Cookiosity.
Search
EN
Menu

Guides

Plan your preparation: cook in a useful order

Plan your cooking by reading the recipe, weighing and cutting before heating, then preparing a clean workspace and containers for managing leftovers.

organisationpreparationhygienebeginners
Plan your preparation: cook in a useful order
Original illustration: a schematic drawing to help explain the subject.

Reading the whole recipe avoids discovering a missing colander over pasta that is ready to drain. Spot the cutting, weighing, tins to open and preheating, then prepare what you need. The aim is simple: watch the food cooking without a simultaneous utensil hunt.

Spot the jobs that can run together

Gather the equipment, check its capacity, weigh the ingredients and prepare the cuts. Keep the first ingredients to be used near the hob. A bowl can serve several stages in turn if it is cleaned appropriately: there is no need to bring out the entire collection.

Notice the waiting times too: an oven to preheat, water to boil and dessert to rest. For tomato and chickpea pasta, start the sauce before draining. For apple crumble, heat the oven while cutting and include the rest in your serving schedule.

Does a dog share your home? The guide to cooking with a dog at home helps you plan clear walkways. To organise utensils, see how to measure for 3D-printed kitchen storage before printing.

Clean between tasks

Wash hands with soap and clean utensils between tasks. Use separate boards for raw meat and fish on one hand, and cooked food and clean vegetables on the other. Wash fruit and vegetables before preparation.

For an allergy, check every product’s ingredients and possible contact with equipment or other ingredients. Replacing an ingredient alone does not guarantee suitability. The site’s pages do not replace individual medical advice.

Prepare containers for after the meal

For food that will not be eaten immediately, prepare clean, suitably sized containers and refrigerate no later than two hours after preparation. The coldest part of the fridge must remain between 0 and 4 °C. Follow packaging instructions too.

Do not leave a large saucepan of soup on the worktop all evening. Divide large quantities among several shallow containers to help them cool, without exceeding the two-hour limit before refrigeration. Label containers with their contents and preparation date. This guide gives no universal storage period: the product, actual conditions and applicable recommendations must be considered.

Sources for this page

For your measurements and proportions

Tools

Kitchen converter: grams, ml and US cups

Convert grams, ml and US cups for six ingredients. Check the quarter-cup reference values and choose the right units before measuring your ingredients.

Use the tool →

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

Chef’s knife: set up a steady board and controlled cut
Original illustration: a schematic drawing to help explain the subject.
Understand what you cook

Chef’s knife: set up a steady board and controlled cut

Use a chef’s knife with a steady board and a controlled grip, then learn about careful cleaning and storage, without a commercial product comparison.

knifecutting
Saucepan: leave room to cook and stir
Original illustration: a schematic drawing to help explain the subject.
Understand what you cook

Saucepan: leave room to cook and stir

Choose a saucepan with room to stir, a base suited to the hob and heating and cleaning instructions specific to your model before starting the recipe.

saucepanequipment
Tomato and chickpea pasta: coat every piece
Generated illustration.
40 min4 servings

Tomato and chickpea pasta: coat every piece

Make tomato and chickpea pasta for four, coordinate the cooking and loosen the sauce with a little pasta water just before bringing it to the table.

pastatomato
Apple crumble: tender fruit and golden crumbs
Generated illustration.
70 min4 servings

Apple crumble: tender fruit and golden crumbs

Make apple crumble for four with small pieces of fruit, a topping kept in loose crumbs and a planned resting time before bringing dessert to the table.

appledessert

An ingredient to hand, a question in mind

Search for a recipe, ingredient or kitchen skill

26 pages found

Guide

Cooking with a dog at home: a safer kitchen

Cooking with a dog takes a little planning: keep walkways clear, put food and waste out of reach, and prepare a quiet place where your dog can rest.

Guide

3D-printed kitchen storage: measure before printing

Plan 3D-printed kitchen storage to fit your drawer and its contents: check internal dimensions, room for your hands and a mock-up before you start printing.

Guide

Measuring flour: why the weight of a cup varies

A cup of flour can have different weights. Compare the references of 120 g, 125 g and up to 160 g, along with their methods and limits.

