[santialbo]

Prepping everything can take a lot of time if you are not experienced. Time for things like chopping an onion can vary from 1 minute to 5 very easily.

[mindentropy]

My experience is similar to yours. Prepping takes the longest time for me. I feel that cooking is all about prepping as the actual cooking on the stove takes a lot less time. Many recipes just mention the actual cooking time and some very vague prep time.