Pretty much chop and drop.

I used to be a "chop and drop" kind of gal, but have changed in the last few years. DH works from home and now does most of the cooking, leaving weekends for me to play in the kitchen. And I am blessed to have my soon to be 88 year-old mother still with me. She wants to feel useful, so always empties the dish drainer for us. It is often a challenge to find where she puts things. I get frustrated when I am in the middle of cooking and suddenly have no idea where to find a particular bowl, pan, spice, etc., so I have converted to a "mise in place" kind of gal. I'm a calmer cook now.

I've measured so much, I can now skip it. I know how much a typical carrot, or onion, or potato is going to give me. Same with seasoning. I can totally eyeball it. Now baking, that's fully measured, via scale no less.

I love to cook and bake! I only measure when baking, and even then I usually wing half the ingredients because I pretty much never follow a recipe exactly. For baking I retrieve the ingredients as I need them and put them away almost immediately after use. For cooking I've evolved to a mise en place style because it's easier to time when everything will be ready! :)

I don't measure anything when cooking, just guess. :0)

When I saw your title I thought "portion control" of food you eat. Now that's where measuring would pay off! Never eat anything bigger than your fist. Just saying....

Most often I do not get everything ready, but when I do, it's wonderful. Everything comes together so fast. I should try to do that more often. Thanks for the reminder.

If I am baking, everything is measured.

If I am cooking dinner for me and DH, I am a chop and drop cook.

If I am cooking a big meal for weaning or Christmas for example, then I prep everything first. I can clean up most of the kitchen before I actually turn on the stove. I also like to get some dishes cooked ahead of time, keep them warmed in the crockpot or electric roaster. I hate having a messy kitchen when I am having company. Also gives me some time to visit with my company instead of peeling veggies.

I measure more now because I don't do the cooking/baking I use to I do try to check to make sure I have all the ingredients I need. Years ago we lived too far from town and I did have to substitute occasionally.

I didn't necessarily mean to measure the amount of food that goes into the cooking, just put the spices needed into a bowl instead of rooting around in the cupboard for them when you need them, as an example.

I never measure.....just chop how many vegetables I want. Salt, I never ever measure because recipes call for more salt than I would use.

I don't have piles of vegetables on the cutting board to scrape into my pot, and a little bowl of spices to dump in. It would make sense though!

I do both. Prairie Rose could have typed my answer.

I don't know why I'm reaching into the refrigerator or cupboards for ingredients as I need them when cooking smaller meals. It's efficient and gratifying to have everything go together so quickly with cleanup minimized having all the chopping, dicing, cubing out, done and within reach, but I will still lean towards chop and drop for everyday weekday food.

A friend of mine goes weekly to the farmers market, brings her purchases home and prepares them. A big bowl of salad greens, vegetables peeled and cut, fruit peeled and diced....all kept covered in her refrigerator and ready to spoon into serving bowls and dress. What's more, she lives alone half the week, her DH works in another city. I'm not that disciplined, and I'll bet I waste more produce too.

I'm pretty much a 'by the seat of my pants' type of cook, but I do assemble ingredients beforehand. I don't measure anything for most of my cooking, since I rarely use recipes.

Robert likes to cook with me, and acts as sous chef, but without the responsibility of choosing the herbs and spices....oh my, the awful combinations he suggests, lol.

Baking requires more precision, of course.

I do measure flour, baking soda and baking powder when I'm baking but I put in less salt and sugar than asked for and If I can I'll add blueberries (like in a loaf or muffins) if I think the flavours will be ok. I get all the stuff out before hand but measure as I'm going along.

I seldom measure when cooking but I do a lot of stir fry so I do tend to have the vegetables chopped, meat sliced and sauce ready before hand. I don't measure any of it I just look at the piles and see if I like the mix of colours and amounts. I like barely done vegetables so having it all ready prevents over done vegetables.

For me, mise en place is the only way to go. I assemble tools and ingredients I'll need. I may not precisely measure the ingredients, but I do assemble them in the quantities I'm going to use.

Once everything - spoons, bowls, knives, oils, etc.- is laid out in the order to be used, I put away the larger containers, clean up any mess from peeling and chopping, and then start my cooking.

While it may not sound so, this method does save so much time, stress, clean-up, and confusion.

If I'm preparing a new recipe, I make sure I have all the ingredients available BEFORE I start cooking. One of the first things I learned in Home Ec.

