mise en place: what does it mean to you?

[Marzoli]

Ah, those wonderful little bowls! I remember a day in the dim past when I used to try to cook without creating extra dishwashing! Ha! and double Ha! No wonder I was always in the weeds. Then, in this lifetime, I read a bunch about chef school and such and learned about mise en place. Now, it's true that teachers must have their own mise en place. How else could we function with all those different classes pouring in every hour? Gotta have the books, the worksheets (nasty word, that) and all the rest set out and ready to go. But I never once connected that process to cooking. Lordy, I'm so dense! Anyway, I learned that I can actually be pretty efficient if I do the prep and put out what I need BEFORE I start to actually cook. So, I do a few dishes. Big deal! Now if I just knew how to PRONOUNCE mise en place, I could tell my husband that I was busy getting my "however you say that" ready! Phonetics, anyone?

[Nicko]

Mise en place encompasses a lot especially when I think about working a hot line where you are doing several courses per client and really doing some high end food. Besides having all of your equipment and ingredients in place you need to have a lot more in line. So often on the line people are only focused about their mise en place but a line is really a team so if you are on saute and the grill guy is getting behind in his prep then part of your mise en place is to jump in and help him/her out.

Another big part of your mise en place is your mental mise en place. Are you ready for the night? Or, are you thinking about the bills you forgot to pay, or your girlfriend? I don't think it matters one bit if you have all of your tools, or all of your ingredients if mentally you are not ready then you are going to be in the weeds.

Greg, Thank you for clearing up Issac's hat problem. I was wonderring if anyone was going to mention it.

[Kimmie]

Hey Sandy,

mise-en-place [meèz aan plass]

To me, mis en place means only one thing, the difference between life and death!