It occurred to me the other night as I whisked some flour into a lemon sauce that part of my problem is that I let myself believe I am at a disadvantage because I don’t have things that “great” chefs have. For instance, I have one of America’s tiniest kitchens…
Cute things come in small packages.
And a cramped, disorganized freezer…
Why yes, my freezer contains chicken and waffles. Purely coincidence.
And even my whisk, adorable as it is, is itty-bitty…
Oink oink.
I had a moment where I began to take inventory of the things I don’t have. I had to remind myself that learning to cook isn’t about having fancy kitchen gadgets and lots of space. How does that saying go? It’s not how big it is, it’s what you do with it? I have about three square feet of usable counter space. My whisk is six inches tall. All but one of my frying pans and one of my pots wobble on the stove top. I have twice as many spices as my spice rack will hold. I can’t reach half the cabinets in my kitchen. And you know what? OH WELL! I can still do this. It’s a matter of adapting to my surroundings and learning to deal with the circumstances. Space and fancy shmancy gizmos aren’t going to turn me into a great chef. Motivation is the only thing that can.
Having said that, I purchased my first avocado last night. I eat them often, but I’ve never prepared one myself. I came home from the store, set the avocado on the counter, and spent some time educating myself on how to slice one. With a self-pat on the back for being proactive, I made the first cut with an extra dose of confidence…….and I STILL failed.
Must. Practice. More.
Luckily, it was still edible. Luckily, it was wrapped up in a tortilla so I didn’t have to see the mutilation as I enjoyed my delicious taco. However, I definitely need to polish my avocado-cutting skills. Unless there’s some sort of fancy kitchen gadget that will perfectly cut one for me…
Me Cook Yummy One Day 
Please don’t get sucked into buying a fancy kitchen gadget to cut an avocado. The best tool to use is a good knife, once you get the hang of it. Practice, practice, practice! Good luck!
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I envy your whisk, just for the record.
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Suggestion for avacados: Slice them around the outside, then pop the halves apart. Then, use a big spoon to scoop the flesh out.
Also, You can do some awesome things with a tiny kitchen and ghetto tools. It just takes some imagination sometimes. And when you DO go about buying some better tools, just do it one at a time, and buy quality items. Having a well stocked kitchen takes time.
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@Alicia R: Thanks for the tip! I absolutely love avocados, so I’ll have plenty of opportunity to try again. 🙂
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To add to the Avocado, if you want slices for something pretty or just to snack, when you scoop it out, use a tablespoon and just get ALL the flesh out in one go. it’s very easy to with a medium sized spoon. Once it is out, you can then slice it nicely, or do a fine chop for some guacamole for example, or as a garnish on a salad (with the nice slices)
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That piggy whisk is pretty darn awesome.
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