Washing, drying and keeping it clean

It may sound silly, but if we’re really starting from scratch, then we should discuss washing dishes. Not only does it cut down on germs and therefore encourage a healthy environment, but it also eliminates some of the potential for bad smells and other potential nuisance issues. By doing it right your kitchen as well as your dishes will have less disease and will be able to last longer between intense scrub down, as well as look better in general.

Obviously you need to wash any new dishes before using for the first time, “new” in this case meaning relative to your kitchen if not really. If the item has previous use then washing it eliminates any traces that may have been missed in previous washes, and in all cases any layer of dust or other detritus it may have picked up waiting for someone to purchase it. You also need to wash the dishes after each use before putting them up.

There are two basic ways to wash dishes: by hand and by machine. The best suggestions for machine washing are to load it as efficiently and as packed as possible, and to use the “pots and pans” selection. If you need to do more than rinse off the dishes before putting them in the machine, then it is simply time to either get a new machine or wash them by hand; it makes absolutely no sense essentially wash them twice.

For the hand washing version, make sure that you use the hottest water you can with a quick squirt of liquid. One of the first things you should do is to wipe down any surfaces used and the top of the oven as well. Every so often you may want to hit the microwave as well. It is your option if you want to use separate sponges or cloths for the dishes and surfaces, but make sure to nuke sponges for one minute and wash the cloths once a week at least to keep them germ-free. Rinse all items in the hottest water you can stand; the soap will break down all lipids (such as fat and grease), and the hot water will sterilize the dishes. Do not be afraid to scrub hard; just remember to not use wool on anything that is not metal and you should do okay.

Try not to use towels for dish drying. The towels are good while they are dry, but once they are wet they leave traces of water, or worse, and those small water areas can give germs a chance to breed which can lead to being sick. Letting them air-dry eliminates that extra moisture; if necessary do multiple loads to avoid using towels. When you finally put the dishes away give each a careful inspection, and put each unclean dish back on the dirty side to be washed again.

Repeat as needed. You do not need to do this after each meal, but dishes should be done at least once a day, more if necessary. The exception will be any cast iron pans; they need to be cleaned as soon as you are done cooking with them. The dishwasher should only be run once a day due to the water and energy costs; at the very least, try to run a full load each time. Also, don’t stress over the time it takes to do them; if it takes you an hour so be it, but if you can do a load thoroughly in five minutes then that’s okay as well; it’s not an issue of speed but getting the job done right, however long it takes.

With that I think all of the non-cooking basics are taken care of. I hope…

The basic rules of the kitchen

Okay, before we really get into things I’m going to take a big step back. I’m presuming that you are either by yourself, or with roommates. If you are by yourself then you have no worries; you can set up your own rules. However, if you are with roommates then it may worth setting some ground rules. These should at the very least make for some interesting discussions

The cook rules the kitchen.

This may sound obvious, but there  are some issues that need to be considered here. The biggest is that the cook needs to know where everything is, and that daily concerns should take precedence over the occasional. Even if the cook is trading services for board, or simply isn’t the home owner, the cook’s way of organizing should take precedence. This is not to be taken as a jerk statement; rather, that the efficiency of the kitchen is based on knowing where things are, and if the cook doesn’t know then that limits the cook’s ability to ensure that meals will get done promptly. Thus, if the home owner wants to cook every so often, he needs to respect the cook at least in this aspect.

If you don’t say anything, you have no right to complain.

A good cook listens to feedback, and allows for different tastes and allergies. However, this relies on others giving that feedback. If they do not give that feedback, then you can’t make changes to your cooking to allow for that feedback. Also, you can only get better if you listen to and apply feedback. So, if they have problems with how you are cooking and they aren’t voicing complaints, then you can ignore them if they bring up complaints about your cooking too long after the fact, like two or three days, or even at monthly house meetings.

Everyone has their turnips.  Respect that you have turnips.

I’ll eat everything but boiled turnips; they’re just too bitter for me. However, the basic point  here is that there are things you just won’t eat. Respect that. By the same token, if someone says, “I’ll know if I like it when I see it”, just glare at them; if they don’t want to eat what you’ve cooked so be it, and don’t let it get to you. Finicky eaters are finicky eaters, and that’s fine.

No one fills the dishwasher the same.

Basically, remember that no one does the same thing the same way, and that’s not necessarily bad. This is just a reminder that just because you do something one way doesn’t mean that another approach won’t work or be as efficient. Basically, if you see someone doing something a different way than you do, have a little faith and relax until you see the result; you may actually learn something.

