I work about 45 miles away from my home. And if you’ve ever been in traffic in the metro Detroit area, you know that 45 miles can equate to about an hour and 45 minutes in rush hour traffic, and even more if you happen upon an accident. It makes cooking very difficult when you’re simply starving.

Since I began this little project, I’ve found a renewed interest in developing new recipes and trying new things, but I also don’t want to eat at 8 p.m. every night. So, I’ve been searching for ways to pre-prepare some of the items I’ve been cooking with, and my wife and I are now planning a week’s worth of meals every Sunday night.

Last night, I began something new for me, pre-chopping and light prep for the next days meal. Tonight for instance, I’m making Chicken Marsala for the first time (look for a post on the turnout tomorrow morning), and I went ahead in chopping of the shallots, moving cans in from the pantry and pre halving my chicken breasts so that they’re ready to be dredged in flour. I pre sliced my mushrooms, minced the garlic, seasoned the flour and placed everything in a quickly accessible location.

So, needless to say, all I’ll need is my apron and I should be able to hit the kitchen full steam ahead, whipping out the meal in less time than if I had to chop and get everything else ready.

Any of you have any tips for a commuting chef who’s tired of 7:30 to 9 p.m. dinner bells?