'Messy' cooks...
 

While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
cooks'...

I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
afterwards, it still drives me nuts.

So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
Just wonderin'.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Jun 3, 11:27*am, ChattyCathy > wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy
>
> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

I clean up as I go - much less stuff goes in the dishwasher; my
workspace is clean, the sink is clean - what could be better? LOL.

N.

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife,
> fork spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a
> 'war zone' to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always
> 'washes up' afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or
> the 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in
> between? Just wonderin'.

I try to clean up as I go. Doesn't always work out that way! But it just
makes life a little easier, especially if I'm going to have to re-use that
knife, measuring cup/spoon, etc. This sort of thing really hits home if
you're on the road and staying in a hotel room with a kitchenette. They
supply the basics but unless you've brought a bunch of stuff with you, you
pretty much have to wash things as you use them.

Jill

'Messy' cooks...
 

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy
>
> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

Messy without question.

Clean as you go is a pain and a waste of time.

Rinse this, rinse that, wipe this wipe that, open the dishwasher, close the
dishwasher, go to the next step Dumb!

Now dealing with raw chicken, or other potential harmful areas, different
story.


--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>

I clean as I go. I also need to start in a clean kitchen - so if there
are any dishes around - they need to be washed and put away before I
start. I might end up with a couple of dishes in the sink when I am done
- depending on what I have prepared. I usually leave them neatly piled
in the sink to do later.

The DH on the other hand is like a hurricane in the kitchen...everything
all over the place and dishes piled in an disorderly fashion - plates
piled on top of saucepans,etc. He drives me crazy. He does clean up
after himself - but unless I want to suffer a heart attack I try to stay
out of the kitchen when he is "working".

-Tracy

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy > wrote in message
...
[Chaos v Order Cooking]
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you
> go along' type or the 'do it all in one go when you're
> finished' type? Or somewhere in between?

Easy: Chaos. It drives SWMBO nuts. :)

The Ranger

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:36:21 -0700, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>
>"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
>> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
>> cooks'...
>>
>> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
>> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
>> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
>> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
>> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>>
>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
>> Just wonderin'.
>>
>> --
>> Cheers
>> Chatty Cathy
>>
>> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...
>
>Messy without question.
>
>Clean as you go is a pain and a waste of time.
>
>Rinse this, rinse that, wipe this wipe that, open the dishwasher, close the
>dishwasher, go to the next step Dumb!
>
>Now dealing with raw chicken, or other potential harmful areas, different
>story.

LOL. That sounds like me. I'm a kitchen whirlwind as far as mess.
But when there's chicken around I clean as I go. Usually Louise
follows me around cleaning when I cook. The few times she cooks I do
the same. Works for us.

Lou

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Jun 3, 9:27*am, ChattyCathy > wrote:
> [snip[
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>
I'd like to clean up as I go but I'm not compulsive about it. Except
that I always clean and put away the cleaver or knife as soon as I'm
through using it, and always clean the wok as soon as it's empty.
Otherwise, I clean as necessary because the kitchen and work surfaces
are small, and as possible in the time(s) available during the
prepping and cooking. If the dish that the meat was marinating in
before a stirfry is still sitting next to the stove at the end of the
meal, that's okay. -aem

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy wrote:
>

> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.

You don't have a category for "leave it all in the
sink until the next time you need it"?

'Messy' cooks...
 

"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
>
> "ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
>> cooks'...
>>
>> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
>> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
>> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
>> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
>> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>>
>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
>> Just wonderin'.
>>
>> --
>> Cheers
>> Chatty Cathy
>>
>> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...
>
> Messy without question.
>
> Clean as you go is a pain and a waste of time.

My brother! Unfortunately, it always looks like a war zone after I "cook
big". <shrug> Ask me if I care. I'm the one who cleans up anyway.

<snip>

TammyM, aka Pigpen

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy > wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.

