Do this before you cook

When cooking feels stressful, it’s rarely because the recipe is difficult

Cooking is unpredictable. Things can and do go wrong. When people start cooking while they’re still preparing — chopping, measuring, searching for tools — reaction time disappears. That’s when small issues turn into big problems and all the joy drains out of the process.

When you’re prepping and cooking at the same time, your attention is split. You’re not really watching what’s happening in the pan — and that’s where the magic actually is. Cooking isn’t just about watching the heat and the time; it’s about noticing. The smell changing, the sound shifting, the exact point where something moves from cooked to just right. Juggling preparation and cooking means you miss that moment. Not because you lack skill, but because your focus is elsewhere. Preparation gives you the space to pay attention — and that attention is what makes the difference.

I see friends cook like this all the time. Juggling half finished prep with pans already on the heat. You can see the stress building. It’s easy to understand why cooking starts to feel intimidating — even something to fear.

Good preparation about giving yourself the chance to really enjoy what you’re doing and to make sure what’s cooking has the attention it needs.

Tools for the job

Tools help more than people realise. The right ones allow you to move smoothly through preparation without feeling clumsy. Don’t chop with the wrong knife. Don’t chop with a blunt one. You can manage with very little, but what you do have should work properly.

You can cook well with just two knives, but I recommend investing in four (I’ve listed them here). If you can only have one, this is the one to go with — and no, it isn’t the small knife that struggles to get through lemons for your G&T (Ms Deborah Tracy my lovely friend). The same principle applies to a handful of other essential pieces of equipment. I’ve included a list of the foundation tools needed for the simple recipes in this volume, as well as a complete equipment list covering everything used across the wider collection.

Most important habit to get into

As for preparation itself: weigh and chop everything before you start cooking. Always. Make it a habit. Keep a bin or bag close by, and clean down as you go. Working tidily reduces mistakes and allows you to stay calm and in control once the heat goes on.

Preparation doesn’t slow cooking down.
It’s what makes it flow.

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