The 3 Keys to Successfully Cooking Together in a Kitchen

Remember the saying, “Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth”?   Do you know why the broth gets spoiled?  Because everyone has an opinion on how to do cook the broth.  One person adds this much of that, another adds another ingredient and another prefers it this way and in the end you have a terrible tasting broth. 

Working in the kitchen with another person albeit your spouse, child, or mother can be challenging at times.  But this does not mean to give up on the idea of using the kitchen to spend time together preparing a dish.   By following my 3 Keys to Successfully Cooking Together in a Kitchen, you will find your time in the kitchen to be relaxing, stress free and a time of complete enjoyment.

Key #1:  Define roles.   Who is the leader? Who does the chopping?  Who gets the ingredients?  Who gets the bowls and pans ready?   Who measures?   I love cooking with my husband, but we both are the same personality types so we both tend to be the initiators.  This can cause us to butt heads when we both are planning on doing the same tasks.    Once we define our roles, accepting who is “in charge” of the dish, then we are able to work in complete unison.   Whoever does the chopping, does all the chopping.   Whoever pulls out the ingredients, gets all the ingredients needed.  

Key #2:  Define spaces.  This may be hard when working in a very small kitchen with little counterspace, but still useful regardless.   If one person is in charge of cutting and chopping, then do all the cutting and chopping there.   Keep another area defined for keeping ingredients, utensils and cookware out of the way until needed.   If both people are needing chopping areas, simply respect the other person’s area and keep your mess in your own.  

Key #3:  Be a help.   When you are finished with your task, and the other person is not, ask if they need help.   If not, start cleaning up and getting  ready for the next cooking task.  An example would be cleaning utensils, loading the dishwasher, wiping the counter, starting the oven, stir the soup, whatever it may be.   Sometimes I simply ask my husband if he wants some water or a new hand towel.  Our goal is to work together, not against each other.  When I am taking the lead in the kitchen, my husband will often ask if he can get anything for me.  I’ll have him put away ingredients to clear counter space, get something else from the fridge or to do a taste test and give his opinion.  

Follow my 3 Keys to Successfully Cooking Together in a Kitchen, and you might find yourself ending up with the best batch of broth you’ve ever made.

Liz
Simple Italian Cooking Recipes
www.simpleitaliancooking.com

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