Senor Excelente aka Neat Freak

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:07:42 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote:

> The message >
> from ChattyCathy > contains these words:
>
>
>> So what kind of cook are you?
>
>
> I go for the hand-grenade-went-off look.
>
> Janet.

You and Dad should 'do lunch' (but not in my kitchen) <veg>
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Jun 3, 12:27*pm, ChattyCathy > wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.

At home I'm the clean-as-I-go type. I generally like to have
everything washed and put away by the time a meal is ready and I work
on the theory that one knife , one spoon and one cutting board is all
that is needed. I just wash them as I work my way through the
cooking.



John Kane Kingston ON Canada

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:46:26 -0700, Serene Vannoy
> wrote:


>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
>> Just wonderin'.
>>
>
>I'm mostly a disaster when I cook, but I try to be better about it. At
>least I don't have huge piles of vegetable matter all over the floor
>when I'm done, as my partner does. ;-)
>
>Serene

I used to be a disaster type cook but when I learned how to mise en
place with all the little bowls, etc, I became much better and
cleaner. It became much easier to wipe down and clean up my spot
after I prepped each ingredient. Then by the time the final cooking
stage came along, I just had to add my ingredients and put the dishes
in the dishwasher.

Mind you, I am not totally at this cleaner place, but I have gotten a
LOT better!!

Christine

'Messy' cooks...
 

"ChattyCathy" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy

In between, because I prefer things orderly, but some things just won't
wait. I usually have a limited time to cook really elaborate (in terms of
courses) meals, so lots of times it is while they are eating that I can get
organized. That's what's great about help, when you can find it.

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy wrote:

> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.

Totally depends on the day. Sometimes, I clean as I go, to the extent
that by the time I'm finished eating, all that needs to be dealt with is
what I've been eating off, out of and with. Other times I just stack
stuff up to deal with later.

One influence is how tidy the kitchen already is; if it's already a war
zone, I'm not prone to wash as I go because it's not gonna much help the
state of things, unless I "catch up" by cleaning up as stuff that needs no
attention is cooking (which I sometimes do). If the kitchen is already
clean, there's a decent chance that I'll clean as I go to keep it that way.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project --> http://improve-usenet.org
Found 5/08: a free GG-blocking news *feed* --> http://usenet4all.se

'Messy' cooks...
 

"Dimitri" > wrote

> "ChattyCathy" > wrote

>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
>> Just wonderin'.

> Messy without question.
>
> Clean as you go is a pain and a waste of time.
>
> Rinse this, rinse that, wipe this wipe that, open the dishwasher, close
> the dishwasher, go to the next step Dumb!

(laugh!) I'm with you. I move from work area to work
area if one becomes too cluttered. Once the dish is in the
oven, or there is some lull in the process, I'll throw stuff in the
dishwasher or the sink just to clear the area.

Real clean up might not happen until well after the meal.

> Now dealing with raw chicken, or other potential harmful areas, different
> story.

Definitely. I will stop and wash chicken knives/cutting boards
just to make sure there is no mix-up, using the wrong knife to
cut lettuce or something.

nancy

'Messy' cooks...
 

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:46:26 -0700, Serene Vannoy
> > wrote:
>
>
>>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
>>> Just wonderin'.
>>>
>> I'm mostly a disaster when I cook, but I try to be better about it. At
>> least I don't have huge piles of vegetable matter all over the floor
>> when I'm done, as my partner does. ;-)
>>
>> Serene
>
> I used to be a disaster type cook but when I learned how to mise en
> place with all the little bowls, etc, I became much better and
> cleaner. It became much easier to wipe down and clean up my spot
> after I prepped each ingredient. Then by the time the final cooking
> stage came along, I just had to add my ingredients and put the dishes
> in the dishwasher.
>
> Mind you, I am not totally at this cleaner place, but I have gotten a
> LOT better!!

Same here, and I think I would be even better at it if I had a
dishwasher. I don't actually want one, but I believe it would help with
the cleaning-up part.

