Professional chefs and caterers have some tricks we can use to help us save time in the kitchen too.
They know what they are doing and they get the supplies they need to make the food. You can decide in the morning or at least at lunchtime what you are going to have for dinner that night. This will reduce your stress at mealtime because you won’t have to try to figure out what to do and then have to wrestle with a frozen piece of meat as well.
They are cooked in large quantities. Cooking for your freezer has many benefits. You can refer to the Simple Kitchen cookbook for more details on how you can use the time you’re already in the kitchen to multiply meals for your freezer.
They have the tools they need and they have them in the right places in their kitchen. If your counter is cluttered, you won’t be able to cook as efficiently. Professional cooks don’t have knick-knacks or cookware on their counters. They have the tools they need and a clear surface.
They know what to spend their time on and what not to spend their time on. They don’t spend a lot of time on the meat, but they do spend time making sure the presentation of the dish is good. I’m sure your family isn’t expecting a gourmet meal, but you can make sure you have a good variety of food for your eating pleasure. When in doubt, keep it simple. If you have 3 items on your plate and they look and taste good, then you have achieved your goal.
Professional cooks also use what I call backward planning. They know their meal needs to be completed by a certain time, so they think about how long it will take to prepare the meal and make sure they have plenty of time to cut, chop, and cook.
Do the pros and reduce stress at mealtime. His simple strategies can help anyone responsible for cooking.