Mise en place

Mise en place is French for "put in place". It refers to having all ingredients and equipment needed for a recipe ready before beginning to cook - basically, setting up for cooking.

Before you cook, review all of the recipes you will use. Measure and prepare (wash, dice, slice, chop, etc.) all of the ingredients, and place them into bowls. Do this for all of your dishes, so that you do not have to stop between dishes or in the middle of a recipe to gather ingredients. Place all ingredients on the counter in the order that you will use them, especially when making sauces or other dishes that require precise timing.