The other thing I do that helps me is to set a plate on the counter
while I'm cooking or baking. Onto that plate go the measuring cups,
spoons, utensils I'm using, so that if I need them again, I can reuse
them. I used to just toss the wooden spoon (for instance) into the sink
when I was finished with it, and then when I needed it a few minutes
later, I had to get a new one or wash the first one. Now I can reuse it,
or at most rinse and reuse.

Serene

'Messy' cooks...
 

Serene Vannoy wrote:
>
> Christine Dabney wrote:
> > On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:46:26 -0700, Serene Vannoy
> > > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> >>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> >>> Just wonderin'.
> >>>
> >> I'm mostly a disaster when I cook, but I try to be better about it. At
> >> least I don't have huge piles of vegetable matter all over the floor
> >> when I'm done, as my partner does. ;-)
> >>
> >> Serene
> >
> > I used to be a disaster type cook but when I learned how to mise en
> > place with all the little bowls, etc, I became much better and
> > cleaner. It became much easier to wipe down and clean up my spot
> > after I prepped each ingredient. Then by the time the final cooking
> > stage came along, I just had to add my ingredients and put the dishes
> > in the dishwasher.
> >
> > Mind you, I am not totally at this cleaner place, but I have gotten a
> > LOT better!!
>
> Same here, and I think I would be even better at it if I had a
> dishwasher. I don't actually want one, but I believe it would help with
> the cleaning-up part.
>
> The other thing I do that helps me is to set a plate on the counter
> while I'm cooking or baking. Onto that plate go the measuring cups,
> spoons, utensils I'm using, so that if I need them again, I can reuse
> them. I used to just toss the wooden spoon (for instance) into the sink
> when I was finished with it, and then when I needed it a few minutes
> later, I had to get a new one or wash the first one. Now I can reuse it,
> or at most rinse and reuse.
>
> Serene

I usually use a paper towel, not a plate as the holding buffer, and then
when doing the final cleanup I can usually use that paper towel along
with the Clorox Cleanup to clean the counter.

'Messy' cooks...
 

Pete C. wrote:

> I usually use a paper towel, not a plate as the holding buffer, and then
> when doing the final cleanup I can usually use that paper towel along
> with the Clorox Cleanup to clean the counter.

I have germ phobias (which are my problem, no one else's, and I try to
be rational about them) that make me feel like a paper towel, if it gets
a bit wet, will mean all the utensils are now contaminated.

Serene

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy > wrote in
:

> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife,
> fork spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a
> 'war zone' to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always
> 'washes up' afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or
> the 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in
> between? Just wonderin'.
>

Clean as I go. Nothing spoils a good dinner like knowing that a
miniature Mt. Everest of dishes, pots, pans, and the like awaits you in
the kitchen.

I like to cook a fine meal and relax afterward.

Mise en place (WAS: 'Messy' cooks...)
 

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:46:26 -0700, Serene Vannoy
> > wrote:
>
>
>>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type
>>> or the 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or
>>> somewhere in between? Just wonderin'.
>>>
>>
>> I'm mostly a disaster when I cook, but I try to be better about it.
>>
>
> I used to be a disaster type cook but when I learned how to mise en
> place with all the little bowls, etc, I became much better and
> cleaner.
>
The idea of mise en place freaks my mom out a little bit. I like to do
vegetable prep early. So I'd be in the kitchen at 2PM and she kept saying,
"It's not dinner time yet, why are you doing that now?" LOL I find it
works better if I go ahead and (for example) mince the onion, dice the
tomatoes, grate the zucchini ahead of time. It's portioned, in the fridge
and ready to go. I assemble everything else I'll need by the stove/oven.
Then when it's time to cook, it's all there. It definitely makes cleanup
easier :)

Jill

Thanks, Cathy! (WAS: 'Messy' cooks...)
 

ChattyCathy wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or
> the 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in
> between? Just wonderin'.

