From Bon Appétit · Chris Morocco · · 1m 40s
Caroline Chambers on Cooking Hellscape
Caroline Chambers explains why cooking feels like an absolute hellscape and how to make it fast.
In brief
Caroline Chambers explains why cooking feels like an absolute hellscape and how to make it fast. Caroline Chambers says cooking feels like a hellscape due to time constraints and lack of cooking skills, but simple recipes and time-saving tricks help. Originally reported by Bon Appétit.
Cooking as Hellscape
Caroline Chambers says cooking dinner feels like an absolute hellscape because we don’t have time.
“i think that a huge, huge part of why cooking dinner can feel like such an absolute hellscape is that we simply do not have the time”
Time Investment Matters
Knowing how much time a meal takes helps cooks feel confident they can do it.
“knowing exactly how much of a time investment you are going to have to make feels really good”
Prep Time Transparency
Chopping time is included in recipes to avoid wasting time on mise-en-place.
“when i lay out exactly when they should prep each ingredient, i can help maximize their efficiency in the oven”
Time-Saving Ingredients
Bagged salads, frozen garlic, and Better Than Bouillon save time in the kitchen.
“taylor farms caesar is a regular staple in my household”
Rotisserie Chicken
Caroline eats rotisserie chicken straight up or chops it for kids.
“i mostly just eat it straight up. chop it up for the kids, throw a leg to the baby in his high chair”
Kids' Food Preferences
Four kids with different tastes make finding meals challenging.
“i have four boys, 7, 6, 4, and 14 months. those little turds will tell me ribs are their favorite meal”
Two-Bite Rule
Kids must try two bites of dinner before getting a PB and J.
“they have to try at least two bites of dinner, and if they truly do not like it, i’ll make them a pb and j or hummus and veggies”
Frozen Dumplings
Steaming frozen dumplings and broccoli florets makes a quick meal.
“i steam frozen dumplings and broccoli florets at the same time in a steamer basket”
Salt and Pepper Advice
Salt and pepper are not married, black pepper was marketed with salt.
“salt and pepper are not married”
Cooking Tips
Cook once, eat twice. Freeze extras for future meals.
“cook once, eat twice. always cook more than you’re going to eat. if you don’t need leftovers the next day, freeze it”
Kitchen Essentials
A chef’s knife, paring knife, and serrated knife are enough for most cooking.
“you don’t need a huge fancy knife block. all you really need is a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife”
Compostable Plates
Compostable plates are a lifesaver for messy meals.
“have a stack of compostable plates for the nights when you absolutely cannot”
Time-Saving Tricks
Label leftovers with masking tape and a Sharpie for easy identification.
“keep a roll of masking tape and a sharpie in the kitchen drawer to label your leftovers with what they are”
Cooking Hellscape Solution
Simple recipes and time-saving tricks make cooking manageable again.
“the more people can nail really simple, easy recipes, the more incentivized they are to try things that intimidate them”
The key point
Caroline Chambers says cooking feels like a hellscape due to time constraints and lack of cooking skills, but simple recipes and time-saving tricks help.
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