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.