Thanks for a most excellent topic of discussion :)

Jill

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:01:10 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote:

> The message >
> from ChattyCathy > contains these words:
>
>> On Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:07:42 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote:
>
>> > The message >
>> > from ChattyCathy > contains these words:
>> >
>> >
>> >> So what kind of cook are you?
>> >
>> >
>> > I go for the hand-grenade-went-off look.
>> >
>> > Janet.
>
>> You and Dad should 'do lunch' (but not in my kitchen) <veg>
>
> While we're enjoying ourselves, you and John the Virgo can practise
> sighs and rolling your eyes.

John the Virgo?

> Then we'll let you in to do the washing up. :-)

In your dreams <lol>

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue 03 Jun 2008 09:27:33a, ChattyCathy told us...

> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.

Let me start by saying that I have always had a dishwasher and, on
occasion, two. I despise having to scour things, even the counters. If
I'm doing any major cooking, an old sheet covers the floor, and thick
towels bought for the purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at
least the area I'm working in. As I use something and know I'm done with
it, it does immediately into the dishwasher. I also use the mise en place
method of preparation, so little is left to chance or last minute effort
apart from the final cooking. I use a large tray to hold all the
implements I'll be using frequently. Cleanup is a breeze. The sheet and
towels head for the washing machine, everything else goes in the
dishwasher, and I'm left with very little except wiping down the sink and
range. I'd much rather take great pains to prevent a mess than to clean
one up.



--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 06(VI)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Press any key to continue or any other
key to quit...
-------------------------------------------

'Messy' cooks...
 

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 03 Jun 2008 09:27:33a, ChattyCathy told us...
>
>> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
>> cooks'...
>>
>> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
>> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
>> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
>> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
>> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>>
>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
>> Just wonderin'.
>
> Let me start by saying that I have always had a dishwasher and, on
> occasion, two. I despise having to scour things, even the counters. If
> I'm doing any major cooking, an old sheet covers the floor, and thick
> towels bought for the purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at
> least the area I'm working in.

Wow, someone more anal than I am. Good job.

Serene

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue 03 Jun 2008 01:00:51p, Serene Vannoy told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Tue 03 Jun 2008 09:27:33a, ChattyCathy told us...
>>
>>> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
>>> cooks'...
>>>
>>> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
>>> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
>>> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war
zone'
>>> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
>>> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>>>
>>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or
the
>>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in
between?
>>> Just wonderin'.
>>
>> Let me start by saying that I have always had a dishwasher and, on
>> occasion, two. I despise having to scour things, even the counters. If
>> I'm doing any major cooking, an old sheet covers the floor, and thick
>> towels bought for the purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or
at
>> least the area I'm working in.
>
> Wow, someone more anal than I am. Good job.
>
> Serene
>

LOL! It makes me a much happier cook!

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 06(VI)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Don't question authority, it doesn't
know either.
-------------------------------------------

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy wrote:
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy

>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>

I agree with Dimitri--stopping after each item needs washing is brain
damage and I'd never get a meal on the table that way.

It depends on what I'm cooking, how long it takes, what the sides are,
etc. If it's a big holiday meal, I'm definitely in chaos trying to get
everything done at once and on the table while it's still hot and fresh.
Luckily my daughter (who is NOT a messy cook) cleans up after me while
I'm preparing if she and her family are among the guests. This works
very, very well.

Except for holiday meals or entertaining, I do clean up immediately
after the last item is prepped and cooking, all at once.

gloria p

'Messy' cooks...
 

Serene Vannoy wrote:
> Duh'Wayne Sphincter wrote:
> > ChattyCathy wrote:..
>
> >> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> >> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> >> Just wonderin'.
>
> > Let me start by saying that I have always had a dishwasher and, on
> > occasion, two. �I despise having to scour things, even the counters. �If
> > I'm doing any major cooking, an old sheet covers the floor, and thick
> > towels bought for the purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at
> > least the area I'm working in.
>
> Wow, someone more anal than I am.

Wow, if you only knew the truth of your words.

'Messy' cooks...
 

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy
>
> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...

Clean as I go. My kitchen is very small....Sharon

'Messy' cooks...
 

