In The Kitchen, Timing Is Everything
Mise en Place with Chef Donna
By Donna Sibilia-Squillaro

Have you ever gotten up many a time from the family dinner table in order to complete parts of your meal preparation? Has the roast in the oven kept you waiting while your already prepared vegetables have grown limp and cold? Or worse, have guests and family members ever left you in the dust, wandering away from the table to munch on snack foods, because parts of the meal have gone MIA?

1. Meal planning. Get into the habit of planning your meals, whether for a particular evening, event, or for the entire week.

2. Read through each recipe and the instructions that follow thoroughly before you begin. List your recipes from longest prep and/or cooking time to shortest and allow yourself extra time when trying a new recipe.

3. Consider the variables in a recipe like the ingredients, substitutions, equipment, and oven temperatures. These all play a role in achieving the same results as in the recipe.

4. Gather your mise en place prior to starting. Make sure all of your ingredients for each recipe are washed, sliced, diced, measured, scaled, etc., and at arm’s length before the preparation and cooking process begins.

5. Remember to be efficient by utilizing the time in-between recipes to clean up, prep or assemble cooking tools for the next one.

6. If preparing a recipe which requires a lot of time or hand work, complement your meal with other recipes which have minimal time constraints so that you don’t get backed up in the process.

7. Prepare recipes (soups, stews, salsas, desserts, dressings, etc.) ahead of time. These types of recipes can be made in advance without affecting quality or taste. In some instances, this “aging” allows for flavors to develop and enhance the product.

8. When serving a meal of several courses, estimate the time needed between them so that all food is served at the correct temperature, consistency or doneness. This also allows your guests to savor each part of the meal, and perhaps throw you an accolade or two.

9. Use a thermometer. Calculate cooking time and temperature prior to starting. Remember, cooking times are an estimated guideline to follow and can vary by circumstance. Correctly placed, a calibrated thermometer will give you an accurate measurement of temperature.

10. Use a kitchen timer or write down finish times separately of all recipes. Although we may try to remember when to take something out of the oven, it is easier to forget than to remember.

11. Let it sit! As appropriate, foods that need to “settle” or meats that need to “rest” prior to slicing should be allowed to do so for optimal consistency, presentation, flavor and ease of slicing or serving. Depending on size or quantity of your recipe, this can extend your actual serving time by an additional ten to thirty minutes.

12. Be realistic. Estimate the total amount of time you need to make a meal from start to finish and tack on an additional 20 – 30 minutes for distraction, interruption and potential pitfalls, if you feel it is necessary.

13. Above all, use your time wisely. This way you too, can be a guest at your own table and enjoy both the meal and the company in which it is served.

As the saying goes, timing is everything. This thought holds true for both professional chefs and at-home cooks. Timing of recipes-their preparation, cooking and execution- can either make or break a meal whether at a swanky restaurant, catered event, or even at your own abode. So how do you master the art of timing your meal and keep them coming back for more? If you take a little time to follow these simple steps, mealtime at home can be as relaxing and enjoyable as a night out at your favorite restaurant.