I started this beef stew, then had to do a bunch of other stuff, so I let it cool down after the beef cooked, then put it in the fridge. Hours later, I took it out got it boiling, put the vegetables in, and finished it. It will be cooled down and in the fridge by bedtime.
It now occurs to me that the gap could have been even longer. You could start cooking something, pause for days, then continue. I feel like this opens up a lot of logistical possibilities!
But I probably won’t take advantage of them.