3 hours plus 30 minutes

the basics of mise en place

as a professional chef and educator,  i have spent a great deal of time focused on the concept of mise en place.  it is arguably the most important concept in all of cooking.  in fact, if you take a poll of all of the tattoos on all of the chefs around the world, it is likely the most common.

the concept itself is not all that difficult; to put in place seems a very easy thing indeed.  however, it requires much more than just measuring out ingredients.  it involves thinking a process through from beginning to end, finding all of the trouble spots, seeing where your fellow cooks will unintentionally sabotage your work, understanding the rhythm of the kitchen, and understanding your own personal work habits all at the same time.  by being truly prepared to cook, we can accomplish great feats, such as getting an entire week's worth of meals prepared, if not fully cooked, in around 3 hours.  or preparing enough food to feed a banquet hall full of hungry wedding guests in about the same amount of time if you are on the professional side.  

at the end of september 2014, my husband and i determined that we were going to take charge of our lives again.  we were going to quit being reactive and attempt to live and eat proactively again.  and while that might seem like very strong language when talking about food, it is exactly what is required.  when we stop to plan a day and think about what we are going to eat, most of us would say that we are going to make the healthy choice.  if asked whether i plan to eat taco bell at 9am, my answer will most definitely be NO.  however, when i haven't had time to eat all day and someone is standing there with a taco, my will power will disappear and i will eat the heck out of that taco (and anything else you might have on hand).  i maintain that lack of willpower when hungry is part of the human condition.  i mean they starve prisoners or war and torture victims to get information out of them, how can you expect me to say no to pizza when it's right there and i'm hungry?  

starting a diet again was like starting the same fight that i've been fighting for years.  you know the one.  it goes something like:  'would you like a piece of cake?'  'no thanks, i'm on a diet'.  and then two hours later when you're sitting in a tiny cubicle staring at a screen realizing all you've been thinking about is that stupid piece of cake, there is no conversation you're just devouring the cake (and not just one measly little piece, the whole damn thing).  i just don't win under those circumstances and i've finally realized that i never will.  if i want to say no to the cake, then i have to not be hungry.  week 1 of the diet was very different this round.  i gave myself a week to track what i was eating and when.  then i set out to come up with a plan that would surround me with a large variety of healthful options at all times of the day so that i wouldn't resort to the not so healthful options.  

as a chef, i realized that i was never going to be able to maintain a diet where i had plenty of healthy food around, but it was ALWAYS the same food.  no one can eat the same thing over and over again without getting bored and suffering some intense cravings.  which meant that i had to have a plan and a good one each week.  a large variety of foods and flavors, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sweet snacks, salty snacks, and everything in between.  and suddenly my diet was a catering event that i could plan for and a challenge that i could overcome.

my plan has been to do the bulk of my cooking and prep work for the entire week on sunday afternoon.  (it can be any day that you want, but sunday afternoon generally means waiting on laundry to dry and avoidance of all televised sports for me)  i would create a meal plan for the week along with a master shopping list and a production schedule for my preparations and then i would put myself in the kitchen and make magic happen.  then i could spend just a few minutes making breakfast and packing my lunch before i leave the house in the morning and not be scrambling.  with most of the prep work done, dinner can happen sometimes in as little as 10 minutes when i get home (but no more than 30).  meaning it is much easier to eat what you planned and not resort to take-out.  saying no to pizza or chinese food is easier when dinner is already in the fridge.  as not everyone in the world is a professional chef, i realize that it will take some of you a bit longer than 3 hours to get your mise en place finished, but i will give you the tools you need to make it go as fast as possible and be fun at the same time. 

i do my cooking on sundays, so each week i will post a meal plan along with a shopping list by wednesday.  by saturday i will post a production schedule and recipes as well as some general cooking tips to get you started on your weekly mise en place.  in order to make this happen, you all will be eating a week behind us here at casa tobeck.  it's much easier to post when i've already done the shopping and the cooking.  you'll get pictures and also have the benefit of knowing that we liked it enough to post, which means you should be happy too.  

all of the meal plans, shopping lists, and production schedules will be in a printable format so that you can utilize them digitally or physically depending on your preference.  comments, questions and concerns are always appreciated and i'll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.  and i'm always on the lookout for healthy recipes or recipes that i can find a way to make healthy, so if you have suggestions or cravings i'm happy to oblige.  now i guess all that's left is to say 'go forth and mise en place'.