Preparing meals involve a lot of abilities from knowing how to cook to choosing what goes well together. The last thing you might be thinking about is timing. With a well-timed meal, your hot food is hot, cold food cold, and nothing is overcooked or mushy. This takes skill! Besides looking at your cooking times and counting backwards, here are some general principles that help me:

• Make cold things first (salads, relish plates, cut fruit)
• Prepare the starch next (potatoes, breads, and rice –they usually hold their warm temperature easily)
• Save the meat and vegetables for last (they can overcook if you try to hold them)

Bon Appetit!
Stephanie

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Stephanie Allen is Co-founder and President of Dream Dinners and a New York Times best-selling co-author of The Hour that Matters Most. Naturally a visionary and optimist, Stephanie hopes to inspire America through her nurturing voice of encouragement, assuring families… “You’re doing a great job!”