 Cooking can be a blessing, but when it comes to cleaning, it can be a curse. I’m sure you have experienced this first hand. For instance, first you spend hours making that beautiful dish. Then you take a few nice shots to show your friends on Facebook and Instagram. Finally, by the time you think you are done, you turn around and wonder how your kitchen ended up looking like a war zone. Unfortunately cleaning can take up more time than cooking, however, if you follow these three simple steps, your life in the kitchen will be a much easier and healthier one. 1. Beets Before Meats Not all of us have color-coded cutting boards for different meats and vegetables. And if you do have them, good for you. However, if you don’t, you should pay attention at how you prep your food in order to avoid hazards like Salmonella. If you are swinging with only one cutting board like me, always cut produce and cold cuts first before prepping raw meats despite the order of use. This way your food will not get contaminated and, above all, you only have to clean one cutting board. Just make sure you clean it well with soap and hot water and let it air dry in an open space.  2. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse When cooking, there are always things to throw away. In fact, I sometimes treat my trash bin like a basketball hoop. But unlike Michael Jordan, I often miss. That's why I keep it modest and bring the trash to me. No, I’m not saying to drag the trashcan everywhere you go, but rather reuse disposables like produce bags and mushroom trays as your portable trashcans. Or if you don’t have those handy,you can use a bowl. However, I prefer the produce bags because they are tall and thus, easier to tie and throw away. This way you can prevent leakage and undesirable odors from seeping through. And since we normally get rid of those bags right away, it's a good way to assign them a new purpose before disposal. Nowadays companies try really hard to make everything look nice by packaging products in cute trays and baskets. So why not use paper and plastic trays as prepping bowls? Just make sure you rinse/dust before use. This will reduce your cleaning load, and you will feel really good that you fully used what you have “paid for”. And if you want to take it a few steps further, compost what you can and use reusable mesh bags when you shop for fresh produce.  Remember the catchy tunes?  3. Don't Procrastinate, Eliminate
When your kitchen sink is full, you tend to put dirty cookware on your counter top and dirty it. Try working with an empty sink, this way you have a place to soak used cookware. Not only will this keep your counter top clean, but it will also make removing grease stains a lot easier. Sometimes stains are so hard to clean that I fool myself into believing that it’s part of the pan. And the worst thing is when you scrub them so hard you wreck your perfect non-sticks. But what if you can avoid all of this misery? It starts with two simple words, “Water” and “Heat”. Yes, as soon as you are done cooking and notice the stains, just put some water in the pan over low heat and scrape the grease gently. The heat will melt down the oil residue and water will help move things around. This non-abrasive method, will allow those stains to float right off of your expensive pans while also prolonging your cookware's lifespan. Cleaning can be a rewarding experience once you've mastered the steps above. The key is simply producing less mess and when there is one, deal with it right away, because a dirty kitchen will make you want to avoid cooking. After all, it's a New Year, so why not start a new habit and get into a healthy cooking (cleaning) cycle? Trust me, things will never be the same again. Please leave comments and suggestions below by clicking on the “Comment” button. Happy Cleaning, Preme
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Hi World! This is my first blog entry. I’m so excited. Starting a food blog has been on my mind for years and that makes this entry so special. I am a Thai transplant living in Washington DC, a city where like most urban cities, everybody eats out. In Bangkok we know a thing or two about food, but here, Happy Hours and brunches are filler words. But the reality is that not everybody can afford to dine out 3-4 times a week. If you are trying to save money for that sandy vacation or eat a little healthier, then this might be a great start.  Image: www.care2.com 1 -- Make cooking a habit Many times I've heard people say that cooking at home actually costs them more than eating out. Sometimes this is true. For instance, if you only cook twice a month and say you are cooking a bowl of curry for dinner, then you’re looking at a long list of ingredients and an expensive bill. In addition, most ingredients are either highly perishable, or they come in a multiple-serving portion, so you might find yourself wasting a lot of it. On the other hand, precooked sauces might help you with food waste. But it will cost you as much as eating out plus cooking time. I know this doesn’t sound that encouraging so far, but I promise that cooking at home will work if you cook more frequently, make enough to last a few meals and use up all the ingredients before they go bad. 2 -- Plan Ahead, Plan Smart Planning, planning, planning is another excuse I've heard people say for why they are not cooking at home. Planning all your meals for the week sounds daunting, doesn't it? Even I agree. However, I think the secret to staying within budget is to spice up your staple grocery list with just a few special ingredients and make them the theme of the week instead of restricting to an elaborate meal plan. For example, when I get my hands on pricey herbs like basil, I make a few dishes with it such as pesto, basil stir-fry (Thai Kaprow) and a basil omelet. The dishes offer different feels, yet they are just a combination of basil and the things I already have in my pantry. This will permits you to stay within the budget and get your creativity going.  When, ingredients are in their purest stage, they can more easily be incorporated... 3 -- Get Creative We have been led to believe that pasta sauce can only be used with pasta. I mean, even the name suggests so! But have you tried pasta sauce as a dipping sauce for bread or chips? Perhaps you can use leftover pasta sauce in your favorite chili recipe? This way of thinking will allow you to open to new possibilities and make cooking on a tight budget everything but monotonous. Cooking is not a formula that everything has to be precise, but rather it is about what tastes good to you. It’s turning a leftover vegetable stir-fry into a delicious soup and reserving oil from frying bacon for an aromatic bowl of chowder. It’s pure creativity with a touch of frugality. 4 -- Stick with the Raws Try filling your grocery list with fruits, vegetables and raw meats rather than processed cans and bags because you can create more recipes with basic ingredients. When, ingredients are in their purest stage, they can more easily be incorporated with different herbs to completely transform the taste profile. Plus, wouldn’t it be better to know exactly what you’re putting in you mouth? 5 -- Eat as You Need
I used to force myself to finish my portion at the restaurant and felt bloated when I left. The sad part was that I got used to eating more than I needed. Asking for a doggy bag is often too much of a hassle. You can prevent this all together by conditioning your body to eat a more sensible portion and cooking at home gives you a full liberty to do so. In the beginning, I would cook too much. But something interesting happened along the way, preparing my own meals made me appreciate food and listen to my body more. Now, I only eat half of what I used to, and feel completely satisfied. I hope that this helps you realize that cooking at home is simple and very satisfying and that more of you will join me in this humble movement. Just put on the chef hat and keep cooking because before you know it, you will be able to save up for that dream trip plus a little extra pocket money. Before we meet again, I would like you to try some of the points above and share with me what you think. Kob Khun Ka, Preme |
Pimnuch (Preme) Panma
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