Good morning. We're blown away by all of the support for the Cook Well companion app:

Our Kickstarter page was fully funded in less than a week and continues pushing past 100%!

COOKING HABIT 🍳

How to clean as you go

A habit of chefs is that they constantly clean and tidy up as they go, always maintaining an organized workspace and kitchen. By contrast, the novice home cook may end up with a sink and counter full of dishes by the time the meal is ready.

Here’s how to change that:

1) All recipes have some natural breakpoints where things can be washed and put away.

Look for moments where something is simmering for a few minutes or you are waiting for water to come to a boil → wash the prep dishes.
Perhaps you are searing or browsing meat, and it shouldn’t be disturbed until it gets some color → wipe down counters.
If the oven is preheating or you are baking or toasting an ingredient → put away knives and wipe down the cutting board.

2) Don’t be afraid to pause and clean. An organized space brings peace of mind and minimizes stress and mistakes.

If you need to mise-en-place all your ingredients and clean up before heading to the stove, do it! Once you get more comfortable multitasking, you can do some steps simultaneously.

3) If possible — utilize the dishwasher

Can a utensil or dish be put straight in, instead of thrown in the sink and dealt with later?
Can you take 20 seconds now to scrape something into the trash now, instead of adding it to the pile, which will dirty other dishes too?

Notes & tips

Develop an awareness of your kitchen so you know when you can step away to clean as you go. Can you keep an eye on the stove while putting things up? Can you listen to the simmer to know your sauce is still reducing? Can you use your sense of smell while cleaning and be confident the pot on the stove isn’t burning?
Use timers to ensure you don’t forget about something in the broiler, pasta boiling, etc. That will give you peace of mind to divert your attention to tidying up for a few minutes.

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

One pot recipes

If all of the dishwashing talk above overwhelmed you, don’t worry, we like one-pot dishes too. They are a great place to start building other small clean-as-you-go habits without having to worry about extra pans to wash later.

Cook the Collection

READER Q&A 🧠

How do frameworks help you get better in the kitchen?

“I’m already pretty good at cooking. How do frameworks and the app help me level up?” - Cameron F.

Our cooking frameworks will be spread across three categories in the app:

1) Inspiration frameworks: Think of these as common meal form factors (grain bowl, pasta salad, stir fry, sandwiches)

2) Technique frameworks: How to make a core element of a dish with a specific technique

3) Lifestyle frameworks: A focused action or habit you can incorporate into your cooking routines.

All three types can be used for all levels of home cooks, but if you're a newer home cook, inspiration frameworks are especially helpful. They help you understand recipes from a component level, which empowers you to riff with ingredients you already have:

Learn one framework → create many recipes.

Once you’ve mastered basic meal types, more advanced home cooks can level up each component of those meals by turning to the technique-based frameworks.

A few examples of technique-focused frameworks. There will be many more to discover on the Cook Well app.

Can you improve a salad with a more involved vinaigrette?
Can you perfect a seared meat, and then use a pan sauce framework to make it even better?
Can you level up your vegetable sides with blanching or stir frying?

In other words, there will be content for many skills levels. Learn more about the framework types and our other app features on the Kickstarter page:

Check Out the App

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Ubiquitous sushi boats

Why are sushi boats all over my feed?

Fajita platters, move aside: there’s an even better way to make the table next to you super jealous.

Sushi restaurants everywhere are adopting the trend of serving their rolls on a miniature wooden boat that resembles a Japanese fishing vessel.

At some restaurants, the boat is an order that comes with a specific lineup of rolls.
At other places, if you come with a large party or you simply order enough rolls, they’ll have no choice but to bring out the boat as the only suitable serving platter.

Of course, the trend has been perpetuated by its aesthetic appeal on social media, enticing both diners and restauranteurs alike to get in on the action.

Supposedly, the sushi boat platter might have some historical legitimacy. Some people claim similar boats were invented to entertain Japanese royalty when serving seafood, pleasing Feudal Lords and Shoguns as early as the 17th century.