Recipe

Carrot and red lentil soup: choose your texture

Make carrot and red lentil soup for four with a gentle simmer, tender vegetables and water added at the end to give the soup the texture you prefer.

Recipe

Tomato and chickpea pasta: coat every piece

Make tomato and chickpea pasta for four, coordinate the cooking and loosen the sauce with a little pasta water just before bringing it to the table.

Recipe

Roast potatoes: even pieces and a golden finish

For oven-roasted potatoes, cut even-sized pieces, leave room on the tray and check the centre as well as the colour before serving this side dish.

Recipe

Apple crumble: tender fruit and golden crumbs

Make apple crumble for four with small pieces of fruit, a topping kept in loose crumbs and a planned resting time before bringing dessert to the table.

Ingredient

Carrot: match the cut to the dish

Prepare carrots to suit the dish: rounds for soup, dice for sauce or sticks as a side, with practical pointers for checking their texture during cooking.

Ingredient

Red lentils: cook for a soft, thick soup

Learn to cook red lentils in soup: rinse them, keep an eye on the liquid, adjust the final texture and understand why other pulses are not a direct swap.

Ingredient

Chickpeas: dried weight and drained weight differ

When cooking chickpeas, distinguish dried, net and drained weights, then prepare the right product for your sauce and the amount the recipe calls for.

Ingredient

Apple: choose the cut and texture for dessert

Prepare apples for dessert by weighing at the right stage, choosing the size of the pieces and watching how the variety and baking dish affect texture.

Utensil

Chef’s knife: set up a steady board and controlled cut

Use a chef’s knife with a steady board and a controlled grip, then learn about careful cleaning and storage, without a commercial product comparison.

Utensil

Saucepan: leave room to cook and stir

Choose a saucepan with room to stir, a base suited to the hob and heating and cleaning instructions specific to your model before starting the recipe.

Guide

Soften an onion: cook gently without burning

To soften an onion, prepare what comes next before heating, watch the colour and adjust the heat before adding garlic, tomatoes or the recipe’s liquid.

Guide

Plan your preparation: cook in a useful order

Plan your cooking by reading the recipe, weighing and cutting before heating, then preparing a clean workspace and containers for managing leftovers.

Ingredient

Onion: choose, slice and prepare for the hob

Choose a storage onion, distinguish slices from small dice and prepare the required amount and the next ingredients before heating your saucepan.

Ingredient

Potato: sort and cut before roasting

Before roasting potatoes, sort the tubers, check the weight before peeling and cut similar-sized pieces on a steady board, ready for the oven tray.

Utensil

Frying pan: choose the useful base and cooking surface

When choosing a frying pan, check the usable base, side height and food-contact surface, then follow the model’s instructions for cooking and care.

Material

Stainless steel: understand the pan before use

Understand stainless steel cookware: the food-contact surface, base construction, hob compatibility and maintenance need checking for each utensil.

Material

Enamelled cast iron: identify and protect the surface

With enamelled cast iron, distinguish enamel from seasoning, heat according to the instructions and protect the inner surface during cooking and cleaning.

Material

PTFE non-stick: prevent overheating and surface wear

Identify a PTFE non-stick coating, avoid heating an empty pan and use suitable cooking and cleaning methods while keeping the different risks in perspective.

Guide

Slice an onion: make even half-moon slices

To slice an onion, rest each half flat, work at your own pace and prepare the next ingredients before heating, without trying to match a demonstration’s speed.

Tools

Kitchen converter: grams, ml and US cups

Convert grams, ml and US cups for six ingredients. Check the quarter-cup reference values and choose the right units before measuring your ingredients.

Tools

Adjust the proportions of your own recipe

Adjust your recipe for the servings you want or an ingredient you have: enter a base, then calculate the quantities while keeping their original units.

Tools

Switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit for the oven

Convert an oven temperature between Celsius and Fahrenheit, from 0 to 350 °C, using the exact formula and without automatic adjustments for fan cooking.

Tools

Scale a recipe for a round or square baking pan

Compare the base areas of two pans and adjust the ingredient amounts to keep the batter about the same depth.