A Little “Mise en Place”

You may have heard the French term “mise en place,” which means “everything in place.”

In a professional kitchen, it means having your ingredients, tools, and workspace ready before you start cooking. But I think the idea can be just as helpful at home.

For me, mise en place is about setting things up so that cooking feels easier.

One thing I don’t particularly enjoy is cleaning the kitchen before I start making a meal. I’d much rather tidy things up after I’m finished so the kitchen is ready for the next time I cook.

I also like to think about how I put groceries away.

For example, if I buy a bag of avocados, I’ll open the bag before putting it on the shelf. Then, when I want an avocado, I can simply reach in and grab one.

Or, if I buy a box of egg whites, I’ll take the cartons out of the box and put them directly on the shelf.

These little things might seem insignificant, but they can make a difference.

In a restaurant kitchen, cooks are constantly looking for ways to make things simpler and faster. When you’re in the middle of a busy service, you don’t want to stop and look for scissors to open a bag or struggle with a box to get something off the shelf.

The same idea works at home.

When you’re putting groceries away, think about your future self. What can you do now that will make things easier the next time you cook?

A few small changes can save time, reduce frustration, and make getting started in the kitchen much more enjoyable.

That’s the beauty of mise en place—a little preparation can make cooking feel so much easier.

Stick around and share ways that you make cooking more fun and easier.

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Want to enjoy healthy cooking? I’m your Cooking Coach!

Time with Chef Mary & Friends

When: July 6, 2025 - 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wZxbdW4UTdOVyqsOPVtcLA

My mom did not enjoy the daily chore of cooking dinner for 5 kids and my dad. I fell into that mindset too.

With my current husband, we used to eat at restaurants at least once per week, many years ago. It was expensive because he liked to get a bottle of wine. It was fun, relaxing and enjoyable. However it was beyond our income.

I decided to explore ways to reduce our food bill and to make cooking more enjoyable.

Food is the biggest variable expense in the household budget other than the choice of a car or clothes shopping. However, cooking is often seen as an ugly chore. I don’t feel like cooking everyday either.

My experience as a professional cook makes it easy to cook. But I had that ‘ugly chore’ mindset. The next step was making cooking enjoyable.

I just realized I am going off topic - my apologies. Okay, cooking is a chore. How is it a gift?

Cooking is a gift because the food we eat nourishes our bodies. When our bodies are nourished with tasty, healthy food, our bodies thrive. We can enjoy good health, as in fewer colds and flu or the ‘C’ perhaps (cancer). When our bodies are well nourished, our energy is higher.

We can be active, happier and enjoy life.

Which is better? If you are still reading, you likely agree with me. Gifting our bodies with healthy food is optimal.

It is my goal to help people to find ways to enjoy cooking.

Are you ready to explore the fabulous world of cooking? Come along with me.

Drop your comments here. I will respond.

Tell me how you feel about cooking.

How are you approaching your cooking routine?

The picture is a salad I call the Hard Vegetable Salad. It will last a few days in the fridge. We grew most of the vegetables - the cabbages, carrots, onions, celery and the kale.

Making your own Super

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Bowl Snacks has many benefits:

• Save money. Instead of buying ready made food, find recipes, get the ingredients and make your own.

• Food preparation with friends is fun. Invite the gang over 1 hour earlier and make your own snack food. Examples are hummus, chicken wings and drumsticks, vegetable tray and dips, loaded potato strips. Crank the music and assign duties, including cleanup.

• It is healthier! Prepared foods from stores and restaurants are higher in salt and fat to make it taste better. Do you think those football players are eating that stuff? They may pay a chef to make the food for them; you can be your own chef and create healthier food for yourself.

Preparation ideas:

• Print recipes and create a shopping list. Check your cupboards and fridge for ingredients that you already have.

• Figure out timing. Here is a rough outline for a few snack foods.

• Stuffed potatoes take the longest time - Wash, wrap each in foil and put into the oven to roast - may take an hour, depending on the size. If not done, finish in the microwave. When cooked, cut lengthwise into wedges, remove some of the inner potato and load with bacon bits, pickled peppers, chopped tomato. Finish with grated cheese. Bake in the oven after the chicken is done if you don’t have the oven space. Serve with sour cream and chopped green onions.

