Image by little blue hen via Flickr
Many consider cooking an art form. Indeed it is an excellent way to express oneself through food. In a private kitchen it is ok to make a mess and experiment however in a commercial kitchen this is a big no-no. In a commercial kitchen everything has to remain clean, efficient and organized in order to provide every customer with an exceptional dining experience. If you want to practice this at home, then you will need to learn the art of mise en place.
So just what is mise en place? Mise en place is a French phrase which means “to have everything in its place”. This translates into cooking by having all of the ingredients for a dish prepared and organized in order of when they are needed. Such preparation enables a person to cook a meal more effectively.
To practice mise en place you will need to do the following
- read through the recipe you will be using (if you are using one)
- check that you have all of the ingredients needed
- check that you have all of the equipment needed
- measure out all of the ingredients and place in separate dishes
- prepare things such as vegetable by cutting, slicing, dicing or whatever the recipe calls for
- Prepare the equipment needed for use and lay it out in order of need
- preheat the oven if necessary
Being a good cook doesn’t happen overnight. Practicing mise en place is a good place to start if you are wishing to be more organized in the kitchen. Get practicing today and wow friends with your organization in the kitchen.
