I have been cooking for my family for over a decade now, and I can count the number of times I've followed a recipe line for line on one hand, but I always star

I have been cooking for my family for over a decade now, and I can count the number of times I've followed a recipe line for line on one hand, but I always start by setting up my mise en place (onions chopped, garlic smashed, meat/fish marinating, veggies chopped and salted, water boiling). Mise en place has nothing to do with rigidity, it's the concept of everything in its right place before you start preparing the final assembly of the dish. You can and should practice mise en place when you cook, even if you have no idea what you are making. Preparing food is all about timing and mise en place allows you to focus on the preparation without getting distracted or caught up in chopping onions when your steak is already too done.