There's no denying it: Home cooking in New York City is a struggle. Between working late hours, the constant influx of new spots to check out, and no room in our tiny kitchens, sometimes the motivation to even toss a salad escapes us. The key to eating in — without resorting to our good old friend Seamless — is to create an efficient kitchen filled with food you'll actually use (and eat!).
We turned to Camille Becerra, chef and partner at SoHo restaurant Navy, for insight on how she effortlessly runs her own kitchen at home. For her, it's all about establishing a go-to statement dish (curry!) and keeping fresh herbs on hand to elevate any meal. Obviously, you should go visit her restaurant, but after the tips ahead, you'll want to get dicing and sautéing yourself.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
What's the best way to prep to take the edge off of cooking?
"I love to use fresh herbs to finish off any dish. When you buy them, put them in an airtight container so that throughout the week, you can just be grabbing a handful. Make an extra-large batch of sauce or soup and portion it out through the week. You can also make a big batch of grains and keep using them throughout the week. Do steamed grains the first day, a quick stir-fry with ginger and garlic the second day, and finally, you can sprinkle them on a salad."
"I love to use fresh herbs to finish off any dish. When you buy them, put them in an airtight container so that throughout the week, you can just be grabbing a handful. Make an extra-large batch of sauce or soup and portion it out through the week. You can also make a big batch of grains and keep using them throughout the week. Do steamed grains the first day, a quick stir-fry with ginger and garlic the second day, and finally, you can sprinkle them on a salad."
What are your favorite at-home recipes you'd recommend for the overworked and underpaid?
"I love a good curry because it’s so simple! Also, a piece of fish and an avocado salad. The trick to making a simple dish special is just topping it with nuts, sumac, and fresh herbs (chervil, mint, or cilantro). Any dish can be special and beautiful with the right fresh toppers."
"I love a good curry because it’s so simple! Also, a piece of fish and an avocado salad. The trick to making a simple dish special is just topping it with nuts, sumac, and fresh herbs (chervil, mint, or cilantro). Any dish can be special and beautiful with the right fresh toppers."
What really are the new kitchen essentials?
"Don’t feel like you need to buy a whole bunch of stuff to make yourself a cook. Instead, just have your pot, your pan, your mortar and pestle, your one or two knives. You want ownership of your equipment, so if you start off small, I think it's less intimidating. Really, find a recipe that you fucking love to eat, and you won’t get sick of making it time after time. You’ll gain a certain level of confidence, because even if you know just one recipe, you know how to cook…and then you can tackle more and more. Make it until you can do it without the recipe."
"Don’t feel like you need to buy a whole bunch of stuff to make yourself a cook. Instead, just have your pot, your pan, your mortar and pestle, your one or two knives. You want ownership of your equipment, so if you start off small, I think it's less intimidating. Really, find a recipe that you fucking love to eat, and you won’t get sick of making it time after time. You’ll gain a certain level of confidence, because even if you know just one recipe, you know how to cook…and then you can tackle more and more. Make it until you can do it without the recipe."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT