Timing is Everything

When it comes to cooking, timing is everything! The ability to bring all the components of a meal to fruition takes practice and most of your fingers and toes. The easiest way to explain "how" to time a meal is as follows:
1. Add and count backwards
That's it! That is my brilliant tip for timing a meal! Simply add and count backwards. I bet you're thinking, 'What the What Mary? You have finally gone off the deep end!' Nope, Dear Readers, I have not, at least not about this.

Here is how:
Add up how long each component takes to cook and then, count backwards from least amount of time required to the greatest amount of time. *Be sure to include resting time because that may also be used as cooking time.  So, lets say a basic chicken dinner takes two hours total, counting setting the table, prep, clean up, etc. So that's 90 minutes for the chicken, 30 minutes for the rice and 10-15 minutes for the vegetables. (The chicken will also rest for 10 minutes, which is when you begin to cook the vegetables.) The rice will hold heat so it can be started when the chicken does if that's easiest for you or halfway through the cooking time. See? All the components of the meal will be served together and you will seem like a creative, culinary genius! It really is that simple! You're welcome! (This tip is from my upcoming cookbook, "Cooking Up Life.")

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