prepping in advance with a little collection of bowls arrayed in front of me, but that same practicality sniffs at the notion of buying a set of prep dishes; my spontaneous side throws everything together and creates a wonderful mess in the kitchen- it's also the same side that bought those ramekins on a whim (they were on sale!!)

THe more I cook, the better I get at timing, managing several dishes at once, getting everything on the table at the same time and hot. I get nervous about this when cooking for company- such a perfectionist!

THanks for the inspiration- can't wait to get home to practice my prepping!

CHeers,

Julie