Foodie Phrase: Mise en place

Per Wikipedia  " Mise en place (pronounced [miz ah plas], literally "putting in place") is a French phrase defined by the Culinary Institute of America as "everything in place", as in set up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to the ingredients that a cook requires for the menu items that he/she expects to prepare during his/her shift... ingredients are measured out, washed, chopped, and placed in individual bowls and ready for use as the recipe requires.

While I have seen this done before (think Rachel Ray stacking EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink in her little prep bowl and bringing it to the main table) I didn't realize it had a real  name nor did I understand its importance. Until, that is,  my 2nd visit to the dentist. To distract me from the seemingly endless barrage of gum-numbing shots I was about to receive, the dentist handed me a radio with headphones. Within seconds (I wanted the distraction to start immediately) I was listening to a piece on KUOW which included the interview of a chef explaining how to use the simple concept of mise en place to make preparing a large or complicated dinner not only manageable, but enjoyable. (Follow this link for complete story: http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=18887)



This tool has saved many a Davis dinner from being burnt beyond recognition, the kitchen from looking like monkeys were let loose with cans of tomato sauce as ammunition, and most important, my sanity. This very evening's dinner, in fact, went off without a hitch because I took the time to pre-measure and pre-chop my ingredients. The recipe, "Shrimp Fra Diavolo", courtesy of this month's Cooking Light magazine, is not very forgiving when it comes to timing, and having everything ready to go in mini-prep bowls made the cooking enjoyable, the cleaning a breeze, and the final product perfetto! Furthermore, having all of your ingredients before you gives you the sense that regardless of how complicated a recipe may seem (and this was not necessarily such a recipe) you can do it, and you can do it well.

So, next time you're in line at the grocery store wishfully staring at the cover of Gourmet Magazine thinking "I could never do that", do yourself a favor: buy the magazine, a bottle of wine, go home and put on some classic Sinatra, and let old "Blue Eyes" and this little technique help you make some magic!

Till next time!

PS: Here is the link to the Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe should you wish you try it. And like I said, this is probably a 1 to 2-star in prep difficulty but rewarding none-the-less (oh, and did I mention that it was delish!?) http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1949706

The 12 Days of a Davis Christmas

My oh my how time flies! Peter and I had a great first Christmas together! Below is a little synopsis in the form of a song.

The 12 Days of a Davis Christmas

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On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me --a little red Volkswagen buggy

That's right! We have a new car! It's a Jetta Sportswagen TDI--in 'salsa red'. It has been such a blessing to be able to get around town and run errands that don't take 1/2 day on the bus. Driving stick shift proved to be quite the challenge and after much talking and prayer we decided that buying a car for long-term use (with room for the future Davis dumplings) would be best. I will be forever grateful to Peter for giving up his little zoomzoom--I know how much he liked that car--thankfully this new toy has lots of buttons for him to play with.

On the 2^nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me--two ugly sweaters

I've always wanted to got to an ugly sweater party and this year was it! Finding such treasures was harder than I imagined-out of hundreds of sweaters at Goodwill, I only found one (but it was a beaut!) and Peter walked away with a Christmas tie. We spent a fun evening with friends from community group which included dinner, ice skating and a late run to Molly Moon's for ice cream!

On the 3^rd  day of Christmas my true love gave to me--three Christmas flicks

 Well, technically two. We watched "A Christmas Story" while decorating our tree (which, by the way, is a really funny movie when watched all the way through in one sitting) and "It's a Wonderful Life". This was Peter's first introduction to George and Mary Bailey and as it turned out, not the last. Later in the month we attended "It's a Wonderful Life" Radio Theater at Taproot and watched the movie come to life.

On the 4^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--four ice skates rented

Nothing says 'winter holiday' like ice skating. In ugly Christmas sweaters. At the Seattle Center Rink. It's  as close to riding in a one-horse open sleigh as it's going to get here in Seattle, and it was a blast. Peter and I sang Christmas carols off key (mostly me) while holding hands and going around in circles. At one point, some guy on the sidelines shouted out "You guys are so cute together". I agree.

On the 5^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--five lbs of chocolate!

