Have you ever wondered how restaurants are able to deliver so many different dishes to your table in a small amount of time?
Well today I’m going to share their ‘secret’.
Basically apart from having lots of staff, restaurants do most of their prep ahead of time. So when the ‘heat is on’ during service they only need to put the finishing touches on each dish.
The technical term is ‘mise en place’.
What is ‘mise en place?’
Ever eaten at a restaurant with an exposed kitchen so you could watch the chefs at work? And ever noticed all the little containers and bottles of sauces they have at their work stations?
Well you’ve seen ‘mise en place‘ in action.
Mise en place is a French term that roughly translates as ‘put in place’. It’s used to describe the practice of chefs preparing food up to a point where it is ready to be used in a dish during food service.
It may be as simple as washing and picking herbs into individual leaves or chopping vegetables. Or more complicated like caramelizing onions, cooking dried beans or slow cooking meats.
The main benefit in a restaurant is that it makes it much quicker and easier to get food on the table after the customer has ordered.
The secondary benefit is that the preparation can help to extend the shelf life of fresh produce.
How can this ‘secret’ help you?
1. Save you time.
By taking the time when you can to do a little ‘mise en place’ preparation, we can make it much quicker and easier to get dinner on the table when we come home from work late and everyone is hungry.
2. Reduce waste
Happily, a little bit of preparation can actually extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Which means you have more time to use your precious veg before they go bad.
3. Makes it easy to just ‘throw something tasty together’.
I’ve found that prepping ahead and pretending I’m a chef* with my ‘mise’ has an unexpected benefit… It makes it much easier to look in the fridge and actually get inspiration for what to make for dinner.
There’s something about having at least some of the work done that makes the decision process much easier.
Could you benefit from our little ‘secret’?
Then I invite you to join me for The Organized Cook online program.
It’s a simple system to get ‘on top of’ cooking at home, eating more vegetables and pulling meals together quickly without the ‘last minute’ stress.
For more details go to:
www.thestonesoupshop.com/toc/
(*for the record I’m not a chef. Just a self-taught cook with a degree in Food Science.)
Big love,
Jules x
ps. Not sure if this will help you?
Here’s how ‘The Organized Cook’ has already helped Liz and Pat…
“This course really helped me to learn methods of preparing for the week ahead and it’s not complicated and ingredients are budget friendly. We are eating more vegetables, lentils and getting meals on the table doesn’t take as long. I’m also getting lots of compliments of dinners. I’m cooking more at home rather than eating out. It’s just quicker and tastier than takeaway food! We are so very thankful for your recipes, we have lots of new family favourites that are quick and easy!”
Liz, The Organized Cook Student.
“I am planning ahead more often and have less anxiety when it come time to cook the evening meal. TOC helps simplify the meal planning and preparation process. And access to all of the healthy recipes is great!”
Pat, The Organized Cook Student.
pps. Registration is only open for another 7 days.
I don’t know when I’ll be running this program again.
To make sure you don’t miss out go to:
www.thestonesoupshop.com/toc/