Residential Real EstateThe Kitchen ... Demystified
Remember the first time you struck out on your own and moved into your
first apartment? It didn"t take long to discover that you were going to
need far more than you ever anticipated. Items like a broom, clothes
detergent, soap, towels and a vacuum -- all of which were miraculously
provided for us in the past -- were now necessities that we needed to buy,
and which we knew nothing about, making comparison shopping difficult. Even
if you"re far beyond your early 20s, living situations sometimes change --
a marriage, divorce, the passing of a spouse, or the departure of a
roommate. All of those transitions could radically alter your needs.
We haven"t even gotten to the kitchen yet. That"s a minefield. If a change
in your lifestyle has suddenly given you the primary responsibility for
cooking for yourself, you can either resign yourself to living in
restaurants three times a day for the rest of your life, or you can attempt
to get organized in your kitchen, stock it with a few essentials, and
develop a few basic cooking skills that will save you a tremendous amount
of money.
Start by purchasing a few basic spices -- salt, pepper, and garlic powder,
for example -- and keep them together in the same place in your cabinet, so
you"ll never have to fish around for them during meal preparation. If you
plan to do any baking, organize those basics (flour, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda) in the same manner. The same goes for canned goods; store
those together so that you can open up your cabinet and grab one without
having to remove all of the contents first.
It goes without saying that if you"re staring out at square one, you"ll
need the bare essentials like silverware (and probably two sets to avoid
constant washing -- particularly if you don"t live alone); a few pots and a
fry pan or two; a strainer; large bowls for meal preparation; and a cookie
sheet, to name but a few. Think about purchasing two sets of measuring
spoons and/or cups in order to avoid constant washing during meal
preparation. Here"s a revelation for those who are less than savvy in the
kitchen: When you"re mixing a combination of ingredients in a single
measuring cup, measure your dry ingredients in the cup first in order to
prevent wet or sticky ingredients from holding your dry ingredients in the
cup. Another tip from the experts: If the sticky ingredient must be mixed
before the dry ingredient, set your dry ingredient aside in the pan in
which you"ll be baking, or in the container in which you"ll be serving the
finished dish. When it"s time, dump your dry ingredient into the wet
mixture. You"ve just saved yourself the effort of washing an additional
bowl.
Even in the tiniest galley kitchens, you can still organize your work
space. Allocate particular areas for meal preparation and storage, and
place the necessary tools in each area. Designate the front of your
refrigerator for a magnetic wipe-off board, or piece of paper on which
you"ll keep a running list of what you need to buy at the grocery store
that week. For many people, this seems like a Hurculean task for some
unexplained reason, but as you run out of staples -- or as you notice that
you"re getting close to running out -- jot them down on your list. There"s
nothing worse than remembering on your drive home from the grocery store
that you forgot the item you needed most. And before you head out to the
store, give the inside of your fridge and freezer the once-over, and toss
any items that seem questionable. This will save you from assuming
something"s fresh and therefore not buying a replenishment at the store,
only to discover later that the item is past its prime.
If you"re feeling particularly driven on Sunday, chop away -- at such items
as carrots, onions, and other vegetables you know you"ll be eating during
the week. Do the same to breadcrumbs, cheese and nuts if you"d like; any of
these items may be frozen and defrosted when you need them. Chop while
you"re watching TV, and it will be painless. You"ll be surprised at much
time this will save you during the week. There"s not a full-time
professional on the planet who feels like cooking after nine, 10 hours or
more on the job. So do the work now, and relax when you need it most. And
if you feel so inclined, you may consider cooking a meal or two on Sunday
and freezing them, so that weeknight meal preparation is as easy as hitting
"Defrost" on your microwave. If that seems like too much effort, cook up a
big batch of pasta or rice, and store it in your fridge to adapt to your
needs during the week.
A few other time-saving strategies: Buy pre-washed, pre-cut bagged salad
(more expensive, but worth it); and buy frozen vegetables, which have not
been proven to be any less nutritious than the ones in your produce
department, although they may be slightly more expensive, depending upon
the season.
For a cooking glossary, head to The Cooking Glossary. It"s
an excellent directory of terms that will help familiarize you with some of
the more popular "cookspeak." You may surprise yourself ... you just might
come to enjoy cooking and use you kitchen for something other than a
laundry room or storage closet.
For basic recipes that yes, even you can make, head to any one of the
following Web sites:
The Pillsbury Company
Butterball
The Reluctant Gourmet
The Surreal Gourmet