No, that’s not mice in place, like rodents situated where they’re supposed to be. Mise en place, pronounced mees ahn plahs, is a French term meaning “things in place.” In cooking, that means getting all of your ingredients ready before you start cooking. Have you ever seen those cooking shows where all the chef’s ingredients are already measured out and sitting in small bowls or containers? That’s mise en place. The advantage is that you can cook fast without having to stop to measure something. It also means you probably won’t burn or overcook your food. Some cooks worry about leaving refrigerated ingredients out while they are waiting to be used. But that brief time should be well within the safe time limits for most foods, even frozen items.
Next time you’re getting ready to cook, take the time to get all the ingredients together and measured before you do anything else. I think you’ll find it makes the whole process smoother and more enjoyable.
