Mise en place

"Put in place"-- the essential phrase for being prepared in the kitchen. When everything is prepped and put in place, cooking is much easier, neater and more fun. Who wants to scramble around finding the shallot in the middle of a saute- what's in the pan is likely to over cook, and you may never find that shallot in the end.

What ever you cook- be prepared. Clean off your cooking surface, pull out the ingredients, strategically prepare them and make sure you have the right tools at hand.

When I teach a class, mise en place is critical. I need to have the room, the ingredients and tools all at hand-- and I also have a mental mise en place for how the class will be organized.

For a weeknight dinner at home, I can afford to be a little more casual-- my audience is very accepting! But- for a dinner party, I am just as organized as I am at work. That way, I can concentrate on my guests, have some fun and not worry about where that stupid pot is while everyone else is relaxing on the deck!