Writing Up/Working from Recipes (Real-Life Time for Prepping and Cooking)

caseydog said:
I'd like to see him (and other TV chefs) say things like, "Don't worry if you can't dice an onion in ten seconds, go at your pace."
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To be fair, he does make a lot use of the food processor to do chopping, shredding etc. in both his 30 minute and 15 minute meal series.

But check this out. This video is nearly 30 mins long but you can always fast forward. Very entertaining... Barry attempts to cook a JO 30 minute meal (and Jamie has a little guest appearance near the start to wish him luck).

View: https://youtu.be/FTkEN1uCKRU
 
caseydog said:
I'd like to see him (and other TV chefs) say things like, "Don't worry if you can't dice an onion in ten seconds, go at your pace."
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That's why I like Jacques Pepin - he does exactly that, and he's the guy who can debone a chicken in 30 seconds, and mince an onion in five, while simultaneously checking the water in a pot, and who never seems to use a timer.

He constantly reminds viewers that he's trained, he's got decades of restaurant experience, and of course he can prep faster than a food processor, because in a professional kitchen, that's how it has to be done, but as a home cook, just relax, pour a glass of wine while you're cooking, and work at your speed. He emphasizes proper technique at all times (well, he did write the book on it), but he also emphasizes working at your own speed and comfort level.

I think if you were to ask him, in person, how long a recipe takes, he wouldn't say 30 minutes or an hour, he'd say, "oh, as long as it takes."

He's got two programs that deal with "quick" meals, "Fast Food My Way," and "More Fast Food My Way," they're on YT, and his recipes from those shows, I can turn out quickly, unlike Rachael Ray's (whose entire reputation is built on 30-minute meals) or Jamie Oliver's.
 
morning glory said:
But check this out. This video is nearly 30 mins long but you can always fast forward. Very entertaining... Barry attempts to cook a JO 30 minute meal (and Jamie has a little guest appearance near the start to wish him luck).
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I managed about 10 minutes before I had to stop - somewhat unnerving. Pat on the back to Barry for being a good sport and taking it on, but that's hard to watch.

Just in the several of minutes I watched, it looked like he handled raw chicken, then picked up his oil dispenser and s & p shakers, then finally washed his hands.

It also appeared (though I could be wrong, because I skipped a bit) that he did his initial cut of the pastry with the same knife he used to slash the chicken, without washing it. Yeah, they're going in the oven, but I don't want my pastries tasting like chicken.

I see that a lot on proper cooking shows, sticking raw-chicken fingers into the salt pig, and then grabbing the pepper grinder, so it's obviously not going to kill you, but...ick. I know I probably spend an inordinate amount of time washing my hands while cooking, but I like my hands feeling clean.
 
I think I'm going to pick out a 30-minute meal, probably Rachel Ray one, and cooking in my usual manner (IOW, not trying to do it in a rush), and see how long it takes me.
 
I would imagine they probably throw out the salt they don't use, but I get the point. Whenever I'm rubbing salt/spice on poultry, pretty much anything actually other than veges, I always put the salt/spice in a little glass bowl, then throw away whatever I don't use. OR, I sprinkle with 1 hand and rub in with the other, but you have to be careful doing that and pay strict attention to what you are doing.

Anybody remember Sara Moulton's show where she cooked a meal and took phone calls in real time? Gotta admire her for that even though she is a trained chef.
 
medtran49 said:
I would imagine they probably throw out the salt they don't use, but I get the point. Whenever I'm rubbing salt/spice on poultry, pretty much anything actually other than veges, I always put the salt/spice in a little glass bowl, then throw away whatever I don't use. OR, I sprinkle with 1 hand and rub in with the other, but you have to be careful doing that and pay strict attention to what you are doing.
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In the case of Barry's situation, optimally I would have taken the chicken out and immediately placed it skin side down, washed my hands, then held the chicken with a fork, done the slashes, s & p, and oil, then placed the chicken in the pan, washed my hands, then carried on.

Note I said "optimally" - what would have really happened is that I would have taken the chicken from the pack, placed it skin side up (a la Barry), washed my hands, grabbed the knife, read the instructions to say skin side down, flipped the chicken, washed my hands, picked up the knife, noticed the chicken packaging was in the way, thrown that out, washed my hands, picked up the knife, noticed the chicken wasn't placed right, repositioned the chicken, washed my hands, sliced the chicken, put s & p on, noticed I spilled some on the board, moved the chicken to pick that up, washed my hands, noticed the chicken needed repositioning again, washed my hands, oiled the chicken, then placed the chicken in the pan, then washed my hands, then carried on.

And I'm not even exaggerating.
 
I was really hoping that the recipe I made this morning (following the Cookingbites Cookbook Game as closely as possible/practical) did have times listed. The recipe did not. I will be making something shortly that DOES follow a recipe with prep times and all, and I'll see how long it says, and I say that things take. And yes, alas a lot of that pre-prep they won't ever count.

The recipe I did make this morning took 1 hour 30 minutes. I would discount five-ten minutes due to my going outdoors to harvest parsley, along with intermittent photography, which won't be most people's doings. I do count the peeling, slicings and all that sort of thing into prepping. I don't count hunting in the fridge for mushrooms, or the failed effort to find the potato peeler (I resorted to a knife).
 
Mountain Cat said:
I was really hoping that the recipe I made this morning (following the Cookingbites Cookbook Game as closely as possible/practical) did have times listed. The recipe did not. I will be making something shortly that DOES follow a recipe with prep times and all, and I'll see how long it says, and I say that things take. And yes, alas a lot of that pre-prep they won't ever count.

The recipe I did make this morning took 1 hour 30 minutes. I would discount five-ten minutes due to my going outdoors to harvest parsley, along with intermittent photography, which won't be most people's doings. I do count the peeling, slicings and all that sort of thing into prepping. I don't count hunting in the fridge for mushrooms, or the failed effort to find the potato peeler (I resorted to a knife).
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Aw MC, all that for the game? How sweet. Thank you!!!!!
 
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