Earlier this year with the help of a panel of chefs, academics, and food writers, Loblaw released their predictions for the year’s hottest food trends. They found that while many Canadians are looking for faster food solutions, they’re also more ambitious than ever when it comes to food preparation. This is really shown through the number of people looking at kitchenware reviews as they look to expand the equipment they have in their kitchen and tackle more complicated dishes. More people are looking to improve their cooking as information is more readily available to them. With the help of the internet, there’s virtually nothing Canadian home chefs won’t try! Chef Claire Tansey offers 4 shortcuts to upgrade your kitchen game:
- Securing your cutting board: Tuck a few wet paper towels, a thin, wet dish cloth or piece of grippy non-stick shelf liner under the board to prevent it from shifting, rocking or moving around while you chop. This makes prep safer and faster.
- Set up a compost bowl on the counter: It’s amazing how much time and energy you save by cutting down on trips to the compost bin while prepping. To be even more efficient, use a dirty plate or bowl that was already destined for the dishwasher.
- Use a bench scraper to reduce stress: How does a two-dollar tool reduce stress? Picture this: You’ve chopped three carrots and need to transfer them from the cutting board to the stew pot. It’s a mini crisis in kitchen terms: Will some fall on the floor? Will it take multiple trips? The bench scraper gathers up the chopped vegetables and transports them into a pan in one smooth move. Then it moves the trim and scraps to the compost bowl. No more crisis!
- Switching to a digital scale for measuring ingredients: Professionals (and most Europeans, too) use scales because it’s far more accurate and, frankly, more tidy. At first, you’ll need to convert your favourite recipes, but once you’ve got the gram measurements you’ll never have to scoop and sweep 1 cup of flour again.
Above all, remember that cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. Don’t stress, lower your expectations and forget about perfection. And maybe have fun! Happy cooking!