Here's to Quiet Kitchens and Make-Ahead Mornings
How big-batch cooking sets us up for a week of easy meals
Issue 04 - From Dana’s Kitchen
Long before I was a parent, or even a grown up, I was a curious cook who loved being in the kitchen. I loved it bustling with energy when my family was busy preparing Sunday suppers. I loved it jam-packed with friends who’d show up for last-minute dinner invitations and end up talking (and maybe dancing) around the table late into the night.
But as much as I love a kitchen that’s full of life, I find few things more comforting than a quiet kitchen in the early morning. (Cue the epic frittata scene in Big Night.)
For my first restaurant job, I’d get in long before anyone else showed up, brew a pot of coffee, and start prepping. The tasks were rote, but the actions were reassuring: I’d chop a huge sack of Spanish onions and stir them with my thoughts until they were deep brown and caramelized. I’d roast tomatoes until jammy and sweet and whiz them into a sauce. By the time I transferred everything to the walk-in, the kitchen would in its breakfast rush bustle, with cooks shouting orders and plates clanking.
All these years later, I still love a quiet morning prep session on the weekend; I rely on it to clear my head and get a jump start on the week’s meals. I start cooking long before anyone in my house is up, and rarely do I have a solid plan. Always, I caramelize onions. Often, I’ll roast some vegetables and a big pork roast. And as I cook, I think about lots of stuff, including the meals ahead: maybe I’ll do tacos with the pork one night, a stew with greens and beans the next. Maybe I’ll invite friends over for a big Bo Ssam feast, or bring some stew to my neighbor.
And if I’m still at it when my son gets up, he’ll often pull up a stool at the kitchen island, pour himself a cup of tea, and start peeling potatoes or something with me. After a while, he might start talking about school or his plans for the day, but other times, we’re just quiet and together in the kitchen, and that’s pretty great, too.
Here are some good late winter batch-cooking ideas. Sheet pans are essential: I really love the patina and poppy colors of Great Jones Holy Sheet, which I find easier