What’s cookin’ good lookin?

[Steve Miller]

In an effort to eliminate doom scrolling, which was harshing my mellow, I’ve been watching YouTube cooking shows and listening to cooking podcasts.

The internet will just have to get along without me.

I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve especially learned that even classically trained chefs do things differently from one another. So I ask you:

Apron or no? Towel hanging from apron?

Bench scraper? Or scrape cutting board with knife? Blade up or blade down?

Garlic in with the aromatics or just for the last minute for fear of burning?

Jarlic? Frozen garlic?

Countertop trash bowl when chopping?

Mis en place?

Clean as you go or all at once?

Where do you stand?

[wtg]

@Steve-Miller said in What’s cookin’ good lookin?:

Apron or no? Towel hanging from apron?

No apron. Towels hang on oven handle (to dry) or on counter (if I'm working and need a towel nearby)

Bench scraper? Or scrape cutting board with knife? Blade up or blade down?

Bench scraper for bread dough on counter. I use my impeccably clean hand (thank you, Julia!) to brush foods chopped on a cutting board into wherever they are going (bowl or pan on the stove).

Garlic in with the aromatics or just for the last minute for fear of burning?

Jarlic? Frozen garlic?

Almost no garlic. Doesn't agree with me

Countertop trash bowl when chopping?

My handy dandy compost container, which is a 20 year old plastic container that originally contained frozen cream puffs that I bought at Costco.

Mis en place?

Most of the time

Clean as you go or all at once?

Mostly all at once. Mr wtg is usually the clean up crew. I don't like someone in my space when I'm prepping, so he usually steps in when I'm done, or at least when I'm standing at the cooktop and am no longer moving around from frig to prep area to sink.

[Steve Miller]

Bonus question, style points for knowing the reference:

Mango Chutney in egg fried rice?

[Axtremus]

Countertop trash bowl when chopping?

Lemme introduce you to this very practical product:

Lunies Over the Cabinet Plastic Trash Bag Holder for Kitchen, … 8.6"x 4.9"
Available at Amazon: https://a.co/d/eVkPq30

I use one myself. One of my best kitchen-related purchase.

[Mik]

Apron or no? Towel hanging from apron? Not usually.

Bench scraper? Or scrape cutting board with knife? Blade up or blade down? I rinse mine in sink

Garlic in with the aromatics or just for the last minute for fear of burning? Depends on the cook. If low heat immediately, if high heat, later.

Jarlic? Frozen garlic? Frozen or pre-peeled. 90% frozen Dorot brand.

Countertop trash bowl when chopping? yes.

Mis en place? Sometimes.

Clean as you go or all at once? Mostly as I go.

[wtg]

@Steve-Miller said in What’s cookin’ good lookin?:

Mango Chutney in egg fried rice?

No clue. Can't wait for the answer.

[Mik]

Why not? I made a chicken garlic stew last night. Boneless thighs, butter, lemon, cannellini beans, tons of garlic, shallots, a little sour cream at the end. I thought it was a little liquidy as I added a cup of chicken stock, so about an hour from done I added in halved mushrooms and some spinach. Pretty good with crusty bread to soak it up with. Better today for lunch. I did it in my dutch oven at 200F for four hours.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026893-slow-cooker-garlic-butter-chicken?campaign_id=58&emc=edit_ck_20250609&instance_id=156050&nl=cooking&regi_id=49184069&segment_id=199587&user_id=2127aee77c7a5b6be2d2c611f646d27e

[Steve Miller]

That sounds real good!

[Mik]

I wasn't keen on the lemon. Other than that, it's a great base and I think you could add and subtract as you wish. A bit of mirepoix maybe, or some other herbs . I really did not need to add the stock, and it's not in the recipe but I think it made it better today. It surprisingly created its own liquid, I guess from the chicken and beans. I really liked the halved mushrooms. I also like beans cooked down to mushy soup-like. If you want them firmer add them only for the last hour.

[Mary Anna]

@Steve-Miller said in What’s cookin’ good lookin?:

Apron or no? Towel hanging from apron?

My mother never understood why I didn't inherit her insistence on cooking in an apron. I've usually got a towel or two on the counter for when I need it.

Bench scraper? Or scrape cutting board with knife? Blade up or blade down?
Knife. Usually blade down.

Garlic in with the aromatics or just for the last minute for fear of burning?
With the aromatics. Since it's...you know...an aromatic. Right?

Jarlic? Frozen garlic?
No jarlic. It has a funky, musty taste and smell to me. I use fresh garlic when it matters and garlic powder when it's not so important. As long as there's not so much garlic powder that you can taste it as a separate ingredient, I think has its place. I've never tried frozen garlic.

Countertop trash bowl when chopping?
We have a pull-out cabinet for the trash. I just leave it open when I'm cooking.

Mis en place?
Not really. Before I start cooking, I chop what I'm going to need soon. Then I sorta cycle things through, chopping the next wave of stuff while the first wave is cooking.

Clean as you go or all at once?
Yes and no. I load the dishwasher while I'm working. When I'm still early in the process, I wash bowls and pots in the sink. When the meal's nearly ready, though, I need to focus on getting things done.

Where do you stand?
By the stove.

[Bernard]

Apron or no? Sometimes. Towel hanging from apron? I prefer over the shoulder.

Bench scraper? Sometimes. Or scrape cutting board with knife? Sometimes. Blade up or blade down? Down.

Garlic in with the aromatics or just for the last minute for fear of burning? Sometimes

Jarlic? Frozen garlic? Never heard of it

Countertop trash bowl when chopping? Sometimes.

Mis en place? Sometimes.

Clean as you go or all at once? Sometimes.

Where do you stand? In the kitchen.