Prep Time = Less Time

I love "Good Eats."  I am not talking about different foods that can be qualified as worthy of consuming.  Nope, I am talking about the TV show hosted by the one and only Mr. Alton Brown.  It is a staple of the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, and while they are no longer making new episodes, it is one of those shows that I can watch over and over again, learning new recipes and tips that help me each and everyday I am in the kitchen.  Some of those hints come straight from the mouth of Alton Brown, but some don't.  One of the tips I gleaned from Alton was never talked about on the show, but it has become a huge time saver for me.

Here it is...Prep, prep, prep.   When I first started cooking I would just go after and recipe in the order it was written without thinking about organizing the recipe first.  Therefore, I made multiple trips to the pantry, to the refrigerator and on some occasions the grocery store because I didn't think to do a simple thing like lay out all my ingredients first.  Now, I am an expert at prep work, because I want to make the actual dish in as little time as possible.  Therefore, I take these simple 5 steps to make sure the amount of time from the fridge to the table is as little as possible.

1.  Take meat out of fridge first, open and add salt and pepper to both sides.  This does two things.  First, it allows the meat to come closer to room temperature so that cook time is reduced.  Second, by salting, the meat will release some of the water content which you can pat off with a paper towel.  Less water equals more flavor.

2.  Clean and chop veggies all at one time.  Check the recipe and prep whatever veggies are called for before starting to cook.  This will ensure they are ready for the pan, when the pan is ready for them.

3.  Measure out everything before you start. I have 3 sets of measuring cups.  Why?  Because they are cheap, take up very little space, and because sometimes recipes call for 3 different 1/2 cup measurements.  I want them to be ready so I am not constantly leaving my dish to get more ingredients.

4.  Combine like ingredients that will be added together anyway.  Spices can be measured and combined.  Usually liquids can as well.  Heck, for most cakes, this is how it is done anyway.  This can save some serious time.

5.  Place ingredients on the side of your dominant hand in the order they will be used.  For me that is on the right side of my pots.  This will make sure you add the right ingredients in the right order in the most efficient way.  Like I said it is all about the prep.

I leave you with this one last piece of advice that was probably never meant as a cooking reference, but it fits.  "When you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail."  Don't let your recipe lack for more when you can prevent it.  I bid you Good Eating.

~MAW Steve