Timing is Everything

Some preparations actually taste better after a day of resting. Soup is a perfect example. Most soups can be made the day before, placed in the fridge and heated up at the right moment the next day. Salsas, dips, stews, and some casseroles will also improve with flavor overnight.

Consider dishes that do not require precise cooking times, and use this leeway to prepare other items or as a buffer should things not go as planned.

For example, simmering your Bolognese sauce or braising your pot roast an extra 15 minutes is not going to make a big difference. This provides a wider window to accomplish other tasks in a timely fashion.

Likewise, roasts need to rest after being retrieved from the oven. A large roast can rest up to 30 minutes. Five or ten minutes isn't going to make a huge difference. Use the variability to your advantage.

Use thermometers! Never trust an oven. Even with quality stoves, the actual temperature and the dial setting can be worlds apart and this will unpredictably affect cooking times. An oven thermometer eliminates guesswork and unwanted surprises.

Likewise, if you are making any kind of a roast, I strongly recommend you employ a programmable probe thermometer. It consists of a main unit upon which you preset the desired temperature, say 125 degrees for rare.

A wire extends from this unit into a probe. Insert the probe into the center of your food, close the oven door and an alarm will sound when it reaches the target temperature.

The current temperature of the food is constantly displayed on the unit. Thus, as you approach the desired temperature, you can judge when to start the side dishes.

Some foods can be kept warm after completion and do not need to be served immediately. Just like preparations that lack precise cooking times, use these items as your "stand-by" dishes while you toil on the victuals that must be more precise.

For example, suppose you were serving poached fish with a side of steamed clams. Clams are ready as soon as they open and quickly overcook and become rubbery. Aim to have the fish done a little before the clams.

As long as you reduce the poaching liquid to 135-140 degrees, (the ideal serving temperature for fish), the fish can rest in the poaching liquid free from overcooking, since it can't get hotter than the surrounding medium.

Thus, the moment the clams are done, the fish is ready and waiting.

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