Cooking is More Than Just Food Preparation

Cooking a good meal is not just about the food - preparing sauces, slicing and dicing vegetables and meats, or sifting ingredients. Of course all of these steps matter, but the intangibles are important, too. Add these steps to your cooking routine for a more successful meal and enjoyable cooking experience.

Step 1: Read the recipe. Since cooking is more than just putting ingredients together, this can't be said enough. The recipe includes timing information, an ingredient list, and cooking instructions. Sometimes basic preparation starts well before the actual cooking does, this includes shopping for ingredients and tasks like making sauces or marinating. Reading the recipe carefully will help you determine timing and what dish to start, when.

Step 2: Establish mise-en-plahs. The French term mise-en-plahs (pronounced meez ahn plahs) literally needs "to put in place." Your kitchen doesn't have to look like a TV cooking show, but if you get out everything you need before you start, it's much easier than stopping four times to wash your hands before you go back to the cupboard for another bowl. Gather what you need to make your meal: ingredients, cooking utensils and bowls, pans, knives and cutting boards. When you have everything close at hand, it eliminates the likelihood of mistakes and problems when you start cooking. Some recipes have important timing elements and if all the ingredients you need are immediately at hand it is much simpler.

Step 3: Clean as you go. A few easy things will make the clean up process easier and less painful. Pull out a discard bowl that you can fill with potato peels, produce parts, wrappers, fatty meat cutlets, or anything else as you make trash. It will save you steps and make clean up a snap. Fill the sink with hot sudsy water and toss in dishes as you make them. It makes for one-step clean up before you eat. An exception is sharp knives, which should be washed individually.

Step 4: Set the table. Put everything you need to accompany the meal in the middle of the table. This includes condiments, salt and pepper, butter, sour cream, salad dressing, or any other items. Put out serving dishes, plates and silverware, napkins, and glasses. When you put it out on the table before the start of a meal it's much easier to just sit down. These extras establish the ambiance of the meal as much as the food.

The food tasks are just one element of cooking, these other steps make for a more efficient and enjoyable process.