Tips on Being Culinarily Active!
Let’s face it, we have all forgotten something we were cooking in the oven.
Whether you’re someone who cooks regularly or someone who just wants to dip their toes in the cooking field, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind while getting active in the kitchen. Here are a few practices to put in action in the kitchen:
Have a visual of your meal
Plan out a meal or foods you want to cook/cook with beforehand.
Take it from my personal experience, knowing or at least having an idea of what you want to use in your meal or what you want your meal to look like is a big part of the preparation. Stepping into the kitchen with your fancy apron, your favorite playlist in the background and your game face is not enough to start off your cook time journey. Take the time out to plan, make sure what you want to cook is within your time limit (if there is one) because trying to make a grade-A Gordon Ramsay Beef Wellington in 30 minutes won’t exactly land you a spot in Hell’s Kitchen. This step includes making a list of things you need in order to cook your meal as well as the serving. How many people are you cooking for? How much is a serving for this meal? How many calories am I taking in by eating this meal? Is it too much or too little? While cooking is a fun task, it is tedious and it’s still very important to watch what you’re eating and how much of it you’re putting on your plate. Taking the time out for this step will make tip #2 a whole lot easier to get done.
Time to go Grocery Shopping
Get what you need and get out!
Now that you know what you want to make, what you need to make it, and how much of it you’re going to make, it’s time to shop for these items. You and only you know your body so if you struggle with things such as high blood pressure or you’re lactose intolerant, substituting certain ingredients that were originally included in your meal is up to you to figure out. Making a trip to the grocery store is a whole temptation by itself. Some days you make a trip to your local grocery store for milk and bread and you wind up with a cart full of sweets, chips, and a blender you didn’t know you needed. The slow pace of walking mixed with the nice flowing music playing in the background and all the food that’s stocked up on the shelves usually gives us reason to stay and stroll for a while… However, we have cooking to do at home. It’s important not to indulge in the temptation and to get in and get out. As you’re shopping, cross the things off of your list and leave the store before that never-before-seen chocolate bar persuades you to pick it up. Another trick to keep in mind is that a lot of the cheaper items are placed on the bottom shelves. Companies pay to place their more expensive items right on the middle shelves, in your face so that you pay more than you need to. Keeping that in mind, it’s time for the last of many tips in the kitchen.
Let’s get Cooking! (this is the best part)
Now that you’re back home, you know what you want to cook and you have what you need, it’s time to slap it all together and make a masterpiece (not literally). Prep all of your food, get your measuring cups ready, preheat your oven (if needed) and put your skills or not skills to the test. Remember that quality cooking is a time-consuming task so patience is a MUST. Whether you made an original recipe, you're free-handing, or you're going step by step on a recipe, have fun with it. Make the food your own, substitute, add things, take some things away as much as needed. Personalize your experience to your own liking, this is how you find your inner chef and broaden your cooking skills. Whenever you’re done cooking, keep an open mind. You won’t always be successful with your dishes, but it’s all about trial and error. Pick up that whip, heat up the skillet, and try it again!
BONUS TIP: HAVE EVEN MORE FUN!!!!
Try different things when you're in the kitchen. Add that cayenne pepper to those dumplings you were hesitant to try, or give another go on that bbq sauce you were trying to perfect, it’s all about trying new things! Cooking is about experimenting, mixing and matching, and seeing what works. What may work for someone else may or may not work for you, so make sure you venture out and know that there will always be untouched territory in the cooking realm.