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7 Comments
Lynn E.
June 4, 2016
Muse is not just for the kitchen. It's invaluable for any project. I use it at my office job all the time. My fewyears in cooking and pastry honed my organizational skills and attention to detail.
cookinalong
June 4, 2016
I never bother with mise for bread baking unless I'm trying something new. And since so many bread recipes call for things like "3 to 4 cups" of flour, it doesn't make sense to measure out and then either have to go get more or go put some back! But for a stir fry, I ALWAYS do it, and I go a little anal retentive step extra and line things up in the order I'm going to use them. Too nerve wracking otherwise. Lots of beginner cooks get obsessed with copying what they see TV chefs doing without realizing why they do things that way. Sometimes it just looks impressive on camera! More often it just means they're lucky enough to have a prep cook! Not a luxury most home cooks have.
Nancy
January 21, 2018
Yes, agree...especially about bread making. One thing I do, to accommodate the variable amounts of flour needed, is set aside some extra with a clean scoop so I don't have to open my flour again with hands full of half-kneaded wet dough.
The occasions when I always use mise-en-place is when learning a new recipe or technique.
The occasions when I always use mise-en-place is when learning a new recipe or technique.
Laura415
June 3, 2016
Good article. I definitely use the tip about setting up my baking mise the night before. It makes it easy to just start baking early in the morning right when I get up while coffee is brewing. Makes the cooking go faster and more enjoyably.
bookjunky
April 11, 2016
Makes excellent sense. But I think most home cooking and baking (think cookies, breads, and butter cakes) is not so time sensitive as to require mise. I typically gather the ingredients ahead of time, and just measure as I go. Fewer dishes, too.
Catherine
April 11, 2016
Yes! I always read the recipe first (...almost always...) and try to identify places where it makes sense to prep and cook at the same time. Many times I can identify places where I can save extra bowls or measuring spoons by using weight measurements and pouring directly into the bowl. Saving time and clean up is important when cooking is your second shift. :)
Kerry
April 11, 2016
I love this approach! I try to get all the ingredients out and while the first step is on the stove (i.e. browning meat, etc.) I'll chop up the next ingredients, etc. and line them up ready for action. It is a good habit and makes the cooking enjoyable, even on a hectic weeknight. I'll even try to keep cleaning up, loading (or unloading) dishes, etc. during any downtime (using that term very lightly!). Great article.
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