My biggest shortcoming as a cook is getting an entire meal timed so that everything comes out at the same time. This is due to the fact that I don't have a family to feed everyday. It's generally just me I'm cooking for. If the entree is ready before the salad is completed or the side dishes haven't even been started---who cares? I just eat the entree, then finish the salad and top if off with a vegetable side dish for dessert.
Sure, I occasionally cook entire meals for others---but for me, it involves more planning than The Normandy Invasion.
1. Make Chicken Marsala for the first time.
2. Come up with some complimentary side dishes.
3. Get everything to come out at THE SAME TIME!
This involved some planning. First of all, I decided to do a pasta side dish ( as Chicken Marsala traditionally comes with pasta). Of course, I should have just boiled up some fettuccine and called it a day. But I thought a lemony flavor would compliment the sweet wine sauce. How about a lemon orzo?
Lesson learned: If I'm trying to time things better, it might help if I'm not attempting too many new things in one dish. I had never made orzo before!
I was scramblin'.
It did help that I was starting the orzo and the chicken off by combining olive oil and butter and sauteing some onions in two different pans---in the chicken pan, it was onions AND mushrooms. This timed out pretty well. But once everything was lightly browned---well, my mind goes blank. I don't know how it all turned out so well and perfectly timed. It just did.
Certainly helped that I just decided to quickly throw the asparagus into the marsala pan for the last minute of cooking time. And also helped that the salad was prepared in advance.
Not if I can just get the kitchen cleaned before dinner is on the table!
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