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timing is everything
One of the most difficult skills to pick up In the Kitchen is timing dishes, at least difficult for me. When I’m preparing a handful of different dishes for a meal, I often find myself trying to figure out how to get all the dishes to finish at the same time so that they’re still hot at the table. Unfortunately, I’m often limited by having to use the same pan for more than one dish or just not having enough burners on the stove.
Our electric range is an old coil thing with two large burners and two small ones that aren’t good for much except heating soup or stock in a small pot. That leaves the two large ones and if I’m trying to boil pasta, there goes one. I would love to have a kitchen with a giant six-burner gas-powered grid with a grill or griddle besides, but that’s not happening any time soon. So I’m left to juggle pots and pans and four different timers and looking at cooking times.
Most of the time it works out, especially if I use the oven on warm, wrap things in foil, heat plates ahead of time and that sort of thing.
Of course, all of that has to be balanced with getting Bella to bed, which has a schedule all its own (which we discussed in a recent blog entry.) So I’ll keep working on it, trying new tricks and learning how to make sure all my dishes come to the table hot.
COMMENTS
Hi Dom—
I agree with you that timing is one of the most difficult things to master in the kitchen. I have been married for 25 years and I am just now getting good at it!!! 
I really don’t think it is something you can teach someone either…once you feel comfortable cooking, I think the rest kind of falls into place.
I use my microwave a lot in these kinds of situations…last night I made roast pork, mashed potates, peas and butternut squash. The squash and potatoes were done ahead of time, so I covered them with plastic wrap and just needed a quick turn in the microwave to get the temperature back up when it was time to serve. I do this a lot on Thanksgiving, also.
One way I have combatted the problem is when there is a dish with pasta and veggies, I will usually throw the veggies (like broccoli) in with the pasta for the last few minutes.
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