• Wings and/or drumsticks - Toss them in a coating mix (panko crumbs, garlic powder, dried lemon peel, chili powder), line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not waxed) and pop into the oven. While that is cooking, make the dips.

• Dips - Hummus is made by grinding chick peas, garlic, lemon, oil and tahini in a blender or processor. A creamy dip could be a thick salad dressing, or sour cream mixed with garlic powder, salt and pepper, smoked paprika and ancho chili powder. Put into the fridge to cool.

• Vegetables - Celery and carrot sticks, plus endive for scooping up lots of dip. Slice fresh bell peppers; get the different colors of peppers if available.

• Serving - Put the wings/drumsticks and potatoes on trays or plates, serve the vegetable tray with the dips, and some good quality chips.

When buying chips, if you can eat them all in one sitting they are not good quality. If you had enough after a handful or two, they are better for you. Companies research how to make food addictive and that stuff is not good for you!

If the above plan is too much to do or consider, select one or two ideas. The goal is to have protein (meat, beans, nuts for example), vegetables and maybe some fruit.

The result will be pride because you created this feast yourself, or with friends.

Your body will be happier because you fed it nourishing, tasty food.

Find ways to make easy healthy food.

You may be rewarded with a healthier body in the coming years; however there are no guarantees.

A common new habit is going to the gym. Each year in January, the gyms are full of people prepared to exercise and ‘get into shape’. How many drop out after one or two weeks, or a few months? After a month or 2 the gym is back to normal - almost empty. That is a relief for the regulars.

Cooking is another habit that can be hard to maintain. We start with the best of intentions, but life gets in the way.

I can cook, I don’t want to cook everyday. Some recipes make more than my husband and I eat for dinner. I freeze the extra. When I don’t want to cook, I thaw a meal. I call them ‘heat and serve’ meals. Heat it in a pot or in the microwave.

With the issue of plastics, I have started to heat food in non-plastic bowls or on plates when I use the microwave.

A common meal is chili, which can be eaten with bread, a baked potato or rice. I make a big pot of chili and freeze the extra.

Many dishes can be made in a slow cooker.

One of my favourite slow cooker meals is a Turkey Stew. I cook 1 or 2 turkey legs with vegetables like tomatoes, garlic, onion and celery plus herbs and a can of garbanzo beans and a can of black beans. The meat falls off the bone when it is finished. Yes I have to pick out the sinews which are the cartilage pieces. This meal is cheap, easy and it makes the house smell great.

I will add the recipe to my website which is www.kitchentimes.org. Currently I have one recipe on my website-pesto. The only recipe that really matters. All other recipes, I can find. I have started to record my recipes so they can be shared.

For 2025, my goal is to set up tasks so I can be consistent and achieve my goals. One of my goals is to help people to cook regularly for themselves. The task is to write a post on Substack each Thursday. Done!

Share in the comments how you plan your meals so you can regularly cook for yourself.

If you recently started to cook regularly, why did you start and how is it going for you.

Please share. Let’s talk about cooking easy, healthy meals. Maybe we can convert some people into chefs or at least a home cook!

See you all next week - on Thursday!

This is Pesto Rigatoni with Shrimp. I cooked the pasta. In another pan, I cooked onion, garlic and shrimp. While that was cooking, I grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top. After draining the pasta, I put it back into the pasta pot, added the shrimp mixture, put in the pesto and stirred. I turn off the heat, put on the lid and let the flavours meld while I tidy the kitchen, set the table and enjoy a sip of wine.

Sounds like a simple recipe. However…

• what if there is no rigatoni?

• what if the shrimp is still frozen?

• what if the pot is not big enough?

• what if there is not enough shrimp? Can a tin of crab meat be added?

• there is not much vegetable. Does that matter?

• what if the phone rings or a child needs me while cooking?

• what if…….?????

Even the simplest recipe can go wrong. Or, it is ‘too much work’.

I understand why people do not want to cook for themselves.

However….. there are advantages to cooking for yourself, and others in the house. Basically, the plus side is better health (mentally and physically), saving money and opens doors socially.

In the coming weeks I will explore how to make cooking easier, more enjoyable and uncover ways to stay motivated to cook for yourself.

Maybe we will have a challenge to see how long you can live without ordering meal delivery or buying prepared meals!

What are your thoughts and reactions? Post your suggestions and comments and see you next Thursday for more of ….. I’m cooking dinner.

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