Management is the process of dealing or controlling things. Cooking management, therefore, is the process of dealing with cooking at home.
Most times, people find it hard to cook because of the stress involved in cooking that particular type of food; from going to the market to purchase foodstuff to spending hours in the kitchen. There is, however, a way out of this situation that weighs people down.
Depending on the type of food, there is no need to overstay your welcome in the kitchen. There are meals that do not need much hassle to cook.
But then there are some that just require you to spend a long time in the foodroom. Edika-ikong soup, afang soup and ofada stew, among others fall into this category. These dishes require different processes from going to the market, boiling the meat, to slicing and pounding the vegetable leaves where required. This process is long, and the way out for a busy woman or cook is to take a step at a time and have a break.
If you know you will be cooking a soup on Sunday, you can go to the market while coming from work on a weekday; boil the meats and necessary ingredients on another day. If it requires bleaching the oil like in the ofada, bleach it and let it cool while you cook the soup another time. This process makes cooking particularly very easy with less or no stress.
For meals like moin-moin (bean pudding or steamed bean dish), jollof beans, akara (bean cake), and meals that fall in this category, it is less tasking to pick and parboil your Jollof beans in the morning, while you finish the cooking later in the evening or when desired. For the bean cake and bean pudding, you can remove the skin and then refrigerate till you are ready to do the cooking. With that, you are not getting yourself worked up.
When it comes down to feeding your body and mind, nothing is superior to preparing your own food from scratch with quality ingredients.
Here are some few advantages of cooking your own meal:
1. Cooking your meal saves you money; Packaged and prepared meals cost considerably more than cooking at home. Other ways to save money include buying your food in bulk.
2. Cooking your meal helps you manage your salt and fats consumption. Eateries and restaurant chefs make use of higher levels of salt and fat to make their products look and taste better. Preparing meals at home allows you to control the amount of salt and oils you use in your recipes.
3. Cooking your meals increases the nutrient in your daily diet. Taking the time to plan your weekly menu not only helps you to save time and money, it also provides a way to create meals with a proper balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, as well as all the essential vitamins and minerals needed for the body. When eating balanced meals, your body feels satisfied.
4. Cooking your meal controls weight loss. With larger portions, people tend to eat more; but cooking at home allows you to control serving sizes and prevent overeating.