If
you have a small kitchen but want to cook extravagant meals, never
fear. These tips can help you create culinary masterpieces.
It
can be incredibly difficult to cook intricate meals in a tiny kitchen.
Whether you’re in an apartment, condo, or just a house that isn’t quite
as big as you’d like, cooking fantastic meals in a small kitchen is
totally possible. You don’t need a big kitchen to make a big meal; all
you need is a little creativity and these great tips.
Organization
Organization
is key for any small space. The more organized you are, the more space
you have leftover to do with what you want. This means you need to be
organized before you start cooking as well as while you are cooking.
Organizing your pantry, cupboards, fridge, freezer, and any other space
where you store food is incredibly important. If you aren’t organized in
a small space, you will end up not knowing where anything is and you’ll
probably be frustrated before you even start making the meal. It’s a
great idea to keep all of your boxed items together in one place, all
canned items together, all your produce together, and so on. When you do
this, you’ll have no trouble finding all of the ingredients you need.
This can also save you money, too. How many times have you opened the
pantry to see if you have a certain spice before you go to the store to
buy it, only to not be able to find it? At that point, you go to the
store and buy another canister of the spice, and then you find the old
bottle a week later. Organization can save your money and a trip to the
store. While you are cooking, pull out all the ingredients you’ll need
for the meal, and keep them all on the counter in one place. Spreading
out all over a small kitchen isn’t an option, so watch how much room
you’re using for your ingredients.
Cleanliness
They say
that cleanliness is next to godliness, and when you’re cooking in a
small kitchen, that’s absolutely true. You can’t be throwing ingredients
around and splattering food on the counters and using up all of your
spoons and pots and pans. Separate your recipes into sections and try to
use only one bowl and a pot or pan for each recipe. Instead of grabbing
a new bowl or pot, try to use the ones that are already dirty. While
you’re waiting for something in the oven or on the stove, clean up the
utensils you’ve used that you don’t need anymore. Put away ingredients
at that time, too. This will free up space for you and create less work
in cleaning up after the meal has been enjoyed. This is a great example
to follow in every kitchen, big or small.
Cooking Alone
You
know that saying that everyone always congregates in your kitchen when
you’re hosting a dinner party? The best idea in a small kitchen is to
kick everyone out while you’re cooking. If you barely have enough room
to turn around while you’re cooking, you’ll need as much space as you
can get; so don’t let anyone in your kitchen while you’re preparing the
meal. This is unless, of course, they are helping you chop veggies or
round up ingredients. There’s never anything wrong with asking for a
little help, but if someone just wants to chat while you’re cooking,
they’ll probably just get in the way.
Plating
With limited
counter space, it’s probably not the best idea to have a buffet style
meal. If you don’t have room to chat with people while you’re cooking,
you probably don’t have enough room for guests to line up and get their
food. If you have the counter space to plate the meal yourself for each
guest, that’s probably your best bet. Otherwise, you can always pass
serving dishes at the table and store them on the counter for people to
get second helpings if they want
