May 23, 2020

What Am I Doing In the Kitchen?

What Am I Doing In the Kitchen?

My disasterous history with food

Welcome to New to Cooking - a safe place to disclose you have no idea what you're doing in the kitchen. 

Welcome to this the very first episode my name is Dave Jackson. I'm currently in my fifties. Here is the history of me and food. 

Growing up as a small kid my Mom would feed me like any normal kid. I would eventually learn how to heat up some spaghettios in a pan. 

In my twenties, I ate a lot of cereal, pop tarts, and when I moved in with my brother one night I went to make a hamburger on a grill. The patty was super thick, the grill was super hot, and I ended up with a charred brick on a bun. 

Later I would enjoy some chocolate pudding with an RC Cola. 

In my thirties, I graduated to thinks in a box. I consumed rice dishes, hamburger helper, mac, and cheese. I was still eating cereal. 

I also ate out alot. This lasted through my forties where most of my meals were fast food, restaurants, and anything at home was a box dinner, frozen dinner, or spaghetti. 

Well, now I'm in my fifties and trying to get healthy. As I look at myself I could lose about 35 lbs right now, and I want to really start paying attention to what I eat. 

Everything I read about eating a home-cooked meal at home says its better for me, less expensive, and actually takes about the same amount of time. 

There is only one problem. I'm not a fan of cooking and by that I mean I hate cooking. As I get older and wiser it has dawned on me that I didn't like tying my shoes when I first tried. I fell off my bike the first time. 

So maybe the reason I hate cooking is cause I never really do REAL COOKING. My goal is to get into this headache-free. 

 

Making Your Kitchen Efficient

1. Consumables zone: The area used to store most of your food. This may actually be split into two zones: one for your refrigerator (fresh food) and one for your pantry or food cabinets (dry goods, oils, etc.).

2. Non-consumables zone: The area used to store everyday dishes, including plates, bowls, glasses, and silverware.

3. Cleaning zone: The area that contains the sink and dishwasher (if you have one).

4. Preparation zone: The area where most of your kitchen prep happens. This may be a stretch of countertop, or a kitchen island.

5. Cooking zone: The area that contains the stovetop, oven, or range, and possibly the microwave.

For me, it makes no sense that the dishes are far away from the dishwasher. The countertops near the stove are covered in gadgets. I'm going to move those off the counters to make food prep easier and keep the counters easier to clean.

Resource:

Plan to eat app available on PC, iOS and Android. Gathering around a home-cooked meal has never been so simple.

Check it out at newtocookingshow.com/plantoeat

 

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