There are so many cooking techniques out there that one loses count.  Some are basic, some take years of practice to master.   However I think the most valuable techniques any cook can develop in order to improve the success and enjoyment of cooking is also one of the easiest to learn.

The French call it “Mise en place”. In English, it means “putting in place”.  Ever notice when you watch a cooking show that most chefs have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go?  They just grab the little dish with the ingredient and in it goes – no muss, no fuss, no measuring…  This is mise en place at work.  The other advantage of mise in place is it puts an end to every cooks nightmare scenario – being mid cooking, going to the pantry for an ingredient and then quizzically staring at the shelves saying to oneself “I was sure I had that…”.

Mise en place only requires a little bit of time and a small set of dishes to organize the ingredients in. I have about 20 prep dishes, about half are glass, half are stainless, and they are a variety of sizes.  I also use ziplock sandwich bags for larger amounts of items.  Here is my collection of dishes

These dishes are inexpensive, and for less than any ‘as seen on TV’ kitchen gadget you can stock yourself with a healthy selection of dishes.   The type and size is really up to you, I like the wide shallow glass for herbs and dry ingredients, and the deeper metal ones for liquids.  The only kind I don’t really care for are the silicone ones, they are expensive in comparison, and I don’t like working with them as much.  Explore your local kitchen shop or mega mart and you will find a selection of them that will work for you.

Once you get into the swing of assembling your ingredients in advance, you will never go back to trying to measure out something while the step before is burning in the pan. Your cooking will improve, your stress will decrease, and you will be able to tell everyone you have mastered a really useful French cooking technique!