SET YOURSELF UP
Both the easiest and the hardest part of cooking is the lesson of staying clean while creating your meal. Organized chaos really- this is the art of destroying while you create while simultaneously cleaning as you go.
The concept is easy, but the practice is anything but.
The most successful chef is the clean one.
Honestly, cooking is fun and cleaning is not. Cooking is magical and cleaning is dark magic.
Just don't fight it too hard- that's my best advice. Take 10 minutes to clean up before you start, and try not to get too upset about having to start before you start.
Secondly, and luckily the last step in the cleaning up process, is clean as you go.
There are many short bouts of downtime in the cooking process: in heating up your pan or oven, waiting while the ingredients cook before you turn them, resting periods, cooling times.
In these moments, rinse off a dish, sneak something out of the dishwasher, soak a pan, wipe the counter tops, clean the oil spatter on the stove, sweep the floor.
The secret of the second half of cooking is stealth- without even thinking about it, just clean something secretly.
Enjoy the magic of cooking by eating happily and having a nice conversation while you digest.
Rinse your plate, then retire for the night.
And that's it.
Make a little time and a little secret out of cleaning as you go.
Set yourself up for seamless success!