Mis En Place

I was in a brand new stiff, starchy chef coat the first time I heard this phrase - and I have adopted it as a best practice for many things in my life. Ever watch a Chef on the Food Network create a dish with all their ingredients ready in various little glass bowls? Comes together so effortlessly and quickly right? That’s mis en place. Everything you need is prepped, measured, sliced, diced, grated, peeled, etc. so when the time comes, you can just cook <boom!> You are streamlined, organized, and ready to go! You’re not forgetting if you already added the chili powder or rushing to find the cornstarch in the back of the cupboard when it’s time to add. You might even spot an ingredient before it’s too late to get to the store.

By mise en plac-ing, you’re becoming more productive, reducing the stress of making the recipe correctly and saving time. Who doesn’t want more time in their life?

Hint: after you mis en place and before you start cooking, do those dishes like the cutting board, knife, peeler, etc. and dish work is half way done after the meal - girl, score!

Don’t have 100 little glass dishes? Read your recipe through so you understand the steps and then combine ingredients that are going to be cooked together - veggies all in one bowl, dried spices in another, liquids in a pitcher, and so on.

Try it while making dinner tonight - there is a reason it was the first thing I learned in the food world.