10 Ideas for Holiday Cooking in a Tiny Kitchen

The Art of Holiday Cooking in a Tiny Kitchen

Heather Ramsdell,
Senior Editorial Director

I love to cook in other people's apartments during the holidays because I get to feed my friends delicious things. And I love cooking in tiny kitchens because the ingenuity, discipline, and adversity needed to cook in them breeds invention. Plus, pulling off a party in a tiny space makes me literally so much closer to my friends.

I learned a lot about cooking neatly when I worked as a cook at a teeny 25-inch-long restaurant station where I could not raise my elbows without hitting the fish cook. This made me more organized and less freaked out.

Here are some ideas that may help you become not-at-all freaked-out preparing your season's feast from a tiny kitchen—or any kitchen you want to keep super tidy while also entertaining.

1.	Clear the decks: Unusual objects force their way into your tiny kitchen at this time of year. Suddenly gingerbread houses appear, cookie tins, Panettone which you may have baked yourself, whole hams, champagne bottles, and new kitchen gadgets show up. Find homes before your party.
2.	Build upward: Pretend it's a city. Vertical space is key. Clear the counters by moving everything that is not in use to higher ground. Use stackable storage containers, even in the refrigerator or freezer.
3.	Eyes on the prize: Remember why you are doing this: You love these people. Ditch anything on the menu that stresses you out, or hampers your ability to share and make guests happy and comfortable. If you won't sweat making a yule log do it! But know that chocolate cake is just as kind.
4.	Time is on your side: Plan a diverse menu that includes foods you make ahead (like pastries, stews, dips) and some you finish at the last minute (like steamed dumplings, tamales, salads, quick-cooking seafood). Wash, pick, and prep herbs, chop garlic and onions, store them in towel rolls in the fridge. And complete any desserts well before you start meal prep.
5.	Breathe: You knew I was going to say that. It has nothing to do with food, but breathing is good and perfection is boring. Happy holidays!

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