meeze

Mise en place is French for "set in place". In the kitchen setting up a mise en place means to organize everything you need for what you are going to cook. Washing and preparing ingredients, setting aside cooking equipment, tools, and plates. Having a good mise en place is paramount to performing well in the kitchen. Efficiency of one's actions during cooking is so important, and it all begins with a good mise en place.

I love the organization of setting up a good mise, having everything perfectly placed in its own place, ready for battle. I'll even go beyond a physical set up and write down dish platings, timing of cooking, timing of plating, and more. I'm a fanatic when it comes to my mise. If I don't have a good mise I feel unsteady, slow, unorganized, and cluttered. I'm not in a good head space when I don't have a set up exactly the way I want it.

I'm in belief that having a good mise en place goes beyond just being physically prepared, it also helps you mentally prepare for your tasks ahead. A good performance begins with a good state of mind. Making sure you're prepared mentally for any task large or small and you always perform better.

In a way I kind of feel like Batman before he goes out to fight his war on crime. Victory stems from the almighty preparation time.

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burnt food

I've mentioned in a previous post, I don't make or create a lot of dessert type foods. However, the one dessert I've been able mastered is crème brûlée. I first became fascinated with crème brûlée during the winter of 2005. I saw it being prepared on the cooking show Chef at Home with Michael Smith. What probably fascinated me the most about the dish is the aspect of using a torch to create the caramelized sugar top. Big dangerous tool in the kitchen with lots of fire? Yes, please!

The first time I made crème brûlée I didn't have a torch so I settled for using the broil setting on a toaster oven - I wasn't at all pleased with the end result. From that one failure I was determined to learn to make the dish well. I spent about four months of trial and error to perfect my version of crème brûlée. I made several batches and tweaked the levels of sugar and cream of each until I finally got the flavour profile and texture I wanted.

The result?

I believe my crème brûlée is creamier in texture than the normal custard and not as sweet as other versions of this famous dish. A higher ratio of cream to egg yolks gives a creamier texture; custard that melts in your mouth and almost wants to run off the spoon. I use a low amount of sugar in the custard but make a strong caramelized layer on the top (using tubinado sugar) . Breaking the glass like layer of caramel into the custard gives wonderful bursts of sweetness that is mellowed out and balanced by the cool custard.

I love this dish. It's so simple in terms of its ingredients and flavours but it is also difficult to do well. I've been told my version is better than what you can find in most restaurants around where I live. Hearing that makes me glad but at the same time it makes me ask myself, "can I make it any better?"

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Crêpe

Anyone who has talked to me about my love for cooking has heard probably heard me say that I can't bake to save my life. It's true, I'm not much of a baker, I believe baking is an entirely different beast than cooking. I tend to burn anything with quantities of eggs, milk, sugar, and flour mixed together. I'm sure I could become proficient at baking if I practice the craft.

However, just because I'm not the greatest baker doesn't mean I can't do dessert. I make a killer crème brûlée but that's a story for a different post. I recently purchased March's issue of Gourmet Magazine and saw a picture of what appeared to be a crêpe cake, I got inspired and decided to make it with a Canadian twist.


I didn't use the recipe in the magazine but was simply inspired by the beautiful picture. I used my tried and true crêpe batter recipe and Canadianized the cake by using Maple Syrup and chopped walnuts. I'd say that it turned out pretty good, adding a drizzle of maple syrup and the cake just gets better.

I don't make enough desserts, I should try my hand at making more. I will probably attempt more desserts in the summer when more local fruit is available.

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Cooking Wisdom

At work I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen. I do have a cubicle in the office but I'm almost never at my desk. I'll often sit down for 2 - 5 minutes to check my email and then walk back to the kitchen to continue work. I'm constantly pushing myself at work and always striving to be better at what I do. I'm in search of perfection.

Chef Thomas Keller said the following:

"For me, that's one of the important things about cooking. What was good enough yesterday may not be good enough today."

Those words resonate through me and I believe everything about them. To grow, in anything we do, we need to constantly push ourselves and strive for better, search for that unattainable state of perfection.

I've been meaning to print out this quote and pin it up in my cubicle. Other people in the office have pictures of friends, family, and pets. I think it reminds them of their place outside of the working world and also brings a sense of comfort to work. For me, this quote won't give me comfort or joy but rather a desire to push harder with every passing day.

There are times when I screw up and I know that I have to rebound from those experiences, I have to come back better and stronger. I can always work a little faster and a little cleaner, I can be more organized and more efficient. I can be better than yesterday.

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