Fredericksburg Parent

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Winter 2020 WRITTEN BY DEBRA CAFFREY practical pantry practical pantry Sitting down to a great family meal is awesome, but preparing it and cleaning up after it can be a drag, am I right? Cooking is my biggest passion, but even I don't want to spend all evening standing at the countertop chopping vegetables for hours and scrub- bing pots at the sink until dark! Luckily, time efficiency is also a huge passion of mine, and over the years, I've cultivated a lot of tricks to speed up the process of preparing meals and cleaning up after them, and keeping myself focused in the kitchen. Here are some of my best tips for culinary time management: START THE DAY OFF RIGHT Use a few minutes every morning when it's convenient for you to "set the stage" for evening success. Take out that package of meat to defrost. Inventory the veggies you plan on using to make sure they haven't gone bad. Unload the dishwasher so it's ready for dirty stuff later on. Little actions like these go a long way. MAKE USE OF MISE EN PLACE I cannot stress enough how important it is to employ the concept of mise en place, French for "everything in its place" in your home kitchen. Professional kitchens would be lost without this necessary set up. To begin this crucial habit, just remember that you are getting everything you need ready before you cook. This goes beyond just putting the veggies onto the countertop. For me, the most timesaving part of mise en place is making sure I have all my pots, pans, knifes, bowls, and gadgets out and ready to go. Place things strategically based on how and where you'll need them. Then, you can prep your ingredients by chopping produce, grating cheeses and trimming meats. Employ the concept of mise en place, French for "everything in its place" in your home kitchen. //////////// FASTER! //////////// //////////// //////////// Kitchen Kitchen Get OUT of the Get OUT of the

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