Serene Vannoy wrote:
>
> Pete C. wrote:
>
> > I usually use a paper towel, not a plate as the holding buffer, and then
> > when doing the final cleanup I can usually use that paper towel along
> > with the Clorox Cleanup to clean the counter.
>
> I have germ phobias (which are my problem, no one else's, and I try to
> be rational about them) that make me feel like a paper towel, if it gets
> a bit wet, will mean all the utensils are now contaminated.
>
> Serene

That's what the Clorox Cleanup is for :) Bleach kills all...

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue 03 Jun 2008 01:49:37p, biig told us...

>
> "ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
>> cooks'...
>>
>> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
>> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
>> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
>> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
>> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>>
>> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
>> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in
between?
>> Just wonderin'.
>>
>> --
>> Cheers
>> Chatty Cathy
>>
>> Egg tastes better when it's not on your face...
>
> Clean as I go. My kitchen is very small....Sharon
>
>
>

Hence,you could only create a very small mess? :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 06(VI)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Friends often desert you in time of
need. Enemies can be found anytime you
need them. --Ben Lichtenberg
-------------------------------------------

'Messy' cooks...
 

a god in human form wrote:

<<an old sheet covers the floor, and thick towels bought for the
purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at least the area I'm
working in. >>

I am in awe.

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue 03 Jun 2008 01:57:12p, Greg Esres told us...

> a god in human form wrote:
>
> <<an old sheet covers the floor, and thick towels bought for the
> purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at least the area I'm
> working in. >>
>
> I am in awe.
>

It saves me great angst. I am much too anal to contemplate the cleaning of a
totally messed up kitchen. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 06(VI)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Friends often desert you in time of
need. Enemies can be found anytime you
need them. --Ben Lichtenberg
-------------------------------------------

'Messy' cooks...
 

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 03 Jun 2008 01:57:12p, Greg Esres told us...
>
>> a god in human form wrote:
>>
>> <<an old sheet covers the floor, and thick towels bought for the
>> purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at least the area
>> I'm working in. >>
>>
>> I am in awe.
>>
>
> It saves me great angst. I am much too anal to contemplate the
> cleaning of a totally messed up kitchen. :-)

But then you have to wash the sheet and all those towels, don't you?

Jill

Mise en place (WAS: 'Messy' cooks...)
 

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 14:22:11 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:


>The idea of mise en place freaks my mom out a little bit. I like to do
>vegetable prep early. So I'd be in the kitchen at 2PM and she kept saying,
>"It's not dinner time yet, why are you doing that now?" LOL I find it
>works better if I go ahead and (for example) mince the onion, dice the
>tomatoes, grate the zucchini ahead of time. It's portioned, in the fridge
>and ready to go. I assemble everything else I'll need by the stove/oven.
>Then when it's time to cook, it's all there. It definitely makes cleanup
>easier :)
>
>Jill
>

And it definitely saves on the angst of being in the middle of cooking
a particular thing, and finding out you don't have such and such
ingredient, or utensil, or pot, or whatever.

I have learned to read through a recipe thoroughly and go see if I
have all the ingredients, before I even start. And then I start
chopping, measuring, etc. I even measure out liquids, spices, dry
ingredients... If I find that I have only a certain amount of an
ingredient, I can decide beforehand if I want to go ahead with that
particular recipe, or substitute, and not get in a panic in the middle
of the recipe when I find that I am out of something or only have a
tiny bit.

I have a drawer full of glass bowls of all sizes and some larger ones
that double as glass salad bowls. I got most of those at Dollar Tree:
they come in little packages of about 3-4/$1.

Anthony Bourdain, in his Les Halles Cookbook stresses this ad
nauseam...the "meez", as he calls it.

It has taken me a long time to get to this point, but it really pays
off in cooking, whether it be a stirfry, or a stew, or baking, or some
other type of cooking.

And if it is done right, with everything measured out, and "in it's
place", it does make cleanup a lot easier.

