Let me describe my ideal Sunday to you.
I’m listening to music, have a mug of lemon and ginger tea and I’m cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Probably roasting a whole chicken, lovingly blending spices and herbs together to create my own ideal rub. Pottering around using all of the gadgets and crockery that I’ve lovingly collected over the past 5-10 years.
After a long week of work, socialising, and trying to be a functioning adult, I love nothing more than zoning out in the kitchen for the afternoon and cooking without expectation or deadline.
However, in this haze of aromas, serenity and rhythm comes one devastating crash back down to Earth — the dishes.
Towards the end of my cooking frenzy, they haunt me. I know that my indulgent afternoon will result, yes, in a delicious meal but also a pile of dishes that I have nobody but myself to blame for.
However, one Reddit user may have solved my cleaning woes and I honestly can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.
The secret to keeping the kitchen clean while cooking
On /r/foodhacks, user SleepySnorlax_666 said, ”Drop the food hack you saw once and now use everyday.”
On the thread, there were genuinely very helpful answers from users like Pretty-Bridge6076 who said, “Precook soup ingredients (sear the meet, saute the vegetables). Takes a few minutes and the taste difference is totally worth it” and Prestigious-Oven8072 who said, “Refrigerate an onion for at least 30 minutes before you chop it. Idk why, but it makes you cry less”.
However, the one that stuck out most to me as a messy cook came from JessicaLynne77 who said, “Not food, but running a sink of hot soapy water before you start cooking so you can clean as you go.”
This may seem simple and yes, at my big age, maybe I should have figured it out before now but I just hadn’t and it isn’t just me that’s a clueless mucky pup in the kitchen.
User Confident_Elk_6419 said, “What…. Why have I never done a preemptive hot soapy water sink before! Great tip thanks for sharing.”
Well, indeed, why not.