The kitchen is not merely territory.

Some people will go for the reins of power just for the power involved. Some people want to do the cooking not because it is an important task that someone has to do but because there is a sort of power involved in handling the kitchen; makes sense as we associate the kitchen with our mothers, and it’s easy to transfer that subconscious respect to the guy doing the kitchen. As such, some people that are more interested in the politics of the situation also take on the kitchen regardless of their ability to cook, and so define the kitchen as their territory, hoping to gain a little more power over the house by doing so. As such, it’s important for people to realize that the kitchen should not be given to someone that merely wants the political power, but someone who can actually cook and is willing to do it. As a side note, this is a very shortsighted approach; if you can’t cook and you take on the cooking you’ll lose a lot of respect, and if you take on the kitchen successfully your power will be limited to the kitchen.

There should be only one cook.

This is more for practicality than anything else. It means that the kitchen isn’t always in use, that the kitchen isn’t being re-organized every day, and that there are pots and pans available without having to wash. It also means that there is more room available for storing food, and it eliminates a lot of arguments. Find one person you like to cook and go with that person. Also, everyone else should contribute to cost of the food if possible, either as part of rent or some other means.

Always respect the marked bag.

By the same token, if someone buys food for themselves, respect it. Either make sure that everyone has their own areas, or simply make sure that there is some system that everyone can buy something for their own needs without having to worry about others getting into it. Just respect the marked bag, and everything should be fine.

That should do you for now.  I hope this cuts down on some stress.

The Usual Shopping Tips

There are some interesting considerations you need to keep in mind when you are shopping. A lot of these tips are pretty basic, but worth repeating any way. So, without any farther ado:

Cards: You want at least one club card, such as for Costco or Sam’s Club; this is for re-stocking purposes and other bulk purchases. You also want as many cards for any grocery stores in the vicinity; different stores have different specials and sometimes it’s a good to have options.

The List: Always compile your list with the needs and desires of everyone that you are shopping for. If someone has needs that should be addressed but didn’t tell you, then it’s their fault. Also learn to tell the difference between real needs and fake ones; if someone has a problem with vegetables just glare at him. Also, allow for about $50-$75 per person per week; it may sound expensive, but it will work out in the end, especially you are dealing with people that have any kind of appetite. If they don’t have an appetite, then they will be making it up with more expensive ingredients.

Menus: Don’t plan meals ahead; just stock up. It’s fine to plan one or two meals a week, but don’t get too organized. It may sound like a good idea to plan everything in advance, but too many small things can trip up the planning, such as neighbors borrowing things, roommates may eat the food, or ninety-nine other things may happen that throw the menu plans off. Just make that there is food, and you should do okay.

Cheese: You should consider block cheese before sliced, and sliced before shredded. The logic here is pretty basic:: The block version allows you to do almost anything with it, and sliced cheese gives you more options than shredded.

Vegetables: Always go for variety. Not only does it keep things interesting, but there are other considerations. For example, too much corn in the diet can lead to niacin poisoning. I prefer a good Normandy and Oriental mixes for my frozen vegetables, as well as a variety of canned vegetables. One of the problems with canned vegetables is that the nutrients may have leaked into the water; however, keep in mind that every six ounces of canned vegetables counts as a half a cup of water for rice purposes. Raw vegetables are great things as well.

Meat: Although hamburger will most likely be the most prevalent meat, throw in some brats and chicken.  Eggs are also a good light protein, great for salads. Tofu also works. If you need steak and lots of it, do some research; there are always places that do meat packages for reasonable cost.  Canned tuna fish is nicely versatile. Tofu and fish fillets are not bad ideas. A little variety is always a good things.

Pre-packaged foods: Ramen and mac & cheese are always good things. Keep in mind that one box will feed two adults. Otherwise, go with sales whenever possible.

You will find your own neat little tricks. However, this list should get you started. Just have fun, and you should do okay.

Organizing Your Kitchen

Okay, so you’ve started getting stuff for the kitchen. Before you start putting it in, there is one major consideration:  Who gets to decide where things go. This isn’t just a territory thing, it’s an efficiency thing. If you are by yourself then this is not an issue, but if you have roommates it invariably going to be a problem. Whoever is going to do most of the cooking should do the organizing; although other arguments can be made, that person has a better idea of what is used on a daily basis, as well as setting things up for the most efficient use. Although other arguments can be made, the goal should be to make cooking as easy as possible and not some idiotic power grab.

