December 12, 2010

Organize, organize, organize

A mess in the kitchen can de-rail baking or cooking faster than anything short of a kitchen fire. Well, no, that's not true. I've set so many things on fire in the kitchen that I can calmly put it out and keep going. But the kitchen out of order? That's got to be fixed right away.

As mom always said, a place for everything and everything in its place, a saying guaranteed to make every teen on the planet roll their eyes. The goal is to speed up clean up, and speed up finding the right tools while working. In my mother's kitchen, I waste a lot of time wondering where she keeps the measuring cups, even though I know how she thinks. She's moved twice since I lived at home, and I store things in my own way.

If you don't know where anything is in your own kitchen because nothing has a permanent home, you'll waste time trying to remember where you last put that pan. Clearly, if items are continuously homeless, or keep moving, that's too much stuff or not enough storage. There are good and bad places to store everything.

Group like with like. Rather than keeping each set of measuring spoons and cups on the ring they came on, the cups and spoons are grouped by size: all the one-cup measures hang together, and so on. In the utensil drawer, the whisks belong on the left side, then the flipping spatulas, then the cooking spoons, then the silicon spatulas. There is no need to root through the drawer.

Store things to minimize walking. When we gutted and re-built our kitchen, I made sure the baking area was next to the fridge, across from the oven, and had the cabinet space to keep everything for baking in arms reach. I need to make only one walk across the kitchen for anything: the silverware drawer is next to the sink and dishwasher. Keeping a fork (for mixing when a whisk or the mixer is overkill) in a second drawer would just confuse anyone emptying the dishwasher, so I walk.

Keep the most used tools and pantry items on the bottom shelves, in the top drawers or out in the open. Also in the front. In the baking area, flour and sugar are on the counter; baking powder and spices are on the bottom shelf and toward the front; mixing bowls are on the top shelf under the counter. I go so far as to keep the cinnamon next to the baking powder. The big bottle of vanilla is in the back so it doesn't hide other things, but it's always in the same corner and I can see it.

Organization extends to baking. Always preheat the oven first; once it's a habit, you're less likely to forget. While reading the ingredient list, get out each item and put it near your baking area -- on a chair, if need be. Measure out the ingredients first, especially if you are unfamiliar with the recipe. At least count the eggs and eyeball the milk to be sure there's enough, even some extra. After you measure, return the jars and bags to the cabinet to keep the work area clear. Prep the pans. Then start creaming and cutting and mixing. With more familiar recipes you'll know that you have enough time to melt and not burn the butter while measuring the flour.

As you bake, keep the dirty dishes together in a pile, if you can't put them immediately into the sink. This keeps the most space free in the work area. Once everything is in the oven, start cleaning up (unless you have a magic housemate who remembers to clear the counters and wipe them down).