Again, I don't always do it, but I find that my cooking goes much more
smoothly if I do..and the place is neater. My goal is to do it every
time, and to wipe down my space between each prep.

Christine

'Messy' cooks...
 

"jmcquown" wrote:
> Duh'Wayne Pinocchio Boatwright wrote:
> > Greg Esres told us...
>
> >> a god in human form wrote:
>
> >> <<an old sheet covers the floor, and thick towels bought for the
> >> purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at least the area
> >> I'm working in. >>
>
> >> I am in awe.
>
> > It saves me great angst. �I am much too anal to contemplate the
> > cleaning of a totally messed up kitchen. :-)
>
> But then you have to wash the sheet and all those towels, don't you?

No one with a functioning brain believes that ridiculous "I can top
anything" bar room prevaricator.

'Messy' cooks...
 

On Tue 03 Jun 2008 02:21:03p, jmcquown told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Tue 03 Jun 2008 01:57:12p, Greg Esres told us...
>>
>>> a god in human form wrote:
>>>
>>> <<an old sheet covers the floor, and thick towels bought for the
>>> purpose, cover the majority of counter space, or at least the area
>>> I'm working in. >>
>>>
>>> I am in awe.
>>>
>>
>> It saves me great angst. I am much too anal to contemplate the
>> cleaning of a totally messed up kitchen. :-)
>
> But then you have to wash the sheet and all those towels, don't you?
>
> Jill
>
>
>

One load in an automatic washer and dryer beats the hell out of scrubbing.
:-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 06(VI)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
If it weren't for the last minute,
nothing would get done.
-------------------------------------------

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy wrote:

> While I was putting dinner on tonight it made me think about 'messy
> cooks'...
>
> I clean up as I go along, and so does DH - however, when Dad gets 'let
> loose' in the kitchen he seems to use every pot, pan, dish, knife, fork
> spoon in the place - in fact the kitchen usually looks like a 'war zone'
> to me by the time the food is ready. Even tho' he always 'washes up'
> afterwards, it still drives me nuts.
>
> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or the
> 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in between?
> Just wonderin'.

I confess that I am not good at cleaning up as I go along, but I have a good
arrangement with my wife. She is willing to clean up if I do the cooking.
However, I am economical in the use of tools and utensils. I will wipe of
knives and rwipe out pots and bowls and use them for something else. I
cannot do the reverse for my wife. It is too frustrating. If she has three
different things to cut she uses at least three different knives and three
different cutting boards. Anything required to prepare a dish, she will use
at least two. It results in a hell of a lot of extra stuff to wash and loss
of counter space and room in the sink. Arghh!!!!

'Messy' cooks...
 

ChattyCathy > wrote in
:

> So what kind of cook are you? The 'clean up as you go along' type or
> the 'do it all in one go when you're finished' type? Or somewhere in
> between? Just wonderin'.

I tend to clean what needs to be cleaned to make space (we have a
restricted counter area) but when I'm finished serving, the last thing
may remain where it was last placed.

My wife, on the other hand, needs the entire space of the kitchen to
make a simple cake for which she needs her standard cookbook.
Afterwards, the sink will be filled with dirty bowls, pots, and a few
things that really are not needed for mixing ingredients for a cake but
which she can never actually explain...but this is the person who thinks
the pasta fork is a great salad fork too because she wants to serve
salad with only one hand (don't ask).

The mess she can deal with, but I can't hack it when she gets an idea to
bake a cake when I'm in the middle of preparing a meal for six. A few
years ago, facing a Christmas dinner for eight, I told her she had to
get her baking done the day before. She did and that worked out
beautifully. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case.

Me, I make a cake from a mix of organic wheat free ingredients, add an
egg and a cup of soy milk, mix, pour into a greased round pan used for
that only and Bob's yer uncle. Good enough for folk music, and I only
need to clean one bowl and a wooden spoon. I don't get why it's
necessary to make such a mess. One of these days, I should get her to
walk me through it.