Literally. I don't know how it happened, but at the end of several white elephant exchanges we came away with TONS of chocolate. Oh, and I can't forget about the smorgasbord of chocolate that both sets of parents bestowed upon us. Not that I'm complaining--we've made a healthy dent in the Lindt Truffle collection. Mmm..white chocolate creaminess!

 On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--six fun tree bobbles 

One of the Christmas traditions that Peter and I started was to purchase an ornament for each other each Christmas--one that represents the past year. This being our first year, we purchased several: 1) Jesus in the manger 2) Couples ornament (cheesy yes, adorable, also yes 3) Lighthouse (for our Maine Honeymoon) and 4) Stockings as tree-toppers. I also had the pleasure of being witness to Peter's handyman skills as he sawed off a bit of the bottom of the Christmas tree while still in the stand. This is what happens when one forgets to water a fresh tree... 

 On the 7^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--seven soapy snowflakes

 

Snowflake Lane is an annual tradition in downtown Bellevue where the streets are decorated with giant snowflakes and the holiday tunes and peppermint mochas are never-ending.  Every evening in December high school kids dressed up as toy soldiers participate in a drum line and play all the favorites. The finale is a blizzard of foamy 'snowflakes' blown about to the delight of all the little kids---and some of the older kids too. The best part was the older couple standing next to us. This was clearly not their first attendance, and by the look on the husband's face, unfortunately, not their last. It was a small glimpse  into our future---60 years old and still attending Snowflake Lane just because the wifey likes to do Christmasythings ad nauseam--now THAT'S love!

 On the 8^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me --eight different coordinates

Christmas Eve was my first time geocaching, and ohmygoodness, where has this fun treasure hunt been all my life?! Peter and I were meeting a couple of good friends for dinner that evening in Fremont anddecided to spend the whole day in the city. The first adventure led us to the famous troll under the bridge where we located our first mini-cache. Our second cache was found by collecting several clues in the city that led to the final destination--a tree on the Burke-Gilman trail. More on this in the next post!

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On the 9^thday of Christmas my true love gave to me--nine Zarembas munching

The holiday swap has started! Since we spent Thanksgiving with Peter's parents, Christmas day was at the Zarembas(followed by the rest of the Christmas weekend with the Davis family). The morning began with a quick run to Safeway to pick up ingredients for the french toast casserole I was supposed to have assembled the night before. (Now I know that things shut down by 6pm on Christmas eve). Upon arriving in Kent, the flurry of last minute prep for the evening's dinner began, and by 11:30 we were ready for presents. The fun lasted till around 1pm at which time cooking ensued...and I do believe nap time occurred sometime between 2 and 4pm (for me). Dinner was fantastic, as always, and the evening concluded with a family picture in the living room and hugs and kisses all around.

On the 10^th day of Christmas my true  love gave to me--ten friends from youth group

Since I cannot recall when, my old group leaders from junior high school have graciously hosted a YAC Reunion party (Youth at Church) at their home on the 23rd of December. This is the first year that I've gone in the last 4 or 5, and it was really nice to see everyone and catch up. Most people are married and with little children of their own. The board games with small pieces have been replaced by giant plastic toys (this year,it was Mr.and Mrs. Potato Head with dozens of accessories) and conversations revolve around home remodeling, kids and all their little antics, and reflections on the past year. Several of us ended the evening with a 10pm viewing of Avatar in 3D with promises to see one another next year.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--eleven desserts for sampling

 December started with the Expeditor's Christmas soiree at the Sheraton in Downtown Seattle. We mingled, enjoyed fancy little hour d oeuvres, and a bit of bubbly. After cocktail hour we were treated to a delicious holiday spread followed by  an unbelievable selection of desserts. It was so hard to choose just one or two or three...so we divided and conquered and took bites of each other's picks. Yum!

On the 12^th  day of Christmas my true love gave to me--twelve crazy chickens

Thanks to my sister Diana, our new year calendar is entitled "Extraordinary Chickens". Each month we have the pleasure of staring at a new chicken---fluffy, colorful, crazy-eyed--the fun just doesn't end. January's poultry sensation is a Silkie Bearded Buff Pullet which resembles a very puffy ball with little chicken legs.

Below are a few more pictures. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized image.

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