"The devotee should not be anxious about cooking food; whatever is available in the forest or in the city among the fruit and vegetable groups should be offered to the Deity, and the devotee should be satisfied eating that. He should not be anxious to have very palatable dishes. Of course, wherever it is possible, one should offer the Deities the best foodstuffs, prepared within the category of fruits and vegetables, cooked or uncooked. The important factor is that the devotee should be regulated (mita-bhuk); that is one of the good qualifications of a devotee. He should not hanker to satisfy the tongue with a particular kind of foodstuff. He should be satisfied to eat whatever prasada is available by the grace of the Lord." Srimad-Bhagavatam 4:8:56 Purport

While preparing and cooking foodstuffs, all focus should be kept on performing activities in such a way that they will be most pleasing to the Lord. The kitchen is considered an extension of the altar, and all activities carried out there should be done accordingly.

Work in the kitchen should not be considered 'social time'. Always avoid prajalpa (nonsense talk) while cooking, and keep in mind that one's consciousness directly affects the quality of foodstuffs being prepared. Rather than chat with others, listen to Krsna bhajans or one of Srila Prabhupada's lectures.

Do not lust over bhoga (unoffered food stuffs), wishing to sample preparations or thinking ahead to when prasadam will be distributed. Even after offering, do not bring prasadam back into the kitchen for eating it. If necessary, take a small meal or snack before cooking, so your appetite will be dulled.

Many new devotees find it difficult to cook without tasting or smelling the foodstuffs, because they were so used to testing the balance of ingredients when cooking for themselves. Regardless, tasting the bhoga while cooking should never be permitted. Trust the recipes, your cooking intuition and a good service attitude, and you can rest assured the preparations will be very palatable. Avoid the mental agitation of hoping the devotees find the dishes desirable and delicious. Remember that you are cooking the meal not for yourself or for the devotees, but for the pleasure of Krsna.

If bhoga falls on the floor and touches someone's feet, it cannot be offered. As previously said, cleaning the kitchen is extremely important and should be done constantly and thoroughly all throughout the cooking process. Once the offering has been placed on serving dishes, the kitchen should be cleaned up to the greatest degree possible before the cooks go off to the program.