Awesome Rawesome Kitchen Tips
– by Rawsome Chef Mary
You have to get creative to make the most of a tiny raw kitchen.
Flexibility is also a key consideration when you’re sharing the space with someone who likes to occasionally cook.
Whatever your raw commitment, resources, or kitchen space … get creative and make it fit your personal style!
Here are some tips for what I do in my own tiny kitchen — I hope it’ll inspire you along your own path to health!
1. Get Creative and Be Flexible
A large sturdy bamboo cutting board across a stovetop that can easily be moved aside will help keep the peace. (See Pic Above!)
With no counter space to spare for those all so elegant recipe book holders, printed out recipes get slipped into sheet protectors which I clip above the stove with magnetic plastic clothespins for easy viewing. Once tried and tested, these online treasures are kept organized in a three-ring binder.
Keep utensils that are in constant use out in the open; I hang a strainer and measuring spoons just above the workspace with my ceramic knives and hand mandolins resting on the back ledge. If you’re new to the raw lifestyle, one thing you’ll quickly discover is that you’ll be using your salad bowl constantly. I no longer bother to put it away and keep it next to the chopping board – I could get carpal syndrome just from taking it in and out of the cupboard.
Keep a glass measuring bowl with a large strainer out for all those coconuts you’re going to get efficient at opening. The strainer keeps small shell fragments from accidentally getting into your recipes. Nothing like a broken tooth to turn off tentative relatives you’re trying to impress.
2. Extend Shelf Life with Proper Storage
My cracker box kitchen necessitates overflow into my garage for raw staples and produce not needing immediate refrigeration. But any cool pantry or cupboard will serve the same purpose.
I store almost everything in glass mason jars with plastic caps easily found in the canning section of your local store (or online at Amazon). These quick screw-on caps eliminate the frustration I used to experience with removing and replacing the original two piece ring and seal lids.
I use large cereal pour type containers for my flax and buckwheat seeds. Any dried fruit goes into vacuum sealed containers. Green produce bags helps extend shelf life for the fresh items.
Keep onions and garlic dry by hanging in net bags which provides important air circulation.
Be sure to save a few green plastic berry baskets for when you’re ready to make nut cheeses.
And you can never have enough bowls … for storage, food prep, or garden harvesting. Make sure one of them is enormous for easy mess free salad tossing! Mine came from the restaurant section in a big warehouse store.
3. Location! Location! Location!
When it comes to small appliances … Location, location, location! Make sure the ones you use daily only require the flip of a switch. Items used less frequently can be stored in a nearby cupboard or easily accessible sideboard.
I keep my blender, juicers, mixer and food processors out in the open, backed up by my spice rack and utensils. My other raw equipment spills out into the dining area on moveable racks: dehydrator, automatic sprouter, Champion juicer, spiralizers, wheat grass trays.
If you’re just starting out, invest in the best equipment you can afford. A high-powered blender, quality food processor, and juicer will get you started on the right foot and allow you to make more interesting and tasty recipes than there are days in the year. Once you decide there’s no going back for you, then you can start adding to your collection.
Whatever your raw commitment, resources, or kitchen space … get creative and make it fit your personal style.
~ Rawsome Chef Mary