I dont cook often, but I do it very well, and my first thought when I see a recipe is the most efficient way to do it.
(its why my wife hates me lol)
Whenever I cook, the most mess I have left, is the plates I served it on.
(see above, mac and cheese, drain pasta, back in pot, throw sauce in pot, clean saucepan, dole out food, fill remaining vessel with smoking hot water, put bowls in pot, 8 bowls, 5 minutes worth of washing..no need to tax the dishwasher)
By the time dessert is on the table, the sink is empty.
(and yes, its gauche, but I use plastic for dessert, i prefer to engage in the post dinner activity)
900 million cookbooks in the world. None on effiency. Not even RR 20 minute scam. She can cook in 20 minutes, but leaves an hours worth of detritus.
I love that because it makes perfect sense to me. That’s how I run the kitchen, clean as you go. My spouse uses the opposite approach, use every pan and utensil you can find. It’s why we cook better separately. And he wins out because when one cooks, the other cleans up afterward.