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