The next thing should be to wash all of the dishes. Between dust, coverings, and anything else that’s in the air, a good wash is pretty much required. Use the dishwasher as much as required, and water as hot and soapy as you can stand it for the rest. Let all of it dry thoroughly and then put up.  Do not use towels; a good air-drying is always the best option. Make sure that all of the items you picked up are given a good cleaning.

Organize your best; keep in mind that it is okay to have some items on the counter. Too many people see the counters in cooking shows and want to have all of that space. The easiest way to have all of that space? Get rid of items on the counter. It makes sense for cooking shows, but that’s because they need to allow for cameras and making it easier to film what they are cooking. If it works for you, go for it! Personally, however, I prefer to have the coffee machine, rice cooker, microwave, and toaster where I can use them without having to take them out every time, but that’s just me.

Putting the food itself away shouldn’t be hard. First thing is to put any meat logs in the freezer before you start putting other stuff away; if you let it freeze a little before you cut it into portions it will be easier to cut and less bloody. Save off separating the rest of the meat for now. The freezer and refrigerator will take organize themselves, and should be done first. You will want to designate three basic areas: spice cabinet, pantry, and fruit. Fruit should go where it is easy to find and the spices should go where they can be easy to grab. The pantry will be the biggest problem. You need to organize it so that your starches, dry goods, and snacks separate from your cereals, gravy mixes, and onions. Nonetheless, organize as well as you can and do so so you can find things quickly.

Now, back to your meats. There are a number of ways to do it, but it breaks down to whatever is easier for you. I usually break down most of my meats to portions for two; it just usually works out best for the way I cook (I usually cook for an even number of people). The exception is hamburger, and that can get weird. Figure out how many people you will cook for, and then package it in quarter-pound per person chunks (two people will be half-pound chunks). The weirdness is that there are some good reasons to not package some of it, such as meatloaf; allow for that and don’t freeze any if you are planning such uses. If you really have the time, put it  into quarter-pound patties for ease of use later.

Feel free to make changes in the organization to reflect how you cook. Just remember to respect the primary cook and forget about making our kitchen a mock up of your favorite shows, and things should go swimmingly.

The Basic Kitchen

You have your dishes, now you need something to cook with. The problem with giving out a definite list is that everyone cooks differently and for different reasons. For example, I have no food allergies and the only thing I hate to eat are boiled turnips; my list is obviously going to be different from a strict vegetarian with lactose intolerance and a allergy to glutens. Then there are cultural differences; I prefer beef and chicken as my protein source; others may prefer fish or lamb. So, what I’m going to do is make this as generic as possible to make it easier on anyone reading this.

One other caveat: I’m stocking this kitchen for the average bachelor. This means that you may be able to use this as a checklist, comparing it to what’s in your kitchen. I seriously advise that you have a discount food club cards, such as from Costco or Sam’s Club, and a card for every grocery store in the area. When you are grabbing the bulk items, use the club card, and for everything else use the grocery. This should keep things cheaper for you, while at the same time allowing you some variety.  Also, this assumes that you are buying for yourself; if there are more people, increase as needed.

Stuff you should always have on hand, and shouldn’t need to stock that often:

Basic seasonings (salt, pepper, brown sugar, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, beef bouillon, chicken or steak seasoning, garlic bread seasoning, rosemary, bay leaf, cumin, any other seasoning that you like)

Flour

Corn Starch

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Butter or margarine

Stuff you should always have on hand, and probably will need to stock often:

Rice

Ramen

Box meals (Hamburger Helper, Macaroni and Cheese)

Pasta (at least two different types, such as spaghetti and egg noodles)

Spaghetti sauce, cans or jars

Pancake mix

Onions

Potatoes

Canned chili

Canned beans

Fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, tomatoes, lettuce)

Canned vegetable

Frozen Vegetable

Condiments (ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, wasabi, horseradish)

Stuff you will always need to stock:

Meat

Cheese

Milk

Bread (bagels, loaf bread, sourdough rolls, tortillas)

Jelly

Peanut butter

Again: Feel free make to changes as needed. But this list should get you through a lot, and allow you a lot of fun. This is also by no means a complete list; add to it as you see fit. Keep in mind that a number of comfort foods are not on the list, and that some people have foods that they like having in the pantry even if they know that they will never use it. Just have fun, and make sure that it’s something you like.