[Kimmie]

Ouch Nancya,

Burning subject

I wish I had a second fridge too...I absolutely hate reorganising everything to fit something in for a half hour...

[brian1e4]

While the conversation is on refridgerator space ...

How do you refridgerate 4 dozen deviled eggs (96 halves)?

This is a simple appetizer (use crab meat for the filling) that I often prepare for office parties. My method of plastic trays stacked on baking sheets separated by plastic cups is quite an eyeful.

Do they make special trays with egg-shaped slots for dozens of deviled eggs?

Thanks.

Brian

[Live_to_cook]

For the deviled eggs: I'd either stack covered cake pans or (how's this for desperate) use muffin tins. Foil 'em after filling and stack 'em staggered so that the bottom of one muffin depression rests between depressions on the one beneath it.

Great thread. I always find out how improvisational I can be when I'm prepping for our annual Labor Day BBQ. Spare ribs and Thai chicken skewers for 100, and you're dreaming of installing a walk-in, just for the week.

[Linda Smith]

Very funny Live to Cook. We will watch for the mushroom cloud from your expoding fridge here on the other side of the lake.

WRT the devilled eggs, in my catering days Brian I had several special glass trays with impressions for the eggs that would each hold 2 dozen plus halves. They were old, bordering on antique. Check out flea markets and antique shops.

Cheers- Linda

[Kimmie]

Hey Linda,

I collect everything that qualifies as "kitchen antiques". I will keep an eye opened for such a great find!

[nancya]

While not as cool as antique glass trays, tupperware makes a couple of different egg servers:
http://order.tupperware.com:8008/que...si=0&x=20&y=18

[why can't I seem to copy pictures here?]

[Kimmie]

You have to click on the Image UBB Code button, then enter the complete URL for the image you wish to display. For example, you probably wanted to show us the tupperware eggtray like so


You have to place your cursor on the image, do a right click, then left click on properties, copy the address, click on the Image button and paste it in the script prompt box space provided, making sure to remove http://.

[nancya]

Thank you Kimmie! It is amazing what I learn here at ChefTalk!!!



well, maybe....hope it works this time.

[ August 25, 2001: Message edited by: nancya ]

[Kimmie]

No problem nancya, you're welcome.

The script. Key issue from Kyle. Take your menu and deconstruct (fancy word, hey?) each dish into what you need to do when, working back from serving time. So if if meat serving time is zero, then start. Zero minus anything is buy meat and do initial prep (remove fat, trim bones, etc.). Zero minus (whatever) is remove meat from refrigerator and do intermediate prep (dice, marinade, brush with oil). Zero minus (next point) seal meat, initial cook etc. Zero minus (subsequent) cook meat to suitable point. Rest meat. Zero minus (not a lot) assemble final presentation. Do this list for every component - starter, salad, sides, dessert. Work out what state each bit needs to be in before you use it. Does the onion need to be chopped, should the water be boiling, tomatoes skinned, chocolate melted and so on. Anything you can do in advance is your mise en place. Any conflicts (where your list says do three things at once) work out what you can do in advance. After a lot of work you should have a timetable of things to do and what you can pre-prepare. Not easy but after a while you will be surprised (I hope) at how many of these thing become automatic. It's called experience. Even now, after (mumble mumble) years I prepare a list (although it's more often more mental than physical) when doing a new dish, or set of dishes. And always allow some time for things going wrong, 'cos it often does!

you can prep alot way beforhand to make it easyer.blanche the vegetableerlyer and just befor serving finish them off.keep it simple is allways best.

Good luck

[Linda Smith]

Hi Brian:

I just picked up the most recent issue of Bon Appetite- which has a lot of useful information about party prepping (including some stuff on the old exploding fridge) You might want to pick up a copy.

Linda

[brian1e4]

Linda,

Thanks for the suggestion. I picked up my copy yesterday.

Brian

[Lovesherfood]

Hey Brian!
I agree with everybody else. Keep it neat and tidy as you go, plan, make lists(one I am guilty of not doing when I should) and really getting in touch with the ingredients before u through experimentation and research. But the best thing I would suggest is don't over-analyse it or the fun is taken out of it all, and then you tend to forget your original passion for it
Just play around with it all and have the very best of fun aswell

[W.DeBord]

Everything everyone says all comes down to the word "organization" which goes further than the words "mis en place". If you don't have room on your counters to work, or if you have to rearrange things everytime you start a cooking project your giving your-self a LARGE HANDICAP! Each time you have to relocate a canister or some nick nack it diverts your attention and distracts you.

I say start at the beginning and re-arrange your kitchen so it WORKS. If your the person cooking then you get to control the space and organize it so it works for you. That starts by getting rid of items that are decorative on your counters, gone! Have a junk basket for mail. Another place where all the baby bottles go, etc... Kitchens are meant for cooking, not a place to put all your miscellaneous bits of life, put a desk somewhere, or a basket on the wall to collect that stuff.


So many people have too many gadgets, get a box and fill it with all the items that are duplicates like 5 bottle openers, 6 spatulas etc... .(other than silverware and serving dishes). Put it down in the basement and see if you really needed all that stuff or if your happier reclaiming the space and having less mess, less to wash.


Then turn your attention to your refridgerator. Get it neat and clean. Pitch what isn't going to be eaten (and stop saving crumbs of leftovers that waste space). Most of the fit and healthy people I know don't keep left-overs....their realistic about what they eat. In the case of a small child, don't open too many jars of food at once, it's wasteful finacially too. They don't crave the variety adults do and if they didn't like the item today they probably aren't going to eat it before it spoils either.

Only after you have your kitchen space organized can you really focus in on working in your kitchen. Then, lets talk mis en place and recipes....