What is your pre-cooking ritual?

[wildeyed]

If I am getting ready to make something and I want to enjoy it, I noticed I usually follow specific steps:

First, clean and tidy kitchen. Second, get ingredients organized. Next, pick music; I hate cooking to TV or talk radio. Last, make large cup of green tea. Then I get going on the actual cooking.

[NMDemDist2]

1. clean kitchen, put on apron (not cuz I spill, but to keep the animal hair

out of the food LOL)

that's about it.....

[Tab]

2. Basically wipe down and clean

Sometimes if it's not too bad, and I'm not doing anything complicated, I don't bother, but there's a point - and it doesn't take much - where I absolutely refuse to prepare any food until the mess gets cleaned up, and I'll spend anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes or more if necessary washing and wiping and drying before I'll even start with any prep (and I don't particularly like cleaning, but this is the one time I will definitely do it).

My wife claims to like a clean kitchen, but she lies. Well, she likes it, but she's the worst offender of all. Anyway....

If I'm by myself, or my son is gone, often I'll find some good music (what kind depends on what mood I'm in), but if he's here, usually the TV is on (on Cartoon Network, most likely).

Pick a beverage, get a cutting board, get my Henckel chef knife (usually), get out the ingredients, and go for it.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. clean up

with a sparkly and a sparkly jr, cleaning is a must

then mise en place

then rock'n'roll

[Sparkly]

8. Hey!

I heard that.

[Stepup2]

4. Clean, empty the dishwasher

and put on NPR, if cooking in the afternoon, music if guests on the way, then don a funky apron and my Ugg clogs which helps even out the few inches of height the counter has on me.

My libation depends on the amount of time I will be in there prior to dinner.... I like to be above said counter prior to dinner:beer:

[Lugnut]

5. Make sure the dishwasher is empty first.

Then I clean the stove and countertop. I assemble my ingredients and pans that I'll need. Next I prep whatever needs prepping so I can let 'er rip once I get on a roll.

[Phentex]

6. Throw on an old t-shirt....

I can't seem to find an apron that fits without being too long and having to be tied on. And I hate that tied up feeling when I'm cooking! Then I clear the island off and gather all of the ingredients. Sometimes I cook to music but during the week I have Martha on TV in the background. I like to clean as I go, so the dishwasher needs to be empty before I begin.

[supernova]

7. Clean the kitchen, wash my hands, get something to drink

And oddly I like listening to or watching TV. I can't see the TV from my kitchen so I've considered getting one of those undercabinet TV/radio things. They're expensive and a total luxury item, but hey.

[Tab]

9. I don't do this myself

'cause I work with hot stuff, but there's always...

[NMDemDist2]

10. hey look! it's an old leftie lawyer magnet

:rofl:

[rucky]

11. Pour some wine and dive right in.

I trash kitchens, improvise like mad, and scramble for ingredients at the last second. It's part of the rush.

[yellowdogintexas]

12. I have to make room, get the kitchen read just likeyou

get ingredients together, definitely

I have to make sure the kitties have their supervising stool so they can watch me.

[mike_c]

13. clean work areas, put on music, organize ingredients....

[NashVegas]

14. Tidy Up

Make space.
Clear the dishwasher.
Clear the sink.

Measure, out and/or combine the "little" ingredients in tea cups - spices, herbs, chopped veggies, etc., and cover if necessary. That way I'm not constantly reaching into cupboards and stuff while I'm trying to do the main work.