How to make a prep list like a pro chef
The latest "Baguette Gazette" 🗞️
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Old Dads (Netflix) - Directed and co-written by comedian Bill Burr, on the surface this movie appears to be yet another display of toxic masculinity employed as a comedy trope. But, it’s really more of a coming-of-age tale about three friends learning to deal with their emotions in midlife. It’s not super deep or anything, but I was surprised by how much I liked it.
B is for Borscht - Alina Sokolowsky created this adorable picture book to help pass down her Ukrainian heritage to her son who was born here in the States. In it, she pairs each letter of the alphabet with a traditional Ukrainian food (B is for borscht, V is for varenyky, etc.). It’s the perfect holiday gift! And all proceeds go to #CookForUkraine.
Everlane Way-High Jeans - I take jeans very seriously (my friends make fun of me saying that when I wake up, I take off my nighttime jeans and put on my daytime jeans...) and I’ve worn Everlane’s exclusively for several years now. They’re great quality, fit like a glove, and I love that the brand is transparent about their manufacturing. The “Way-High” style is my current fave - just ordered a second pair for winter.
I’ve been hosting dinner parties since I was in high school. Although they looked a bit different then (think Jello shots and that one time we dressed up as Mad Men characters), some things have remained the same. Namely, I still love planning and executing elaborate meals.
One of the concerns I hear most often from people who are timid about cooking for others is timing. Because whenever you cook more than one recipe, things can get complicated. Like, how do you decide what to cook first? How do you take advantage of a long wait time in a recipe? And how do you make sure everything is ready at the same time?
Well, the answer to these questions is: a prep list.
A prep list outlines every single task required for each recipe from start to finish. It involves breaking each recipe down into components, then organizing them based on time. This sounds daunting at first, but really all you need is 10 minutes. Making this plan before cooking will keep you organized, and help prevent any kitchen panic.
For big meals (like Thanksgiving), I divide the list into two days so I can get as much done on Wednesday as possible. I also recommend printing your prep list, or writing it on paper, since it’s annoying to fumble with a phone while cooking - plus, you’re more likely to skip over something on that tiny screen.
Below, I’m sharing a step-by-step guide for how to make a prep list like a pro chef (or caterer, or food stylist). Aaand, I also made you a Google Doc template for Thanksgiving and beyond!
Choose your recipes. If you’re cooking from a cookbook, open the book in front of you. If the recipe is online, print it out if you can.
Divide each recipe into individual components. For example, if I’m looking at a stuffing recipe, I can divide it into: “dry out bread,” “chop up vegetables,” “cook vegetables,” and “bake stuffing.” Write these individual tasks down as a list. (Use my template! 📝)
Organize tasks by time. Analyze what you can do first (or the day before); these are tasks that are not time-sensitive. With my stuffing example, I can dry out the bread and chop the vegetables on day 1, but I’ll add “bake stuffing” to the bottom of the list on day 2 because I want it fresh out of the oven when guests arrive.
Check what you can group together. For example, if two recipes call for a diced onion, chop them at the same time. If two recipes bake at the same temperature, plan to bake them together. You get the idea.
Here’s the Google Docs template you can use for your first prep list. I used just three recipes for the example to keep it simple. I hope you find it useful! As always, let me know if you have any q’s.