Preparing to Cook

Mise en Place Getting ready to cook is called mise en place. Mise en place is French for “to put in place.” Mise en place refers to the preparation and assembly of ingredients, pans, utensils, equipment, or serving pieces needed for a particular dish or service. The goal of pre-preparation is to do as much of the work in advance without any loss in ingredient quality The basic elements of mise en place—knife cuts, flavorings, herbs and spices, and basic preparations—are the building blocks of a professional chef ’s training. These methods and techniques will be essential throughout a professional career.

Preparation Techniques Mise en place also involves pre-preparing certain ingredients that need to be refined before they are ready for use at the time of preparation. Usually, cleaning and cutting raw foods is one of the first steps of mise en place. Fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat often require trimming and cutting. Basic cooking techniques in pre-preparation include separating eggs, whipping egg whites, setting up a bain-marie, and making parchment liners for pans.

Flavor Flavor refers to the way a food tastes, as well as its texture, appearance, doneness, and temperature. A flavoring should enhance the base ingredients of the dish, or it can also bring another flavor to the product.

Seasonings A seasoning is something that enhances the flavor of an item without changing the primary flavor of the dish. They must be used with care to prevent overuse, but seasoning generally should be added at the start of the dish to create a depth of flavor. There are four basic types of seasoning ingredients: Salts Peppers Sugars Acids

Herbs & Spices Herbs and spices are important ingredients used to enhance and add to the flavor of food: Herbs are the leaves, stems, or flowers of an aromatic plant. Spices are the bark, roots, seeds, buds, or berries of an aromatic plant. Storing spices and herbs properly helps to keep them fresh and flavorful. Heat, light, and air all speed the loss of flavor and color.

Herbs & Spices Add volatile spices and herbs toward the end of cooking to provide the full benefit of their aromas and flavors. Some herbs and spices must be used carefully because their dominant flavors can overpower the flavor of the dish. Use salt and pepper at the beginning of the cooking process to ensure that sauces, butter, or other liquids will not wash off the seasoning.

Name that Herb Basil Italian Cooking

Bay Name that Herb Soups, Stews, Meats Use the whole leaf, but remove before serving

Name that Herb Chives Potatoes, Garnishes, Seafood, Soups

Name that Herb Cilantro Mexican Food, Thai Food, Sauces, Salsa

Name that Herb Dill Fish, Potatoes, Pickles, Dips, Carrots, Bread

Name that Herb Lemon Grass Chicken, Seafood

Name that Herb Mint Desserts, Lamb, Tea

Name that Herb Oregano Italian Food, Mexican Food, Pizza, Spaghetti

Name that Herb Parsley Garnish, Meat, Cheese, Salads, etc….

Name that Herb Rosemary Chicken, Seafood, Mushrooms, Vegetables

Name that Herb Sage Pork, Turkey, Stuffing, Mushrooms

Name that Herb Tarragon Chicken, Eggs, Mushroom, Seafood

Name that Herb Thyme Meat, Poultry, Mushrooms, Nuts, Potatoes

Allspice Name that Spice Tropical Evergreen Tree Berry Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon Pickling, Stews, Baking

Name that Spice Caraway Apple, Pork, Sausage, Rye Bread

Name that Spice Cayenne Any food, but can add lots of heat!!

Chili Powder Name that Spice Blend of cumin, garlic, onion and chili Tex-Mex, BBQ

Cloves Name that Spice Immature flower buds Meats, Stocks, Sauces, Baking

Coriander Name that Spice Cilantro seeds Variety of cooking uses in savory and baked foods

Name that Spice Cumin Seeds – used crushed Mexican Foods, Chili

Name that Spice Ginger Root of plant Baking, Asian Foods

Nutmeg Name that Spice Seed kernel inside a fruit Baking, cheese, eggs, Alfredo

Paprika Name that Spice Finely ground powder from dried pepper Garnish, salads, sausage, casseroles

Peppercorn Name that Spice Dried unripe berry Most common – black pepper, used in most foods

Name that Spice Poppy Seeds From poppy flower Baking, Salad Dressing

Saffron Name that Spice Dried stigmas of crocus Most expensive spice in the world Mediterranean and Asian foods

Sesame Seeds Name that Spice Found in the pod of a tropical plant Baking, Tahini Paste, Asian Fish dishes

World Seasonings You can create different taste by simply adjusting seasonings. The meat and vegetables can remain basically the same, but by changing the seasonings you can enhance the dish

Chinese Chinese 5 spice powder, garlic, red chilies, chili oils, ginger root, cilantro, sesame seeds and sesame oil, peanut oil, chili paste, hoisin sauce, fermented black beans, black bean paste, rice vinegar, sherry, soy sauce, bean sprouts, scallion, mirin, bok choy

Japanese garlic, ginger root, pickled ginger, scallion, cucumber, daikon, sake, soy sauce, sugar, watercress, wasabi, miso, mirin, sesame seeds, plum wine, seaweed

Italian Oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, dried Italian seasonings, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, onion, garlic, capers, red pepper flakes, anise and fennel, arugula, olives, parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, artichoke

Mexican garlic, cumin, chili powder, cloves, oregano, thyme, vanilla, lime, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, red peppers, chilies, white vinegar, legumes, dried peppers, bell peppers

Thai Garlic, cumin, cloves, lemongrass, cilantro, mint, basil, ginger, fruit (bananas, pineapple, mangoes, papaya) fish sauce, dried shrimp, coconut milk, sugar, ketchup, peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter

Indian garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, clove, anise, curry, turmeric, chilies, cilantro, ginger, lime, onion, raisins, apples, nuts, green and red bell peppers