Was just wondering if you all like the advance preparation for your cooking projects, mis en place, washing, peeling, cubing and chopping vegetables and meat? Or do you find it very tedious?
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Yep . That’s the fun . I take it slow with wine in between .
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Love it, but all offers of help must be accepted with caution. My “helpers” often hinder, despite their good intentions.
Butter being put back in the fridge when it had been left out on purpose to soften is a recent example. Also an offer to peel the potatoes resulted in them being diced too, because that is how I had been seen prepping them a couple of days earlier for pommes lyonnaise. NOT what I wanted for dauphinoise! (I kept quiet, and we had lyonnaise again)
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Typical of my preparation. This was a pasta with sausage, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and basil.
I find the cooking process very easy this way. In addition I have used the “mise en place” as a way to share time with my kids and teach them how to “cook”.
If you plan, shop and prepare for the final preparation of the dish, then theoretically 3/4’s of the work is done before you light the stove!
How many of you also set the table prior to actually cooking the meal?
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I am generally the peeler, chopper and table setter of the partnership.
Occasionally roles are reversed and I get to handle the frying pan.
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Yes, alone, even when I’m cooking. When I’m slicing, peeling, cooking I do a lot of (intense) thinking at the same time, not to mention learning about the thing I’m making. Can’t stand having another person in the kitchen. But usually that’s because I don’t like how someone does something their way. And if they talk constantly then out of my kitchen.
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I love to peel, wash,chop, mince, dice & cut things up. I’m frequently the sous chef when my husband cooks. I’m a little girl with great big knives. I’ve never cut myself, only a couple nicks here and there. On the other hand there have been a few trips to Urgent Care or the ER when my DH does the knife work. My favorite knife isn’t quite big enough, so will need to get one slightly larger. Of course paring knives are perfect for some jobs. If I have helpers I show them how I want things to be.
Always set the table first if we’re entertaining and fill the pitchers & water glasses. Adult children usually clear the table. I’m pretty tired & sometimes tipsy after a dinner party, so sometimes just fill up the dishwashers and do hand washing the next day. But prepping is always happy time in the kitchen.
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I usually enjoy it. It settles me after one of “those days”. And like @emglow101, always better with a glass of wine.
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I flunked Chemistry in high school, so prepping meals in our kitchen is a sort of redemption for me.
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I love having the prep done then creating the final dish. Sometimes I even prep things on Sunday for the upcoming week…wash the lettuce, chop salad ingredients, cook the broccoli, chop onions, etc. Like others, this process is much more pleasant with a beverage.
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Usually beer for me, but the same idea. It’s rare that there’s any kind of real time pressure for us in preparing a meal, so we take our time and enjoy it. Mr Rat and I both love cooking, it’s one of the reasons we hit it off in the first place.
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Exactly, Everybody that’s over dinner knows I’m super slow with a lot of procedures and slurps . Food comes out great though.
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It’s a perfect way to redeem yourself, especially with an adult beverage!
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I don’t distinguish between preparing and cooking, but rather, purchase, cooking (with prep) and eating.
Daily food preparation (doesn’t count stressful party cooking) is a big destress for me, I forget all the problems and just concentrate in cooking. Since I like dealing with new recipes, I’m always discover and learn new things, still a fun process. I have to admit, I’m not very good in preparation before hand nor a very organised person, I dislike washing up though.
I have been a helper in my MIL kitchen, preparing food for her, and she is the cook… I enjoy also during some long preparation, like peeling beans, people gather and socialise…
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Same here, never with knife, because I’m not much a knife chef and they are not very sharp. Been hurt with a grater… I got burnt quite often too with pots or pans.
My favorite recipes are when I can go at my own pace, with no loss in outcome. And just in case I haven’t said it often enough, I HATE recipes that end with ; “serve immediately!”.
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???. What’s a table? 
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Yes! I was a prep cook back in the day.
For me, prepping is the whole fun of cooking. Well, most of the fun. I can spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to cook, how I want to cook it, what sides, what sauces, what drinks, etc. To me this is a great sense of joy for me, just planning.
Prepping is just the second step to the plan and just plain enjoyable for me. What to cook first, second, third, at the same time, so that it all comes together just the way you want it. Man, that is what juices me.
I don’t get nearly the satisfaction from eating as I do creating the meal. That is just me, I may be weird.
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Oh yeah. Meal prep relaxes me.
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