Gordon Ramsay isn’t known for a gentle approach. He’s hit the headlines for his hardline approach in the kitchen, yelling at chefs to help them push themselves in shows like “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.” But the British cooking star bared his softer side on a tell-all AMA session on Reddit.
His advice for stressed-out chefs who are grinding away for hours on end in a restaurant? Give yourself a break, both literally and figuratively. “If there’s one thing I’ve taught my young chefs today, it’s to work hard and not get disillusioned with the bigger picture,” he said. He explained that although it may not seem like you’re reaching your goals as quickly as you’d like, in reality, those hours of hard work are building skills you can take to any kitchen around the world.
The “MasterChef” personality took a few months off as a private chef in a yacht early on in his career, saying, “[I] had the most amazing time, and what I learned after that experience was that I could do in one hour on a boat what I was doing in 14 to 15 hours in the professional kitchen.” Then he added, “It confirms what you’ve learned when you walk into a new establishment. It shows how strong you are.”
Star advice for young chefs
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
Life in high-end kitchens is notoriously high pressure. And nobody knows this more than Gordon Ramsay, who has offered his fair share of advice to aspiring chefs in the past. On an episode of the Super U Podcast, in conversation with Erik Qualman, the chef echoed the words of wisdom: “My advice to any young chef anywhere in the world — get out of your comfort zone, and put yourself in a scenario where you have to build a character, learn a second language, and find out a lot about yourself on your own, without mum, without dad, without a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, and without any money.”
It’s perhaps unsurprising with a chef whose repertoire encompasses such a spectrum of global flavors, with Ramsay partial to Asian-inspired dishes, as well as French and Moroccan cuisine. In the podcast, he added that placing yourself in new situations and “building a character” helps you improve over time: “You’d be surprised three years down the line, what that does for your self-esteem, phenomenal.”
In the Reddit AMA, Ramsay pointed out to aspiring chefs, “Cooking at this level is so intense. So don’t give up. Be honest with yourself and take a month out,” he said. If you’re a frustrated cook at the end of your rope, take it from one of the toughest chefs in the world: Sometimes, the best thing you can do is walk away for a little while. Then come back and cook even better.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Even the most organized kitchen has its blind spots, and for a lot of us that’s the fridge. While there are plenty of gadgets and equipment designed to tidy up drawers, cabinets, and countertops, when it comes time to put the groceries away, the refrigerator is frequently overlooked. But even though we tend to think of it as fixed space, a fridge is nothing more than a climate-controlled cabinet. In fact, it’s even more important to organize this area of the kitchen because it holds the most perishable items, and when you can’t find what you need, or things get shoved in the back and forgotten, you can waste a lot of food. Storing things haphazardly can destroy certain foods, and arranging everything so that you can see all your food is the simplest hack for preventing waste. If you find yourself digging around in the refrigerator all the time, or frustrated that you can never reach what you need without moving everything around, try using a lazy Susan.
Lazy Susans are a genius hack for organizing refrigerators because you can always see (and reach) what’s on the shelves with a quick spin. No more vegetables dying of dehydration on the bottom shelf, or packs of chicken lingering past the expiration date. For just a few dollars, a refrigerator-safe spinner can corral anything from condiments to proteins, and there’s absolutely no installation or assembly required.
Choose a model that fits your fridge
YouTube/KG Simple Reviews
Lazy susans come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, so when you’re shopping for a unit, always keep in mind what it is you’re trying to organize. If bottles of condiments are an issue, look for models that have high sides like the Slow Slog Refrigerator Lazy Susan, Clear Turntable Organizer. This will keep bottles from tipping over when the turntable is rotating or when you’re grabbing and replacing bottles.
Of course the inside of the refrigerator isn’t round, so circular-shaped lazy Susans will always leave a bit of unused area around them. Square-shaped models, however, really maximize the space. The LAMU Lazy Susan Organizer Turntable has a design that allows you to pull out one side or the other, or rotate the turntable completely. The only drawback is that it doesn’t have tall sides to keep things in place. If containment is an issue, go for the FIRINER Lazy Susan Turntable Organizer for Fridge, which has a decent-sized lip around the edges to keep items in place.
Whatever model you choose, always make sure to do your homework with a measuring tape inside your refrigerator to make sure the unit will actually fit. The best lazy Susan for your fridge is the one that actually works, and if it’s sold as a two pack, consider it a bonus because you can use the second one to organize a kitchen cabinet.