"A friend of mine goes weekly to the farmers market, brings her purchases home and prepares them. A big bowl of salad greens, vegetables peeled and cut, fruit peeled and diced....all kept covered in her refrigerator and ready to spoon into serving bowls and dress."

GREAT idea! No need make a mess throughout the week. It is already done!

Ditto what Prarie Rose and Caroline said.
I rarely measure when cooking and only measure some when baking.

When I refreshed/remodeled the kitchen, I set things up so that almost everything is loosely mise en place. I don't need the little bowls, because the ingredients are within arms reach. Before heading for the baking counter, I gather refrigerated items from the other side of the kitchen, then I'm good to go.

I have measuring cups and spoons in both cooking and baking areas, although as some of the above posters say, I rarely use them. Why dirty all those dishes? ;)

Oops, forgot to address 'chop and drop.' For cooking, I like to have everything washed, chopped, and ready to go when the pan reaches the correct temperature. No precise measuring, and I rarely use a recipe. Cooking prep area is like baking area--ingredients at hand.

This post was edited by mama_goose on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 13:10

Prairie_rose said:
"If I am baking, everything is measured.

If I am cooking dinner for me and DH, I am a chop and drop cook.

If I am cooking a big meal for weaning or Christmas for example, then I prep everything first. I can clean up most of the kitchen before I actually turn on the stove. I also like to get some dishes cooked ahead of time, keep them warmed in the crockpot or electric roaster. I hate having a messy kitchen when I am having company. Also gives me some time to visit with my company instead of peeling veggies."

That's exactly my answer, too, except I use a warming drawer instead of a crockpot/electric roaster.

Wow! Some people actually *cook*! You must enjoy it, right? You read recipes with more than six ingredients and often cook using more than one pot or pan?

I claim to be preparing my DH to enjoy a better wife once I am gone.

It depends on what it is and if I am going to have help from my husband to do the cutting and chopping. I try to plan things like that when he is around to do the chopping. I just can't do much of that anymore. For some things I can use my food processor or slicer chopper.
Baking which I don't do a lot I do follow the directions and do exact measurements but regular cooking I rarely measure which is why it is hard for me to give someone one of my recipes I have to stop and think about how much of each thing I use. I cook by feel and experience, been doing something so long you just know it, I do it my way.

I do at times buy the containers of fresh chopped veggies and onions etc at the grocery especially if I think I will need it and he won't be there to help.
Today I have a huge roaster pot in the oven filled to the brim with fresh cut okra(they had it all cut and ready at the grocery) and onions and tomatoes, cooking it down to have some for dinner but mostly to divide up into portions just right for making gumbo then put them in the freezer. Time for gumbo grab one and toss it in the pot of gumbo voila perfect okra gumbo. Did I mention how much we love smothered okra onions and tomatoes? OMG and it is smelling really good.
I picked up the containers of fresh chopped onions at the store since I knew I would be starting this while he was at work. I like those much better than the bags of the frozen ones. When you have those kinds of problems you have to do what it takes to deal with it. It cost more to buy them cut up, I'm willing to pay it when I have to.

I chop as I go along. Depending on the recipe, I don't measure either. I only measure for a new recipe. After I make it once or twice, I eyeball everything.

I hate a messy kitchen, so just about everything is in place and cleaned up before I start the actual cooking. So much easier than a major clean up after a meal when I want to relax. We can sit down to dinner and not see the carnage it may have taken to get there.

I usually set the ingredients out next to the cooktop, and start slicing or chopping, and will sometimes move the ingredients into little bowls, but more usually will add them to the pot as they are ready, and will prepare them in the order they need to be added to the pot. I almost never measure anything, even on the rare times that I'm following a recipe.

rhizo_1, my sister who lives near me likes to help just like your Robert. Similarly she sometimes makes suggestions that defy all logic.

For me, mise en place is a luxury of time! I usually start dinner prep a little late--yes, my own fault. If I'm making a new or familiar recipe that needs ingredients in quick succession, I will do so. At those times, I feel like I'm on a cooking show with lots of sous chef help when I do this. :)

Used to be chop and drop, now mise en place. Switched because with five kids now there are too many distractions and I started burning things. Also, we are switching to induction cooking which pretty much requires mise en place. I actually find it takes less time all in all because my kitchen stays so much cleaner!

very seldom do I have everything I need lined up.

Usually I chop and drop and add this and that...

Moni

I do all the prep work ahead of time. It makes cleaning up so much easier.