Clean-up Time-savers

To cook like a chef, before preparing a recipe, get all of your ingredients out, measured and prepped. We call that mis en place, or stuff in place. This will prevent you from getting to a step in the recipe and then realizing that you need to stop and prepare an ingredient, or worse, have to run to the store!

If you are preparing a recipe in advance, most vegetables, except onions, may be cut beforehand, tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to proceed with the recipe.

Place a damp kitchen or paper towel under your chopping board to keep it from sliding on the countertop. The damp towel may be used for cleanup later.

And speaking of cleanup, the rule of large applies: the larger the bowl or cutting board, the smaller the mess. Mix in a large bowl, even if you are using a small quantity, as the mess will remain contained inside the bowl.