Mise En Place (Putting In Place)

Hello Everyone. Chef Izabella here. My friends and family call my Izzy for short.

My post today is intended to encourage everyone to have more peace, fun and confidence in the kitchen. This one easy step, as the post title suggests, is "Mise en Place". Put everything in place, before you start cooking (this is a French phrase), and everything will fall into place effortlessly. You can set out a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Measure out all of your ingredients into preparation bowls or plates. Place the measured ingredients onto the baking sheet and set it aside. Once you start to bake or cook your food, bring out the "mise en place" tray. Be sensitive to things that should be refrigerated right up until you cook it. You can still pre-measure it and place it back in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Most restaurants implement the "mise en place" trays in their kitchens. This keeps everything organized and running smoothly.

I recommend that we all do this in our own home kitchens. My mom does this any time we are going to cook or bake together. I like to help her prepare our "mise en place". This way I can simply pour the ingredients into the mixing bowls or dishes and voila... our cooking and baking is effortless. Sometimes we transfer the items off of the tray onto the counter, where we are working, simply to save space. You figure out what organization system works best for you, and then do it! There is nothing worse than being right in the middle of cooking or baking something, but not being able to find an ingredient. Then one runs around the pantry or the kitchen like a silly goose, looking for an ingredient that could have been prepped or measured in advance.

Save yourself time and agony, and prepare and measure your ingredients out before you start cooking or baking. Be prepared. Be organized. Have more fun!!!  Thank you for reading my thoughts for the day. I hope you are enjoying yourself in the kitchen! Cheers, Chef Izabella (aka: Chef Izzy)

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