Before I start a Lazy Day Gourmet cooking session, I try to prep my kitchen to make it as Lazy Day Gourmet friendly as possible. I set out all of the kitchen hardware and gadgets I know I'm going to use, and organize them on the counter before I begin the first recipe.
Here are the things I set out before a Lazy Day of cooking.
>> My first priority is music. I never cook with out my Tivoli iPal. Sometimes I plug my iPod into it, but most of Lazy Day Gourmet cooking sessions are done to a local country & western station where I can bop around the kitchen and sing along.
>> Measuring: I put out all of my measuring cups and spoons. I recommend having two sets of measuring spoons for this type of cooking. Less time washing...more time cooking.
>> Cutting boards. I have two cutting boards side by side. One I use for big stuff like meats, and the other I use to chop herbs and onions.
>> Knives.
>> Freezer Bags. I only buy 1 gallon freezer bags, and since I use so many of them in my cooking, I do try to recycle them and wash them out whenever it's possible. I buy these in bulk at Sam's or Costco.
>> Sharpie. You're gonna need one to mark your freezer bags. Don't fool yourself into thinking you'll remember what is in each bag in the freezer. Go ahead and mark the bags.
>> Rags and Dish Towels. I cannot express enough how much easier your Lazy Day Gourmet cooking sessions will go if you have plenty of dishrags and dish towels around.
I recommend putting a dish towel underneath your chopping boards for really quick and easy counter top clean up. When you're making 7-30 meals in one session, tons of little herb bits wind up around your chopping boards. It's much easier to scoop up a dish towel and throw it in the washing machine than it is to try to wipe the herb bits off of the counter without getting them all over the floor. I replace the dish towel under the chopping boards once or twice during my cooking session, depending on how many recipes I'm making at once.
WHITE RAGS! I love white dish rags. I keep two wet soapy ones at my work station at all times. One for my hands, and one for the chopping board. I switch these out with clean ones as needed throughout the cooking session. Why white? Because I can bleach them!! And because you can usually find them in bunches at Sam's or Costco, and sometimes even really cheap at Target.
>> Spice Rack & Course Salt Bowl. I bought a cheap spinning spice rack at Sam's that I love, but it came with all kinds of spices that I never use in my cooking. Instead of filling the jars with the spices they provided, I filled it with the stuff I use all the time. I relabeled the jars by sticking the spice name inside the cap so that the jars still look nice, but I can identify the spices.
You are going to want to get a little plastic bowl for coarse salt. See that bright green plastic bowl? That's where I keep my coarse salt. If you're in Hawaii, (Hi Ann, Ryan, and Jen!) you can use Hawaiian rock salt. If you're on the Mainland, you can find a nice kosher coarse salt in any grocery store.
>> Mixing bowls. I always set out my large mixing bowl for propping open freezer bags, and keep a few small ones close by for other tasks. I also keep a couple of empty plastic containers on the counter for mixing up small spice rubs or for holding chopped herbs/onions that I know I'm going to use in my cooking.
This ain't fancy! As you can see, there aren't any fancy gadgets or electronics needed to prepare gourmet meals on a lazy day. All you need are delicious recipes, and a few hours to spend doing something you love...COOKING!
