Getting Everything on the Table at Once

Stir-Fried Rice

Lots of people think cooking is hard, but the real challenge is getting everything on the table at once.  The simplest approach is a picnic.  If everything is served cold, a lot of last-minute juggling is not required.  Just take the food out of the basket – or refrigerator – and spread it out on the tablecloth.  If you want, you can spend days preparing.  But you won’t be exhausted when it’s time to eat.

However, most diners want their meal to be served hot, and that takes planning.
  Some things you can prepare ahead and refrigerate – salads, dips, desserts.  Main and side dishes, though, may need to be cooked just before serving.

My solution is to choose dishes that you can partly prepare and then finish off at the last minute.  That approach can provide some frantic moments, but if you do it often enough you can be graceful about it.  There’s no law that says cooks must sit down during dinner, although it is the best way to enjoy your own cooking.

Here are some tips on how to get a 3-dish meal on the table.

1) Prepare a big pan of Fried Rice earlier in the day, but do the final reheating just before you serve.  Cook 2 cups short-grain rice early in the day and refrigerate it.  It fries better when it’s cold.  Cut an onion and a red bell pepper into small pieces and store the pieces in a plastic bag.  Make a 1-egg omelet and refrigerate it as well.  About 45 minutes before dinner, make the Fried Rice but cook it for about 10 minutes—enough time that it looks ready but can stand being reheated at the last minute.

2) While the rice is reheating, make a Salad but don’t add salad dressing.  Set aside and add the dressing just before serving.

3) As for the main dish, choose Stir-Fried Shrimp and/or Stir-Fried Tofu.  Do most of the prep early in the day, saving the final cooking until the Fried Rice is just about ready and is on low heat.

4) Dress the salad and offer it to people while you complete the stir-fry dish(es).  Transfer the Fried Rice and Shrimp and/or Tofu to bowls and serve family-style.  Then sit down yourself.

5) The secret is in the planning.  It also helps to use recipes you know well.

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